CPU

Mother Board

GPU

8GB of RAM

1TB HDD for way more storage space then a console. You could drop the storage space to match a console and save a bit of money, but we won't do that.

PSU Cheaper/lower wattage for this build is possible, but it's better not to skimp

Disk drives are dying out and everything is going digital. Even consoles are showing massive growth in direct game purchases and downloads from PSN/XBL. But here it is if you want one.

Here's a few cases 1 2 3 4. Pick your case based on style, USB ports, whatever. All of those are 30 dollars or less and are mATX, meaning smaller form factor.

So now peripherals. Need a monitor? No you don't, plug it in to your TV. HDMI just like a console and consoles don't come with displays. You might have a monitor already.
Controller/input devices? PCs can use the old controllers you have laying around. Here's a keyboard and mouse recommendation anyway if you want one or don't already own them since most people own a computer for stuff outside gaming. That costs around half the price of an OEM console controller and KB+M is a more accurate input method. Controllers are a comfort thing and are best suited for driving games, but point and click with a high DPI sensor is much more intuitive and accurate than a controller with bad input filtering and clunky auto aim. Microsoft tried cross platform and keyboard and mouse destroyed gamepad/controller players. The only real cross platform right now is Rocket League because controllers are the better input method for driving so it's equal footing. But if you're playing Rocket League on PC, you load in faster. You'll be sitting on an empty field while you wait for other players to connect before the countdown and stuff starts, kinda neat. Also, that one I recommended has a button to change DPI/sensitivity on the fly, no need to bother with settings menus. Seamlessly go from sniping to roaming to driving. The keyboard is back lit and has a few color options.

Operating system? GNU/Linux is free and is getting more and more gaming support every day. It's not as hard as people make it out to be. Get a basic/user friendly distro like Ubuntu and all you really have to do is install. If you're a masochist, a developer, or a masochistic developer get a tougher distro like Gentoo. Funny thing as well, games with Linux support run better on Linux since it's such a great operating system on the software level. SteamOS is also free. Want Windows? Download the OS and put it on a disk or flash drive, install it on the new computer and enter the product key. Where do you get a product key? Don't buy it from a big box retail store for 100 bucks or likely more, you're getting gypped. You can buy 100% legit product keys online. r/microsoftsoftwareswap sells them for 20-25$ and the keys are straight from Microsoft

Also, all of those listings are from Amazon and are Amazon Prime eligible (for the other guy that replied to you that wants to complain about rebates/shipping/living next to a MicroCenter). You can find a lot of those parts cheaper and/or with free shipping. I recommend NewEgg. So you can do even better than the price I'm about to give you (which also means you can get better hardware for better performance):

Here's the itemized list with the prices: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QBVRNG

$448.51 total for a PC that is massively better than current gen consoles. Drop the unnecessary DVD drive and the keyboard+mouse combo and the PC itself comes in at $402.93.

So... brand new parts from a large online retailer with a great support system. You can get even better deals on the parts if you checked other great online retailers like NewEgg. Ten years ago consoles absolutely made sense, but now leaps in hardware design have made better hardware cheaper and the tables have turned.

Does that "come close without cheating"?

Here's a few more kickers now that we have the hard price set:

AMD and Nvidia are about to launch a new line of GPUs, meaning current prices will drop (better performance at lower cost on that build I just gave you) and AMD is specifically focusing on lower/mid range market with higher performance and efficiency. It's going to be great for mainstream gaming rigs.

PC gaming is usually cheaper over time because Intel/Nvida/AMD don't charge development fees (they can't), neither can EVGA/ASUS or whoever makes the parts, neither can Microsoft. Steam takes a cut, but so do stores like GameStop. Stuff like that is why Steam can have massive sales consoles can only dream of and the developers can still profit from a sale. The only reason PC games are 60 dollars like their console equivalents is because it's the standard and they can "get away with it" (especially if you're Microsoft trying to expand Windows 10 and not alienate XBox), but they can make the same or more per sale at a lower cost.

PCs also have the largest game library of any platform and the massive free to play library that comes with it as well. And it's really free, not 'pay 50 a year for a subscription and get to play a game for a month' free

PC is, in theory, forever backwards compatible. Want to play CoD4? Don't shell out the money for Infinite Warfare, just install CoD4 and play on the servers PC still hosts. Games that came out upwards of 10 years ago can still be installed and run with no issue.

You don't have to double spend. No buying a console and a computer for work/school. Put your 300 dollar home computer and 400 dollar console prices together and you made a huge leap in budget to built a killer PC. You also get a much more versatile platform capable of running much more stuff and you get so much more control over your experience.

---

My rationale for the chosen products:

---

CPU:

• Intel quad-core, hyper threaded, locked CPU clocked at 3,4GHz with a turbo boost up to 3,8GHz.
  This is pretty much an i7 without on-board graphics (not required). Which means that the price is a bit lower. It's an older generation, since we have a new one out, but the price increase pushed me over the $1500 limit.
  
  Check out the videos above: "i3, i5 & i7 / hyperthreading explained & what CPU to buy?" to understand why I suggest this Xeon.
  
  

  CPU Cooler:
  

• Not required to buy, since you do get an intel stock cooler that will keep the temperatures in check. But those stock coolers tend to get a bit loud, which I personally can't stand. So that's why I suggest this $15 cooler. Absolutely not a must and if you don't mind the "whiny" noise that the stock cooler can produce, you can leave it out.
  I did went for a case that got some noise reduction features build into it, to help reduce the noise.
  
  

  Motherboard:
  

• Cheapest motherboard with 4 RAM slots that accepts the Xeon to be placed in. While it is relatively cheap, it's not bad at all and a fan favorite. The only downside it got is that it only got 1 fan case header on it. Meaning that you have to buy a fan splitter when you add more fans into it.
  If you do want to add a fan later on to reduce the temperatures, then I would advise this Arctic F9 fan.
  
  

  Memory:
  

• RAM is RAM. Speeds does not matter much, the only thing that matters is capacity. 16GB is an awesome amount of RAM which allows you to run (multiple) games, streaming software, skype video calls, music, lots of chrome tabs, all at the same time without running into any issues.
  
  

  Storage:
  

• Review (SP550)
  Now, no.. this SSD does not win any prices in terms of performance. But it absolutely destroys value market. It's an amazing SSD and you won't notice much of a difference compared to the more expensive options out there. 240GB is a good chunk, but you'll lose about 30GB because of the OS & formatting.
  Watch the "SSD vs HDD" video to learn more about the difference between an SSD & HDD!
  
  The HDD is just a standard 2TB HDD, which should give you plenty of storage for a start. If you later need more, you can always buy more HDDs and install them. The motherboard supports up to 4 more HDDs.
  Note: you want to connect the SSD with SATA3 (6Gbps) ports on the motherboard, not the SATA2 (3Gbps) ports. The HDDs can be connected in the SATA2 no problem, since HDDs don't reach the maximum speed that SATA2 is capable off.
  
  

  Video Card:
  

• Review (video)
  

• Review (written)
  

  
  

  Now this is a beast of a card. It really is, it's about.. price to performance. The GTX1080 is the big brother, which costs almost 40% more, yet only provides about 18.2% on avarage extra performance based on 7 games @ 1440p in DX11, DX12 & OpenGL.
  

  The custom cooler from Zotac also helps to cool the GPU even better.
  

  
  

  
  

  Game @ 1440p (ultra settings)|API|FPS GTX1080| FPS GTX1070|% Difference
  

  ----|:----|:----|:----|:----
  Rise of the Tomb Raider | DX12 | 90 | 71 | 21.1
  Hitman (2016) | DX12 | 81 | 65 | 19.7
  Doom (2016) | OpenGL | 112 | 91 | 18.7
  Far Cry Primal | DX11 | 80 | 65 | 18.7
  Fallout 4 | DX11 | 103 | 85 | 17.4
  GTA5 | DX11 | 114 | 101 | 11.4
  The Witcher 3 | DX11 | 82 | 65 | 20.7
  Average | | 94.6 | 77.6 | 18.2
  
  Source
  
  ##Case:
  

• Review
  This is again a part where it really got a great value / performance aspect to it. It's under $40 and comes with sound dampening foam to reduce the noise, 1x120mm silent fan & enough room for all your parts. It's even a little bit tiny. But SilverStone also provide you with an awesome manual to help you build the PC.
  You should have no problem at all to build the PC inside this case if you follow the video guides & the manual.
  
  
  

  Power Supply:
  

• 5 year warranty, 80+ gold, semi-modular, 550W PSU from Rosewill made by SuperFlower.
  That last part is important! "SuperFlower" is the OEM of this PSU and they're together with SeaSonic, Delta & a few others that you rarely see the top of the line in terms of quality. Now yes, even those OEMs have bad PSUs, but this one is absolutely not one of them. Of course there are better PSUs, but then you do start to pay a lot more as well.
  In terms of value, this PSU is probably the best you can get right now. Especially considering that the case is rather small, you'll love the modular part of it. Meaning that you only need to plug in the cables that you need & nothing else extra.
  
  

  Monitor:
  

• Review
  While not a very scientific review. It does tell you what I also believe is the key point of this monitor, value. At this price, it's a no brainer. While still a fair amount of money for a monitor, I am certain that you will feel that this is absolutely worth it.
  It is a 2560x1440p, 60Hz, IPS display. I highly recommend you to watch the videos above that I marked as ← Important! The panel types & resolution are the most important ones. I still find 60Hz, 1440p absolutely amazing for gaming almost all games. The ONLY key game where a 144Hz, 1080p monitor would be the better choice for would be CS:GO. A game that you did list, so.. I leave it up to you to decide, if CS:GO is really an important game to you, then sure get this 1080p, 144Hz, TN monitor. It's the same price, so you lose resolution, viewing angles & color reproduction for the gain of a higher refresh rate and "smoother" gameplay. Which only really is "useful" in CS:GO.
  If you don't play on a high level and are more a casual gamer, I would highly recommend the 1440p monitor. I can provide you with a visual representation of the difference between 1080p & 1440p. Click!
  The pink monitor is my 1080p & the baby blue is my 1440p monitor. I've opened up a text file twice and they're the exact same size. I've only moved them to roughly the same location on the monitor. To show you the difference of real estate / workspace that 1440p gives you.
  
  

  Keyboard:
  

• Cheap one, because I did not have the budget left and it's an easy thing to upgrade down the road. But this keyboard does have some alright reviews and it got a couple of different LED colors in it.
  
  

  Headphones:
  

• Review
  
• Review
  Yes I give you 2 reviews, just in case you aren't sold after the first video. This headset is actually amazingly good considering the price. I went for the black & white version, which is the only change that's made with the "Pro" version, which is black & red. If you like that color, go ahead and get that one instead.
  
  I don't recommend the "II" version because all you get is a "3D" virtual surround card. Which.. in my opinion does not really make a difference.
  I can give you surround sound with ANY cheap headset or even earbuds that you have.. right now! It works a bit better with a headset/headphones then earbuds, but both options work. Just make sure that you have your sound setup set in stereo. headphones or 2.0 speaker mode. Then listen to this with your eyes closed!
  
  
  

  Hope you like it and If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

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.

----

> I have a 1TB HDD for mass storage (and 128gb for OS), being the PC enthusiast that I am, I want to run on SSD only storage from this point on.
> I want to get a 500GB SSD (750 EVO) this month, and the coming few months 1 SSD of 500Gigs at a time.
>
> Is this a smart idea or am I better off saving money for 1 big 1TB or 2TB SSD?
>
> In the netherlands, the 750 EVO 500GB is around 120 euros

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7p6jnr

----

> I've just installed Windows 10. What are some things that I should remove? I found this thread but it's like a year old so I don't know if the same things still apply https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3f10k0/things_to_removedisable_in_windows_10/

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7p5ss4

----

> hello
> i've got a problem with my pc but i'm not sure what it is
> my setup is
> 970 gtx
> i5 4590
> 2x8gb ram
> b85 mb
> anyway, its nothing unusual
> When i play overwatch on high settings my pc turns off after really short duration of playing. I don't get any fps drops or any weird things going. Same happend in word of tanks beta hd.
> Ive got OCZ 600W stealth stream 2 PSU, the power seems to be enough but as far as i looked for answers everyone says its psu. When i did a stress test in furmark it didn't turn off, my psu is a bit older then rest of my pc.
> Is there a way to check if its psu or any other component failing?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7p5iyg

----

> Are there any really clear UV reactive dyes I could use for my system? I just have clear distilled water in my loop but I'd love for it to also be UV reactive without making it also colored.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7opu5s

----

> What's an, or some, ideal rectangular tables for this space right here: http://i.imgur.com/y6KBwP1.jpg
> As you can see it's a pretty garbage table and I'm willing to get rid of it as quick as possible, as well as organize the things on the table.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7oni4l

----

> Anyone know if the AM1M-A board supports hot-swapping?
>
> Also - how do you set a particular drive to be marked as external? is it done by the bios or os?
> Thanks

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7ojsn9

----

> Sata power cable on this CX 500 is too fat to be able to plug into the SSD, any recommendations on extensions?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7oe85n

----

> Good place for buying custom sized mousepads?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7odl76

----

> Where is AMD Catalyst Control Center saved by default? I want to overclock my monitor and can't figure it out.
>
> Edit. Advanced settings through AMD Preferences.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7oc2w8

----

> EA is asking me to verify my game (BF4) but when i bought it didnt come with a verification code since i bought via origin store, is this normal?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7o8bmp

----

> so I own the Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case and I really want my setup to start going a color theme or something like that do I need to buy a new case with a window. Im kinda wanting to go black and red a little because of my brand new HyperX Cloud 2s any one have suggestions? Is there anything I can do to my current setup to make it start following a theme? here is my current build PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
>
> Type|Item|Price
> :----|:----|:----
> CPU | Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor | $110.99 @ SuperBiiz
> Motherboard | MSI H110M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $55.99 @ SuperBiiz
> Memory | Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $35.98 @ Newegg
> Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $45.89 @ OutletPC
> Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card | $220.00
> Case | Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case | $54.99 @ Newegg
> Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $43.49 @ SuperBiiz
> Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit | $0.00
> Monitor | Samsung 2333T 23.0" Monitor | $100.00
> Keyboard | Razer BlackWidow Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard | $145.28 @ B&H
> Headphones | Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset | $91.99 @ Newegg
> Other| Tax| $60.00
> Other| Dell Premium 6-Button USB Laser Scroll Mouse J660D| $0.00
> | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
> | Total (before mail-in rebates) | $979.60
> | Mail-in rebates | -$15.00
> | Total | $964.60
> | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-15 14:53 EDT-0400 |

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7o6g5c

----

> http://pcpartpicker.com/list/46wfyf
> Will these parts fit in the case? It's a Mini ITX build.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7o5liu

----

> Is it better to use a fan splitter cable like this https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Sleeved-Splitter-CPF01/dp/B00B46XKKQ that connect directly to the board or get direct PSU fan cables/passthroughs like this https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Omega-148-0027-Adapter/dp/B000BSJGL0/ref=pd_sim_23_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BVYPBTJHZB4KKFH4C2HJ to add more fans than there are mobo fan headers? (Note: I'm not sure if either brand is reliable and will do research on what company makes the best of those cables)
>
> Also, why are LED fans cheaper than non LED fans?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7o5aw2

----

> I'm using my mouse with a bungee cord (for cable management) and the mouse cable is developing a small kink. Any tips for straightening these out?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_15_2016/d7o4ngp

----

> I am using an NZXT Grid V2 fan controller, does anyone know if I have to actually be running CAM in order for my fan profiles to be active?
>
> And does anyone have any recommendations for a monitor mount/stand for a 27 and 24 inch pair of monitors?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52wajw/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_152016/d7o0x4k

----

User | Points
-----|-------
Trazac | 14
Flying_Spaghetti\ | 7
thatgermanperson | 6
rehpotsirhc123 | 6
Xolandi | 3
TehThyz | 3
saldytuwas | 2
ImpatientPedant | 2
ITXorBust | 2
Buxton_Water | 2
iiNt3rV3nTiiOnZ7 | 2
Sayakai | 2
Rivin2e | 2




----

I am a bot - This action was done automatically. Please direct any questions or concerns ( or bug reports ) to \/u\/eegras - About /u/PCMRBot

Nope, just run this script from the arch wiki:

!/bin/bash

shopt -s nullglob<br />
for g in /sys/kernel/iommu_groups/*; do<br />
    echo &quot;IOMMU Group ${g##*/}:&quot;<br />
    for d in $g/devices/*; do<br />
        echo -e &quot;\t$(lspci -nns ${d##*/})&quot;<br />
    done;<br />
done;<br />

My output is below. What you are looking out for is mainly to find at least one USB controller that is in its own group. For my VM I pass the amd usb 3.0 controller(group 20). I then could use the onboard asmedia usb 3.1 controller for my host, but instead I just use a pci express card for that. I use this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPIMJEW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 since it is very stable. The asmedia controller isn't the most stable thing in the world.

​

IOMMU Group 0:
00:01.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 1:
00:01.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) PCIe GPP Bridge [1022:1453]
IOMMU Group 10:
00:08.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 11:
00:08.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus B [1022:1454]
IOMMU Group 12:
00:14.0 SMBus [0c05]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller [1022:790b] (rev 59)
00:14.3 ISA bridge [0601]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge [1022:790e] (rev 51)
IOMMU Group 13:
00:18.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 0 [1022:1460]
00:18.1 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 1 [1022:1461]
00:18.2 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 2 [1022:1462]
00:18.3 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 3 [1022:1463]
00:18.4 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 4 [1022:1464]
00:18.5 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 5 [1022:1465]
00:18.6 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 6 [1022:1466]
00:18.7 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 7 [1022:1467]
IOMMU Group 14:
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller [0108]: Phison Electronics Corporation E12 NVMe Controller [1987:5012] (rev 01)
IOMMU Group 15:
03:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:43d0] (rev 01)
03:00.1 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset SATA Controller [1022:43c8] (rev 01)
03:00.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Bridge [1022:43c6] (rev 01)
16:00.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
16:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
16:02.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
16:03.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
16:04.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
16:08.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 400 Series Chipset PCIe Port [1022:43c7] (rev 01)
1b:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: Fresco Logic FL1100 USB 3.0 Host Controller [1b73:1100] (rev 10)
1c:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: ASMedia Technology Inc. ASM1142 USB 3.1 Host Controller [1b21:1242]
IOMMU Group 16:
1d:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GP104 [GeForce GTX 1070] [10de:1b81] (rev a1)
1d:00.1 Audio device [0403]: NVIDIA Corporation GP104 High Definition Audio Controller [10de:10f0] (rev a1)
IOMMU Group 17:
1e:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 3GB] [10de:1c02] (rev a1)
1e:00.1 Audio device [0403]: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 High Definition Audio Controller [10de:10f1] (rev a1)
IOMMU Group 18:
1f:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Zeppelin/Raven/Raven2 PCIe Dummy Function [1022:145a]
IOMMU Group 19:
1f:00.2 Encryption controller [1080]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Platform Security Processor [1022:1456]
IOMMU Group 2:
00:01.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) PCIe GPP Bridge [1022:1453]
IOMMU Group 20:
1f:00.3 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) USB 3.0 Host Controller [1022:145c]
IOMMU Group 21:
20:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Zeppelin/Renoir PCIe Dummy Function [1022:1455]
IOMMU Group 22:
20:00.2 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1022:7901] (rev 51)
IOMMU Group 23:
20:00.3 Audio device [0403]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller [1022:1457]
IOMMU Group 3:
00:02.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 4:
00:03.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 5:
00:03.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) PCIe GPP Bridge [1022:1453]
IOMMU Group 6:
00:03.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) PCIe GPP Bridge [1022:1453]
IOMMU Group 7:
00:04.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 8:
00:07.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1452]
IOMMU Group 9:
00:07.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus B [1022:1454]

That's good the motherboard ports still work. There's a couple things you can get for more. There's just a simple external usb hub, an internal 3.5" sata hub, or an internal pcie hub ( if you're case/motherboard will support either of those).

That cpu is definitely no slouch, I don't think it needs an upgrade.

The 750 ti is a little under-powered nowadays, but it should still run those games somewhat ok. If you wanted to upgrade it I'd say an rx 470 would be a great idea. If you check r/buildapcsales you can find them for about $140 sometimes. Need to make sure your power supply and case will fit it though. Do you know what the power supply is? The case is probably fine as long as it's not one of those tiny ones.

A second monitor (or just nicer, what's the one you have?) could certainly be nice for just everyday use / multitasking. It wouldn't really make gaming a ton better unless you got a high end one like 144hz or even 1440p (which you would also need a better video card for). An i5 3470 + rx 470 should play pretty much any current game on med-high settings at 1080p 60fps.

If you don't already have an SSD I'd say that should definetly be part of the upgrade. It's one of the best things you can do to make a computer feel faster/snappier. It won't improve gaming fps. But putting the OS and most used programs/games will make the whole system feel super quick.

$800-1000 could definitely build a pretty beast rig. But imo it's not really worth it for your needs. Some good upgrades would be best I think.

Hey, great parts list imo. Honestly, there really wasn't anything I could change. With that being said, I went ahead and put together an "alternate" build. Please read my notes before proceeding:

• CPU: If you'd like, you can order your Ryzen 1600 from Amazon for the same price as from Newegg + Free Shipping (and one day with prime). For whatever reason Amazon's page for the 1600 is glitched and doesnt display the right price. To get the correct price ($265), go to this Amazon page, and then add to cart.
  
• RAM: Your choice of RAM is definitely the best value, no doubt. Since I couldn't do anything here, I went and added the next best value. Its slightly quicker, has much better timings, and uses Samsung B-Die (best RAM die on the market).
  
• CASES: I see that you wrote that you really like the Air 240! That's great, its an awesome case. Just for some alternatives, I'd suggest taking a look at the Fractal Design Define C ($95 w/ $5 coupon, awesome value) and the brand new Fractal Design Meshify C ($120+$20 S/H, sadly its a bit pricey). There's also the Corsair Carbide which is also very pricey, but I thought I'd throw it in there as it's similar looking to the Air 240.
  
• PSU: The Rosewill Photon is a pretty good power supply, certainly no slouch if you get a working one. This series is hit or miss. I'd definitely recommend the EVGA 650W GQ primarily because it is more reliable, but also because it has an additional 100W overhead. The real steal is that it's only about $5 more once you've completed your $20 Mail-in rebate!
  
• WIFI: Admittedly my knowledge regarding this category and the following are rather limited. All I know is that the AC1900 is a super well respected wifi card and it's on sale for $72 on Amazon, in your position I'd pick this one up.
  
• MOUSE, KEYBOARD, AND HEADPHONES: I threw in a bunch of different alternatives in here since a lot of it is definitely personal preference. The mouse and keyboard you selected would definitely be fantastic, especially if you get the charging pad for your G403. I really like the G502 at its current Amazon price though ($90), and for the keyboards any of them would be fantastic (I'd lean towards the G610). For the headphones I have even less knowledge, but I have the HyperX Cloud and I love it. It's currently on sale for $98 on Amazon.
  
  Here's the pcpartpicker list for those items that I mentioned above, be sure to remove the extra keyboards and mice I threw in for reference. When you do that (and -$20 for the MIR on the Power Supply), this build comes to about $90 more. Like I said before I just wanted to show you some alternatives (what you've selected is already great).

The rift is a very good deal right now, coming in at $200 cheaper for the controller+headset it's hard not to recommend that route until HTC drops their price a bit, but I will give you my observations.

If you have space I recommend the Vive as tracking can get wonky on the Rift in a large space(bigger than 4m diag), and having a large space for VR actually makes VR much more gratifying in my opinion. The Vive is also a bit better for people willing to tinker and upgrade as it is a little more open and available for those sort of things(see tpcast, delux audio strap, aGlass). Initial setup on the Vive is also a bit easier since the two trackers only need power cabled to it, while the rifts cameras require usb cords(no power) running all the way to the computer.

The Rift is definitely more ergonomic, and it breathes better causing less heat and sweating. It's possibly the more cost effective purchase at $200 cheaper, and it has more of that polished just works kind of look and feel to everything. I like to compare it to an Apple vs Android sort of thing, while SteamVR is a little more robust(android), Oculus home feels a bit cleaner and more polished(iOS). Then again, you can always just use SteamVR on the rift natively if you want since it supports both headsets, Oculus home only works with the rift. As far as the just works part, The nice thing with the rift is you just put it on pick up the controllers and you are in, it even has voice commands that work very well to launch the game. There is no on/off button on anything, it all just works and starts automatically when you put it on as long as your computer is on, don't even have to start up oculus home. The Vive has a similar autostart feature, but it is a bit more clunky, requires steam to be running, doesn't always work in my experience, and requires holding a power button on the headset to initialize followed by the power buttons on both controllers.

If you go with the Rift I highly recommend buying a third camera as this will allow tracking basically on par with the Vive outside of large areas and also has the added benefit of having a bit better occlusion resistance than the Vive which is limited to 2. Also be aware of the USB requirements for the rift. You are going to want at least 3 free usb 3.0 ports and one usb 2.0 port. If your pc does not have this, I recommend adding this..

https://smile.amazon.com/Inateck-Express-Connector-Controller-Internal/dp/B00FPIMJEW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494008967&sr=8-4&keywords=pci+usb+3.0

Honestly, even if it does I still recommend one of these as splitting up the usb 3.0 connections between your motherboard and this card helps prevent strain on bandwidth which can lead to tracking issues, and if your pc is capable running everything through usb 3.0 instead of one on 2.0 helps tracking as well.

• Corsair RGB memory, white, 16 GB
  
• Corsair RGB LL120 fans, white, 3 pack
  
• Corsair RGB LL120, white, for CPU cooler
  
• White CPU cooler
  
• In Win 301 in white
  
• 1 TB NVMe SSD
  

• 80+ Gold power supply
  

  
  

  > ##I want some nice RGB fans and the RGB ram to hopefully have a build with a white case and pink lights
  

  
  

  If you want addressable RGB, the best software and the biggest selection of products is from Corsair. This build has Corsair products: case fans, replacement heat sink fan, system memory.
  

  
  

  > ##Corsair 650W RM 80+ Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
  

  
  

  I depart from meta with my choice of power supplies. That is a good supply, and you should feel free to purchase. I would get a cheaper and lower-capacity power supply.
  

  
  

  Now 500 Watts is a mainstream size. Corsair has seen their average capacity sold drop by 150 Watts. There is no longer a need to over provision power supplies, other then fan-stop features. Power supply efficiency is now a plateau, rather than a bell. (This is all from the Guru.)
  

  
  

  
  

  JohnnyGuru now works for Corsair. He has been interviewed recently by PCWorld WRT Power: JonnyGuru debunks old power supply myths | Ask a PC expert
  

  
  

  The Guru has said the same things as Linus Tech Tips and GamersNexus:
  

  
  

  >...it became more blatantly apparent when our massively overkill set up of a high-end enthusiast 6850K and Dual GTX 1080s drew just over a third of the Wattage [430 Watts], while under heavy load, of a standard flagship power supply at 1200 Watts, WTS...
  

  
  

  Linus Tech Tips: Why High Wattage Power Supplies Are Stupid
  

  
  

  >We started working on this revisit last week, using a soon-to-be-released Bronze 450W PSU as a baseline, seeing as we’ve recently advocated for more 400-450W PSUs in PC builds. We'll be able to share more about this PSU (and its creator and name) soon.
  

  
  

  Gamers Nexus: How Many Watts You Need for Mid-Range Gaming PCs (2017)
  

  
  

  While this last Gamers Nexus video is from 2017, in the recent PCWorld interview with Johnny Guru we are told that power usage has dropped in recent years.
  

  
  

  > ##Deepcool Captain 240 PRO CPU Liquid Cooler
  

  
  

  I cut this out because it would not have the Corsair RGB fans. It would come with non-matching Deepcool fans that could not be in the same software. These would have to be tossed, wasting money.
  

  
  

  I also think that water cooling is not worth the money. It cools about the same, when comparing top-quality contenders. CLC/AIO coolers only lasts a few years, if used 24/7 (see the Hardware Unboxed video).
  

  
  

  
  

  Linus Tech Tips: Why you shouldn't water cool your PC
  

  
  

  Hardware Unboxed: AIOs that run 24/7 die young
  

  
  

  Jay-Z's Two Cents: Custom Waterloop vs Noctua Air Cooling
  

  
  

  > ##I want to be able to use VR
  

  
  

  Then add a USB card, this one from StarTech is a favorite with VR people: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZEA2S/
  

  
  

  If you want to use VR, you might need a fancy PCIe card with 4 USB controllers. That way all your trackers get their own path back to PCIe.
  

  
  

  > ##Seagate 2TB Barracuda 3.5" 7200RPM
  

  
  

  With a larger SSD, you do not need the noise of 7200 rpm. Your main games are going to be on the SSD, while the mechanical storage will be media and backup. I have switched to a 2.5" hybrid drive to save noise.
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker Part List
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $194.00 @ Amazon
  CPU Cooler | Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 White 74.34 CFM CPU Cooler | $31.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Motherboard | *MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $83.98 @ Newegg
  Memory | *Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $92.99 @ Amazon
  Storage | *Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Newegg
  Storage | *Seagate FireCuda 2 TB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive | $89.99 @ Adorama
  Video Card | *MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6 GB VENTUS XS OC Video Card | $249.99 @ Newegg
  Case | In Win 301 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $86.98 @ SuperBiiz
  Power Supply | *EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | $55.98 @ Newegg
  Case Fan | Corsair LL120 RGB White with Lighting Node PRO 63 CFM 120 mm Fans | $119.99 @ Amazon
  Case Fan | Corsair LL120 RGB 63 CFM 120 mm Fan | $35.99 @ Amazon
  | Total | $1191.87
  | | *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
  
  
  MSI MAX motherboards have the needed BIOS installed that PCPartPicker warns you about needing.
  
  In Win makes the 301 better, down to the quality of the glass, paint, and steel. While most cases are made of 0.4-0.8 mm steel, they often use 0.6-1.2 mm steel. It helps hold in noise and makes the edges less sharp. They make the 301 in black and in white, this list has white
  
  This is my favorite non-SFF case: IN WIN 301 Tempered Glass Mini Tower Case Review
  
  >The In Win 301 is a mini tower case [...] How good is it? Dollar for dollar it could be the best affordable case on the market right now.
  
  As the case comes with zero fans, I included 3 RGB LED fans. This case is meant to have two exhaust in the front, one exhaust in the back, and have passive intake via the filtered bottom. Some reviewers did not know how to set up the fans, and tried to make the front an intake.
  
  This case has a lot of nice details: captive thumbscrews, remove-to-install fan bracket, anti-vibration 3.5" mechanical disk sled (just one). You can see the stealthy graphics card anti-sag bracket in this BPS Customs video about this case: In Win 301 - Micro ATX Tempered Glass Style

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!

This is on BIOS version 1201 (AGESA 1.0.0.3ABBA). Kernel is not patched for ACS. IOMMU group separation could use some work. I've worked around this by adding a Fresco Logic PCI-E USB card to my setup; used it previously for VR and now it's working great as dedicated USB ports for a VM. I have WiFi disabled, not sure where it goes. I've also got an NVMe drive (group 21) and GTX 1080 (group 25) passed through with zero problems.

IOMMU Group 0:
00:01.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
IOMMU Group 1:
00:01.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge [1022:1483]
IOMMU Group 10:
00:14.0 SMBus [0c05]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller [1022:790b] (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge [0601]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge [1022:790e] (rev 51)
IOMMU Group 11:
00:18.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 0 [1022:1440]
00:18.1 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 1 [1022:1441]
00:18.2 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 2 [1022:1442]
00:18.3 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 3 [1022:1443]
00:18.4 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 4 [1022:1444]
00:18.5 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 5 [1022:1445]
00:18.6 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 6 [1022:1446]
00:18.7 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse Device 24: Function 7 [1022:1447]
IOMMU Group 12:
01:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller [0108]: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller SM951/PM951 [144d:a802] (rev 01)
IOMMU Group 13:
02:00.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57ad]
IOMMU Group 14:
03:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a3]
IOMMU Group 15:
03:02.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a3]
IOMMU Group 16:
03:03.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a3]
IOMMU Group 17:
03:05.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a3]
IOMMU Group 18:
03:08.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a4]
08:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP [1022:1485]
08:00.1 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller [1022:149c]
08:00.3 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller [1022:149c]
IOMMU Group 19:
03:09.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a4]
09:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1022:7901] (rev 51)
IOMMU Group 2:
00:01.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge [1022:1483]
IOMMU Group 20:
03:0a.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device [1022:57a4]
0a:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1022:7901] (rev 51)
IOMMU Group 21:
04:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller [0108]: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller SM981/PM981/PM983 [144d:a808]
IOMMU Group 22:
05:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Baffin [Radeon RX 460/560D / Pro 450/455/460/555/555X/560/560X] [1002:67ef] (rev cf)
05:00.1 Audio device [0403]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Baffin HDMI/DP Audio [Radeon RX 550 640SP / RX 560/560X] [1002:aae0]
IOMMU Group 23:
06:00.0 USB controller [0c03]: Fresco Logic FL1100 USB 3.0 Host Controller [1b73:1100] (rev 10)
IOMMU Group 24:
07:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller [10ec:8168] (rev 26)
IOMMU Group 25:
0b:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GP104 [GeForce GTX 1080] [10de:1b80] (rev a1)
0b:00.1 Audio device [0403]: NVIDIA Corporation GP104 High Definition Audio Controller [10de:10f0] (rev a1)
IOMMU Group 3:
00:02.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
IOMMU Group 4:
00:03.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
IOMMU Group 5:
00:03.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge [1022:1483]
IOMMU Group 6:
00:04.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
IOMMU Group 7:
00:05.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
IOMMU Group 8:
00:07.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
00:07.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B] [1022:1484]
0c:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Function [1022:148a]
IOMMU Group 9:
00:08.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge [1022:1482]
00:08.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B] [1022:1484]
00:08.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B] [1022:1484]
00:08.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B] [1022:1484]
0d:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP [1022:1485]
0d:00.1 Encryption controller [1080]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Cryptographic Coprocessor PSPCPP [1022:1486]
0d:00.3 USB controller [0c03]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller [1022:149c]
0d:00.4 Audio device [0403]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller [1022:1487]
0e:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1022:7901] (rev 51)
0f:00.0 SATA controller [0106]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [1022:7901] (rev 51)

If you're definitely planning an upgrade to a GTX 10 series card and a Zen CPU, I would say 100% go for it. Just be aware you're getting subpar performance and any issues you have are almost certainly due to your system and not the Vive. The Vive itself has rock solid tracking and is amazingly fun. You've tried it now so I'm sure you know, but there's just no explaining what being in true Roomscale is quite like. It's almost like being teleported directly into the game. The controllers are exactly where they feel like they are, and Roomscale VR convinces your brain what you're seeing is real. There are plenty of videos of people leaning on VR tables and falling right over :). That kind of thing is totally understandable once you've tried real Roomscale VR and you understand how you have to fight your brain because you know it's just a screen attached to your face, but your brain is telling you it's all real and all right there. For an example, walking through things just feels completely wrong. You know it's a game. You know that table isn't real, but you naturally avoid walking into/through it even though you KNOW for a fact that you can.

It's just the kind of thing you have to see for yourself, and not the kind of thing watching a Let's Play or hearing about can truly demonstrate/explain.

One thing to keep in mind is a lot of PCs don't have good USB controllers. They'll work for most things, but fall short with the Vive. Mine for example has issues with pairing the controllers. Most of the time, my controllers will only pair if they are physically connected over USB to my PC. A ton of people had issues with getting SteamVR to detect the headset, getting the headset or controllers to track, using the front camera, or getting the controllers to pair. The absolute fix for this seems to be getting the Inateck PCI Express USB Controller. This is the one Valve used internally for testing and it is endorsed by Valve for the Vive. I picked one up but haven't tested it out yet, but I'm 99% sure this will fix my controller pairing issue because my controllers pair correctly (wirelessly, automatically when turned on) on my brother's PC but not mine (not always anyway - they pair correctly about 30% of the time, I assume this depends on my USB bandwidth and what else is currently active on the same controller). It's only $20 on Amazon so if you're planning on getting the Vive I would grab one of these too to eliminate any issues you might otherwise have with your USB controller, even the latest and greatest motherboards often have subpar USB controllers because they're "good enough" for your average USB devices.

So yeah, TL;DR: I would totally get it if you definitely are getting an upgraded PC. Even if you can only play some of the games out right now I'm sure you'll have tons of fun - I know I did.

Edit:

• Link to SteamVR Troubleshooting Article where Valve endorses the Inateck 2-Port USB3.0 PCI-Express Card, it's found under Headset > New USB PCI-Express Card.
  
  
• Link to Inateck 2-Port USB3.0 PCI-Express Card on Amazon, it is currently $18.99. Also link to the 5 port version that I picked up and I'm hoping works just as well :).
  
  
• Link to another post where I gave some tips for new Vive users, this is in no way an exhaustive list of tips for new users, but you'll probably learn something useful :).
  
  Edit: I said a Zan CPU... Zan > Zen.

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?

Hi, OP.

I've read through the comments on here as well as looking in your threads on /r/buildapc and /r/buildapcforme and while there have been some good suggestions, I can honestly say that I don't think you're going to get something you'll be content with as a gaming system for £400 – especially looking at the systems that you've been recommended (also worth noting that the suggestions on /r/buildapcforme haven't included an OS). It's not that people have been making bad suggestions, it's just that you're working on an extremely tight budget for that to include tower, OS and monitor.

For some perspective, let's just compare it quickly to next-gen console prices – and I'm by no means whatsoever suggesting a console is a better idea, I don't think it is at all; I'm just trying to put into perspective how far you're looking to stretch your budget. As it stands, a PS4 would set you back £350, plus at least another £300 for a HD TV as the display output (equivalent to the PC's monitor). That's £650 minimum for something which would give comparable performance to what I would consider a low-middle budget gaming PC.

Just a little bit more budget would go a long way towards getting components which afford you a bit more longevity. With it being a 21st present as well it'd really suck for you to be getting a system that you wouldn't be entirely satisfied with initially, especially if it'd mean you'd then be looking to upgrade again in as little as 12 months. Guessing you'll be due back at uni in the next few weeks, but if you can squeeze in any part time work in between to boost your budget it'd definitely be worthwhile – that's probably my number 1 recommendation.

I'm happy to do everything I can to guide you through the build and can even recommend some good UK-based retailers I've used myself for my last couple of builds – overclockers.co.uk, scan.co.uk & ebuyer.com – but /r/buildapcsalesuk (which someone already recommended) is definitely the best place to look to get the most for your money, especially if you have the patience to wait for deals and buy the components separately. Ebay & gumtree might be worth a look for the monitor as well, being that it's a fairly non-specialist item which is unlikely to have been tampered with or overclocked by a previous owner; all you'd really be looking for is a 1080p monitor, probably 19"-23" with a DVI and/or HDMI input.

As far as component advice goes, without getting too specific just yet, I'd probably recommend AMD for your CPU & GPU as you do tend to get a bit more for your money at the budget end of the spectrum compared to the competition (Intel in the CPU market & NVIDIA in the GPU market). As an example, something like this hex-core CPU for sub £100 is a lot more value for money than the Intel dual cores you've been recommended over on /r/buildapcforme but with such a restrictive budget there's little to no lee-way for making allowances for such great deals.

Yes this morning it did go down but now is back up. I am in AMD not for short term profit. You are only looking at how AMD performs in a single day. I am in it for the long run.

AMD company itself has great management. Dr. Lisa Su was selected as 2017 Fortune's World’s Greatest Leaders. AMD also bought in AR and VR companies. AR and VR is the future. AMD's recently released products all have excellent reviews. They also come with great price, much cheaper then Intel. Ryzen R5 1600 sold out at Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Cooler-YD1600BBAEBOX/dp/B06XNRQHG4/ref=zg_bs_229189_20?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VVGZMG3TWXS7KDN8V8T8

I don't care if the stock price of a company that I invested goes down in a day or a week. Also the movement of the price of a stock in a short term period doesnt represent the performance of the company. The price of a stock can change for other reasons that are not related to the business. For example: the price of a stock can down if large institution investors pull out their funds because they want to capture bigger gain at other stocks. What I care about is how AMD will perform in the next five years. With the new release of Vega, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5, and Naple. I think AMD will be a great investment :)

Cheers

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

spain, huh?? amazon.es will be your best bet, trust me (I'm also from spain, and the best prices I've seen here are amazon's)

Also, that build is good, very good for a mid-term gaming PC, as long as you are sure you want to stick with intel. I mean, you have pretty good AMD CPU's out there, better than that intel and for less money, say, THIS is one of the best (affordable) CPU's out there... and is cheaper than the intel. sure there are better CPU's but cost at least twice!! (I'm thinking of unlocked i7's, which are the only that can offer 8 threads... ) 4 threads are good for right now, but may be not enough in a FEW years (I'm used to plan ahead and make my rigs useful for at least 4 years... last one lasted like 7 years with minor (GPU) upgrades.)

GPU-wise, the 270X is only like 10€ more, and could be worth it. just take a look at videocardbenchmark.net and compare the performance of both of them. (note: they also have CPU data, so take a look at it!! )

also, you need to think about the HDD. you'll want a big and fast one, probably a 2Tb WD caviar blue would be good enough (I'm using the caviar green and while EVERYBODY will tell you is slow as hell, since it's not even a 7200rpm drive... it works good enough for me). I don't recommend reusing an old HDD, for two reasons:

one, HDD's life is "limited", I wouldn't trust a drive for more tan, say, a few years (5 or so). I myself use them for way longer, but my old seagates are in a raid 1 (mirror). else I wouldn't be trusting them, and they would be gathering dust.

and two, HDD's are cheap enough... and for a gaming PC you'll wat a big one (at least 1 Tb, trust me, it seems much but it will get filled sooner than you think) WD caviar blue 1 Tb even a raid 0 of those would be good (note I can't find the 2 Tb caviar blue right now, not sure why.... a green could do, or else, a raid 0 of blues would be even faster.) Also, a system SSD would be nice, but not essential.

Yeah it'll definitely fit. Video cards are getting pretty heavy these days, but most of the weight is help by the two screws on the back of your case. With some cards, due to the way the weight is balanced on them, they can sometimes sag. Generally speaking, if there is any sag at all it is very minimal and will not affect the card in any way besides how it looks. Even so, it's not a bad idea to do something to correct the sag if you start to notice any. Every now and then a post will pop up in /r/PCMasterRace about someone fixing it in a unique way, but just putting anything beneath the far end of the card will keep it from sagging.

You could get a specialized tool, like this, or like this if it does start to sag. Alternatively, you could do something like what this guy, you could ziptie it, or you could use legos.

Anyway. Chances are you won't have to deal with any sag, but if you do there are some solutions for you.


Okay, so for your brother, you can probably do it and everything will be just fine, but there are a few issues. First of all, when you're looking at whether or not a PSU will be good enough, you want to look at the average output instead of the max, just so be sure that you aren't pushing it too hard. The PSU is the heart of your system. If it fails...well...other things will likely fail too and you'll be in a bit of trouble. The 960 draws aboout 100W at full load, and I doubt the i3 draws much either, but I can't know for certain without knowing its model number.

It would be nice to know specifics about the 350W PSU...does it even have the 6 pin connector for a video card? If not, do not use the molex to 6 pin adapter that is sometimes included. It's a great way to start a fire and/or kill components.

400W minimum is recommended for the 960, just so that you're sure to not blow anything up. If you've got the cash to spare, I would highly recommend upgrading your PSU, this one will ensure that nothing bad happens. If you can't afford the upgrade or anything, go ahead and put it in there and see how it runs, just make sure you don't do any overclocking at all. Like I said, everything will probably work, but it's always better for thing to be certain than it is for them to be probable.

Sorry if my replies seem somewhat less coherent, got my wisdom teeth out a few hours ago and I'm a tad bit loopy.

>I know this setup is not the best out there, but I'm sure it's alright for my every day needs. I'm not looking to play games like R6S/Battlefield and stuff like that, I just like playing games like CSGO/Minecraft/GarrysMod which I'm sure they will run alright with the 1050 Ti. (which suit perfectly the price range I'm looking for)

You actually could play BF1 on medium settings, 50fps just fine.

>For the CPU I went from the 1400 to the 1500x (wanted the 1600x but it was a bit off price), so yeah

That'll work fine.

>My memory card is missing so I really need your help to choose one (8GB RAM preferred)

What you mean is "RAM," or "DDR4," or "memory sticks." A memory card is something that you put in your camera or phone to hold pictures.

Any 288pin DDR4 sticks should work. Make sure you get 2 4GB sticks and not 1 8GB stick. 2 sticks run in "dual channel mode" which means they move data twice as fast. (But 4 sticks don't move data 4 times as fast, so don't worry about getting 4 sticks). Also, your motherboard can only fit 2 sticks.

>I'm not completely sure what "bays" mean when choosing a case for your build, but I've chosen the one selected on the list randomly (I've also seen some people get the case for free, any idea how? / is my current one compatible?)

A "bay" is a slot that holds a component, you shouldnt need to worry since any case has enough to hold a couple HDDs.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_bay

Summary: a 5.25" bay holds DVD drives( among other things); a 3.5" bay holds full size hard drives (among other things); A 2.5" bay holds a laptop sized disk drive. Most SSDs, are 2.5". However, you can put a 2.5" drive, in a 3.5" bay.

>- In PCPartPicker I can see an option to buy the operation system? I've seen many builds that do not come with that listed, but do I need to buy it? (my cousin has a pen drive that does install Windows 10, he used it on his Razer laptop, but should be compatible in general).

You need to ask him about that. But it's probably just the installation media. Which means that it installs windows onto any (compatible) PC. However, you still need to activate it. (Otherwise windows will yell at you and be a pain to use). His laptop came with a license so he didn't need to buy one.

You can see if your university (if you go to school) has free/discounted windows licenses, many do. Otherwise, you will have to buy it.

>- I've also seen the wired and wireless adapater option to buy, I really don't know if this is stupid but do I need to add it to the cart too? (My PC will most likely be at my room, and my router/modem is not even near so ethernet cabling is not an option for me, going straight to wireless)

You will need a wireless card to use wifi. Some Motherboards have it built in, but yours doesn't. Here's an example.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0079XWMEI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4/131-2308338-9019942?ie=UTF8&qid=1502032137&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wireless+card&dpPl=1&dpID=41rS1aE2IAL&ref=plSrch

>- What about the sound card?

Don't need one

>Thanks, and have a great day.

You too. Let me know if you need any clarification.

Hello all. I've been using a pair of DT990 250ohms for a few months now. I've also been considering picking up an amp as it would seem the general consensus is that you need something to drive them.

However, I've come across some conflicting opinions from the various forums and posts that I've read and would appreciate some opinions of those more knowledgeable than myself before I spend any money.

Firstly I'm running the headset straight out of my motherboard. The motherboard in question is an EVGA Z270 Classified K which comes with the Creative Core3d solution. Out of a forum post by an EVGA dev I learned the technical specifications are as follows however much of it goes over my head and I would appreciate if someone translated it for me.

DAC: CA0132
AMP: MAX97220B
SNR: 109dB with RL=600Ω, 112.5dB with RL=1KΩ
Supports up to 192kHz Playback and Record
Dolby Live and DTS Connect Not Supported

Here is a link to the particular amp specifications

https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/products/analog/audio/MAX97220B.html

This is the same amp that is present in the Creative Sound Blaster Z based off of the information present on the linked Amazon page below. Many state that the the Sound Blaster Z is capable of driving 600ohm headphones and can drive the 990s with just fine.

https://www.amazon.com/Blaster-Performance-Headphone-Forming-Microphone/dp/B009ISU33E/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

The "Best Solution" post within the following forum link below claims that the Sound Blaster Z can drive the DT990s decently, to maybe 80% of their potential.It also claims that they are notoriously hard to drive. I would like to know if these are relatively agreeable statements.

http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-2545260/amp-beyerdynamic-990.html

On the other side of the spectrum however I've seen it said various times that even the best motherboard sound doesn't even compare to a $30 discreet sound card. I don't know if this is hyperbole or if that claim is no longer true relative to motherboards today. What is your opinion on this?

My concern is value. Ideally I would like to have my 990s not be crippled. On the other hand purchasing an amp and dac would be dependent on how much they are being crippled as I don't know if I could be bothered for 10%

So my real question is is my motherboard proving adequate? I have a hard time answering this myself because of the conflicting opinions and my nigh complete lack of expertise within this field.

Would I to purchase a amp would I need to also purchase a dac to compliment it?

My primary considerations along the purchase route would be Magni 3/Modi 2 combo. Alternatively if it would be a better value and able to power the headphones 100% a Fulla 2.

My usage is generally gaming. When I'm not gaming I'm listening to Spotify Premium. Additionally, as further information I do not have an issue with my headset being too quiet while playing games or listening to music. I can very easily have it way too loud. I understand that amps/dacs do further things than just provide more power to the device (at least I think) and that they provide better audio in general by some other form of magic.

However this leads to another question from me.

Would a $2000 amp beat a $300 amp in audio quality if the $300 amp could provide ample enough power to the device? Why?

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.

Here you go! Those are the parts I picked. I had a hard time vagueing the components for the PC. If you are a german speak we can also talk in german if you prefer that more. You have mentioned Adobe therefore I have focused to get a much stronger multithreaded CPU.

• CPU: I went with the cheapest AMD Ryzen 5 processor which is the R5 1400. Gaming performance is slightly behind all the other Ryzen processors however this PC is also overclockable so you can get more cpu gaming performance out of this CPU which evens it out again to the more expensive Ryzen R5 CPUs. If you do not mind spending about $50 more I can highly recommend getting the AMD Ryzen R5 1600. that costs around ~222€ the R5 1400, R5 1500X (~203€) are both 4cores8threads CPU like Intels i7 (~340€) CPUs. the R5 1600 is a 6cores12threads CPU. rendering in Adobe is much much faster if you have a cpu with more cores/threads. imagine 8 people shareing the workload and working together. this is much faster than only 4 people (Intel i5 are 4cores4threads that cost the same as Ryzen R5). even better are 12threads (R5 1600). however in order to stay within your 600€ i had to pick 1400
  
  
• RAM I went with the cheapest 2x4GB Kit that was around 3000MHz. Adobe benefits a lot from Dual Channel Memory aswell as fast memory. Ryzen gaming performance also increases with higher RAM speeds.
  
  
• Motherboard I went with the cheapest motherboard that supports overclocking (if you ever want to do that in the future) aswell as 4 RAM slots. So that you can always upgrade to 16GB of RAM by adding the same 2 sticks again.
  
  
• CPU cooler you will not need. there is an amd stock cooler coming inside the CPU Box
  
  
• Storage: I went with an 240GB SSD which is enough for windows 10, GTA V, Sims and all of her most frequently used software like Adobe. if she ever runs out of storage space you can upgrade with an additional HDD in the future. While an expensive and small 240GB SSD is totally optional i can highly recommend buying one. the PC will boot within seconds compared to minutes, software especially Adobe will load MUCH faster and the PC will just feel faster. it doesnt matter if you have a $1000 CPU, if your main storagedevice as a slow HDD the PC will always take forever to load something. for the future: 1TB costs around 50€, 3TB costs around 80€
  
  
• GPU I went with an RX460. If this were a gaming rig I would have went with a much cheaper CPU and more powerful GPU however since you mentioned Sims and Adobe the RX460 is all you need. GTA V will run at 1080p90-100fps at medium settings. around 60 at high and around 40-60 at ultra. a GTX1050 would be around 10% faster however they cost 40€ more on amazon which is not worth it.
  
  
• PSU I went with a beQuiet pure power 80+Silver 500W. very high quality PSU which actually is very quiet. 500W is definitly total overkill for this rig however if more GPU performance is ever needed you have the option to upgrade to an RX580 or GTX1070 without the need of buying a new PSU
  
  LINK TO AMAZON SCREENSHOT HERE
  
  this got me to a total of 583€. which leaves you with around 20€ for a computercase. I dont want to pick a PC case because you have to pick one yourself you know your sibling will like. You can save money by reusing an old computercase or buying second hand. You just need to make sure it is microATX or ATX formfactor so that the motherboard and PSU fit. You could definitly pick the cheapest case there is however they are cheap for a reason (no USB 3.0, very little space for any large GPU, cheap construction which "gets the job done" however have lots of sharp edges and are annoying to build with. When you found a case you like go to https://geizhals.de/ and check for the cheapest amazon listing. the amazon search filter is fucking shit.
  
  Here are some personal recommendations I can give you. Check out YouTube or on the bottom left side of the link I included with the cases for inspiration:
  
  
• ~43€ Thermaltake Versa H15 cheap, basic case which has lets of space for any upgrades (support for long graphicscards and 3x 3.5" Bays for lots of HDDs and SSD) and very builderfriendly, microATX(medium)
  
  
• ~60€ Fractal Design Core 1500 minimalstic, comes with Fancontroller, microATX(medium)
  
  
• ~86€ Fractal Design Define Mini C reduced noise, similar to Core1500, slightly larger, microATX (medium)
  
  
• ~80-110€ NZXT S340 and NZXT S340 Elite(tempered glass) in its various colours, expensive however very beautiful, ATX (big)
  
  If you have any questions regarding anything feel free to ask me in german or english. both is fine!

Look up elegoo parts on Amazon. I know they sell a set with a (very good, EACTLY the same knockoff) Uno and a TON of parts. It's called the "Elegoo super starter kit". You end up with two unos, but that's not a bad thing in case you fry one. I think it's around $40 with shipping.

I'm sure they sell other parts too. Check them out on Amazon. IMO it is the best bang for your buck.

EDIT: it also contains a PDF with instructions on how to build projects with them. How to do the wiring and they explain the coding too. They do it in a way that they build off of what you learn.

https://www.amazon.com/Elegoo-EL-KIT-003-Project-Starter-Tutorial/dp/B01D8KOZF4

It's listed as the #1 seller for electronic kits. Its $35 and it has a 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Here is a kit with just boards.

https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Raspberry-kuman-Projects-Tutorials/dp/B016D5L5KE/ref=sr_1_5_sspa?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1518807393&sr=1-5-spons&keywords=Elegoo+parts&psc=1

Elegoo also has these kits.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_gnr_aps?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AElegoo+kits&keywords=Elegoo+kits&ie=UTF8&qid=1518807370

There are a lot of them, so go through each and see which parts you like.

Buying with Elegoo is way way cheaper than through Arduino.

------------------------------------------

I also found this really cool car that you can make

Elegoo EL-KIT-012 UNO Project Smart Robot Car Kit V 3.0 with UNO R3, Line Tracking Module, Ultrasonic Sensor, Bluetooth Module https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0746DVP1J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_goZHAb3MFJF93


.I would build the car first and have fun with it. Then I would take off the ultrasonic sensors and replace them with IR sensors. Then try to program it to solve a maze.

If you're interested I have a website that takes you through every step on how to make a maze solving robot car with Arduino.

It's really a good tutorial. He teaches you everything and explains everything. You build the basics of the car first and get it running then he tells you how to tweak and add things to the code to make it better at solving mazes.

Are you gonna liquid cool? I ask because that case is generally for liquid cooling. The airflow of that case it not that great. Here's another option, a lot better suited for air cooling: HAF X.

For CPU cooler, here's a pretty good one, the Hyper 212 Plus. It's not much more than the one you listed and it's regularly considered one of the best air coolers, especially for the price. If you can, try to pick up a 2nd 120 mm fan and do push/pull with it.

Also if you are doing serious heavy duty video editing, I'm always a proponent of getting as much RAM as you can. May want to think about getting the 16 gb kit.

Besides that it looks pretty good. Some might say it'd be better (and cheaper) to get 2 Samsung F3 1 tb drives and run it in RAID. Also there's people out there who might have some issue with the 590 card (either say it's overkill, or better to get two 580s) but I don't have a particularly strong stance on either position so I'll leave that to them.

Just a sidenote though, if you can afford to add it to your system, I'd highly recommend getting a SSD as a boot drive/program drive. It was the most noticeable change I ever got from a single component upgrade. I'd recommend at least a 128 gb if you're gonna put all your programs + windows on it. You could probably get away with 64 gb but you'd always have to be super frugal about space. My personal recommendation is the Crucial M4. Just make sure you update the firmware to revision 9 before you start installing anything on it (google it, it's super easy to do).

EDIT: Also was looking at your motherboard. From everything I could see, this Gigabyte board seems to be pretty much the same features wise and cheaper to boot.

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

It's a good version of the RX570 at a decent price. You can get it a little cheaper (£122) here, but some people have had dodgy dealings with Laptops Direct.

There's another option here for a Gigabyte card with 8GB memory for the same price (£130) but comes with 8GB VRAM instead of 4. It should be a better performing card in VRAM hungry games.

The Sapphire card you posted (your link doesn't work, but I assume you mean this one) is definitely a good quality card. The Gigabyte one is a bit less so (some people hate Gigabyte cards).

Realistically it's about value. You want the best value for your money. It may help to know your budget, what games you want to play and at what settings as well as what the other components of your system are/will be to make a firm recommendation.

If you can find another £30, you can get some 8GB RX580's like this one. On the other hand, if you just want to play Hearthstone, League of Legends and Minecraft, you may be able to save money buy not getting a graphics card and going with an AMD APU like the 3400G.

I second the MacBook recommendation. I am on one now, and it is perfect. I think the best part is that it already comes with Unix installed so you can play around with stuff that you want right from the start. If you build a pc and put linux on it, then you're good anyways. Windows is a no-go.


If you want to build a computer, (its a good idea, you might learn quite a bit) I'll help you out.
Since you seem to not know much about computers, I must fill you in. This is not a good time to do it. Ram shortages combined with super high GPU prices due to mining, and you have yourself a costly computer.

That being said, here you go. A couple things about it:

1. That processor is overkill for probably anything you would be doing. You could be saving a good bit of money by using another one. But since that is what you requested, I'll throw it in. The plus is that you probably won't have to upgrade it for a while.
   
   
2. You don't 'need' a gpu, but the 1050ti is pretty inexpensive, and if you decide to play some games it will be able to handle them.
   
   
3. 16GB of ram is plenty. 32GB is overkill. I only have 16 and I can have multiple VMs at a time, and its fine. And if you want to upgrade later, you can do it pretty easily.
   
   
4. I gave you a M.2 SSD. They are much faster than a regular sata and WAY faster than a hdd. Do you need it? Not at all. But especially for a beginner, it will be easier not having to route more cables. I have multiple sata ssds and multiple hdds, and cable management is a pain. The total comes to like $1280 but if that is too much get a 256GB ssd instead of a 500GB one. You can always add more storage later. It is very common for people to have a M.2 for booting and then all of their applications on a sata ssd or a hdd.
   
   
5. I gave you a case with places to put hdds if you want them.
   
   
6. The power supply (psu) should be plenty. I gave you 650w but you really only need 400w. I have that same psu and I have two GPUs and I'm fine. I know you'll want to get some crazy 1000w one but you don't need it.
   
   
7. The motherboard isn't the lowest level mobo, but it isn't the best. It should allow you to overclock pretty well if you care to (you won't now, but you will, and it will be a pain if you have to upgrade your mobo in a few months). It has onboard wifi, so you don't have to worry about that.
   
   
8. You don't need water cooling. At all. That processor is hot, but you won't be doing enough for it to be stressed anyways. That being said, I would go for a cryorig h7 instead. Easy to install, comes with thermal paste, and works very well for the price. I'm not at my computer now, but I have that cryorig cooler and I have my processor overclocked and it has no problem.
   
   
9. Take this all with a grain of salt. Do your own research. You should be doing plenty of research about anything you hear on the internet always, especially if it is regarding you spending money.
   
   
   Regardless of if you get a laptop or you build your own, enjoy your computer. Seems daunting to build one at first, but it is really easy. Like Legos. I was terrified at first, but I've done it so many times now that I don't even have to think about it.

I'm about your age and taking CS and Engineering courses. The only way to find out is by trying. One quick and inexpensive way of getting your feet wet is by learning some basic coding online (for example, Harvard's CS50) and doing the first few electronics projects with an Arduino kit (like this one).

Then, I recommend doing lower-division prerequisites at community college to get a taste of the engineering curriculum. Specifically, you should take at least one programming class, Calculus 1, Physics 1, and an engineering class or two (hopefully one that is project-based or has a hands-on component). With these, you should have a good introduction to the different directions you can take.

You should also think about why you want to take Computer Engineering. CpE is a good major, but if your interest/goal is to work in software, Computer Science will be a more flexible major and usually have fewer requirements (read: you can graduate sooner). Don't get into the major just because of the engineer moniker, get into CpE because you want to have more flexibility in your career in working with hardware, software, and electronics. CS will give you a better background for a broad career as a software engineer, with more elective options. There are something like 10x more software jobs than hardware jobs. You can work in software with CpE, but the major itself can be pretty focused on electrical engineering, circuits, and hardware. This depends on your school.

Once you've taken the classes I suggested, you should be able to better decide what you're most interested in and how much math and physics you want to take. If you don't mind taking more math and physics fundamentals, then CpE can be a good fit for you. Depending on how you feel about your programming courses and hands-on engineering courses, you will have more clarity on whether you want to have more focus in hardware, software, or neither.

Just a few suggestions here:

• HD 6950 2 GB for roughly the same price, which you can unlock to a HD 6970 relatively easily.
  
  
• You're probably better off just getting 2 of these, as it'll perform roughly as well as the Western Digital Caviar Black for a lower price, and the Seagate you chose is really mediocre. Also, you could even try to get an SSD and a relatively slow 2 TB HDD for storage. I don't know much about SSDs though, so I won't make any uninformed suggestions.
  
  
• That memory is extremely overpriced, and the differences between 1333, 1600, and 1866 (crazy..) are more or less negligible. Here's 4 GB of DDR3 1600 RAM for a good price.
  
  
• 850 watts is overkill unless you plan on Crossfiring two of the HD 6950s. If you're just gonna use one (which will perform admirably at 1920x1080), you're better off with a cheaper power supply >500 watts. This is a good power supply at a decent price after rebate.
  
  
• Here's a cheaper ~~23" monitor ~~better 23" monitor which should be just fine.
  
  
• Here's a cheaper wired mouse with very good ratings.
  
  
• Here's the same HAF 922 case, for cheaper and with free shipping. The only difference is that the case fan LED is red instead of blue.
  
  
• You really only need the six-core Phenom II if you mess around with multi-threaded applications a lot, and you would be better off going with a Core i5 or i7 in that situation anyway. That said, the Phenom II x6 is still a great CPU. If you feel like downgrading just a tad bit, a Phenom II x4 955 is still an amazing CPU, which can be overclocked easily to 3.7 GHz or higher. A recommended heatsink would be the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, which will guarantee low temperatures.
  
  EDIT: There's currently a pretty decent 5% off, with a $10 gift card deal, for the Phenom II x4 1090T.

Yes I have, I have the comment history to prove it. All I have to do is scroll down a lot. And you lost, bad. You kept trying, I kept debunking every thing you said. It got to the point where you were repeating points I had already proved false.

>I'm not here saying console is superior. But PC isnt superior either. It's all subjective idiot.

That's ironic, calling me an idiot immediately after writing a dumb ass comment. I found a $320 ps4 slim bundled with spider man for $320, and a 40 inch TV with speakers here to go with it. A total of $479.94. That plus $60-$120 a year (if you bought the ps4 slim on release that's $180-$360 extra onto the total, so 659.94-839.94 total). For that you get a device that cannot be upgraded, has a cpu from 2008, can play games at 1080p 30fps medium low settings, no graphics options, only one input device option, the option to pay money or play offline, is very limited in uses, and only 1800 ish games available 74 ish being exclusive.

Now, let's see what kind of PC we can get for $659.94, shall we? Theres a free version of windows 10 that just puts a water mark on windows products. A little annoying, but not as annoying as all the ads in sonys paid online service.

G4560 for $82.96

Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2PV for $69.99

V-Color Skywalker Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 2666MHz for $64.99

WD Blue 1TB PC Hard Drive - 7200 RPM for $43.81

XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition 1386MHz OC+, 8GB GDDR5 for $184.99

Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case for $34.99

Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU for $39.99

The PC itself is $521.72 and runs circles around the ps4 slim and the ps4 pro. It is more than capable of 1080p ultra settings at 70-80fps on most AAA games. Now for the kbm and monitor.

Logitech Desktop MK120 for $29.87

Sceptre E225W-19203R 22" Ultra Thin 75Hz 1080p LED Monitor for $79.84. Its smaller but you're going to be way closer so it wont matter.

For $28.51 less, you get a PC that runs circles around the ps4 and ps4 pro, is upgradable, can be a work station, is capable of a lot more, is cheaper in the long run, has hundreds of thousands of games available on it, objectively has more high quality exclusives, has a player base 12 times the size, free online play, an entirely free game every week from epic games store (no subscription needed), and much more options.

And since you always like to say "b-b-but can it p-play d-dvds?". I first would like to mention that pcs have the option to download the movies, netflix and other streaming services exist, and if you actually do want to play movies via disk, you can spend the $28 you save on a $20 DVD drive if you want. It's an optional accessory.

Now I think I've successfully proved that you

1, have no idea what you're talking about

And 2, are wrong about it being subjective. Yes, preferring a console is perfectly fine. But objectively a PC is better in almost every way.

Have you considered buying a good pair of headphones and buying a separate microphone like one from ModMic? I'm using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 OHMS along with a ModMic and I love it! There were things I was not hearing before in games, movies, and music. I since moved on to a Blue Yeti microphone but the ModMic served me well. Once you have a great pair of headphones, I always recommend getting a good souncard to go a long. Normally, I don't recommend soundcards unless you have a good pair of headphones. I'm currently using the Creative Soundblaster Z and I have to say that I'm impressed with the quality of sound that they've been able to pull off from this soundcard. I'd say that the Soundblaster Z is more of a mid-range soundcard. If you want the best in terms or soundcards then a Soundblaster Zxr or a Asus Xonar Essence STX will be a better choice. I hope this helps!

Decent machine however few bits and pieces:

Cryorig H7 is 10 bucks more but is a lot better (and much easier to install) than the 212. It'll run cooler, quieter, and generally better than the 212 for 10 bucks. Unless you're super stretched thin, I'd recommend it.

The 970 is an interesting choice but I think I'd recommend either the r9 390 if you want to buy something now (gives you 8gb of vram and great performance for $300) or if you can wait a few weeks, the rx 480 is coming out. I'd wait for benchmarks to come out but at $200 for the 4gb model and $250 for the 8gb model, it looks like a beast of a card. If you can wait, that's a great card to pickup.

Reviews on that first linked Silverstone seem to suggest that it'll control PWM on all fans, but use the tach from only one fan, so it's a good fit for multiple same fans. It'll also run 3 pin (non PWM) fans at 100%, so that's a big caveat.

If you're looking to jump from 1 PWM-controlled fan to 2 same model PWM-controlled fans on one fan header, you might just wanna get a simple splitter.

If you want a fan controller that supports PWM and 3 pin fans via voltage control you'd be better off looking for a controller that uses that method - NZXT Sentry lineup does that, takes up a front drive bay, but it's similar to that Silverstone, only difference is the knobs up front and the ability to control both 4 pin (PWM) and 3 pin via voltage control.

FWIW I use a Sentry Mix and I love it. I don't use fans with LEDs and it might cause flickering as it's voltage control, but I never checked. 6 banks for the Sentry Mix 2 - you can use splitters for even more fan control - hook up like fans (bottom intake with splitter to bank 1, radiator intake/push fans to bank 5, radiator pull/exhaust fans to bank 6, case back fan to 4, etc, then just jog dials if needed).

But that 1-to-2 splitter hooked up to 2 SP120 PWM in one header should be enough for now... And then you can choose to get a fan controller later, and keep that splitter to run 2 fans off of one bank.

The Sony 7506 headphones are perfect for monitoring. I use the similar V6.

Edit: Your output volume on your computer should be under 5 in my experience. Higher than the noise floor of the computer but not too much higher. end edit.


The troubleshooting involved removing the cassette and playing it back with the phone jack on another deck or player. Short of that, you aren't troubleshooting effectively yet. One thing at a time.


Very unlikely that the heads are misaligned, or enough to cause these troubles. Again, playback in another deck. Don't worry about the heads, that is very unlikely.



I've looked at the controls. Do this, if you're not. Only Dolby B should be on, in that section, make sure that is the case, and the others are not engaged or sticky to disengage. Not Dolby C and not DBX. Keep it simple.


Hopefully the effect of the cymbals overloading can be decreased. Again, what you hear in the headphones on the deck while recording is the best you can do with that unit. The better deck to find some day has 3 heads so you can immediately monitor a playback head in line after the record head. Anyway, this deck isn't that.


A usb device with line out is vastly superior to the output jack on any computer, regardless if it is MP3 or better. Here's the one I'm testing this weekend based on another post on this sub. *also your MP3 source might have been from some source and not at all perfect. I mean, there are volume level controls on the computer besides what is on the input of the cassette deck, so having a Line Out from the computer is the best sound you will get.


I have converted MP3's to CD's to send to a friend and I always convert to WAV files first just because it's easier to control the volume from song to song, for me, to make a better product.


The usb thing: Walmart has these, too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NMXY2MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can't comment on your specific motherboard but know that most consumer boards won't have more than 2 USB headers. See, the header is the hardware part that let's the USB ports communicate data to the CPU and because most people aren't populating all their USB ports, manufacters don't typically include more than a few.

Now, each header or channel has a maximum throughput of 6gb/s. In practice this is lower close to 5gb/s meaning a typical real world cap of about 500mb/s of data access. Why are these numbers wacky like this, I don't know. But in an ideal setup you want to see hd read speeds around 100mb/s and up. Hence the "4 per header" rule. So as is, I'd expect you to be able to connect 8 to 12 drives to that particular board before you start seeing bottlenecking. This is incredibly lame but luckily the is a solution. One of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HJZEA2S/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522184600&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=startech+usb+3.0 that, is a pcie card that occupies a x4 or larger slot giving you an additional 4 USB headers. So that card, or something like it that has DEDICATED controllers/headers will give you the ability to connect 4 drives per controller. Just be wary if you buy something cheaper because it probably doesn't have multiple controllers/headers.

So let's say for example you bought the card I recommend and your motherboard has 3 controllers/headers. That let's you connect up to 28 drives. At that point you're read speeds will suffer simply due to processing power, but that's okay because upgrading GPUs and switching to jminer or compiling creep to run GPU tasks will probably put you back to good. Probably. I can't confirm because I haven't tested jminer yet and compiling creep isn't something I'm versed well enough to do.

Cryptoguru pools are great from what I understand, but realistically and pool listed here https://www.ecomine.earth/burstpools/ that is supporting Dymaxion is worth checking out. Just pick one that looks like it'll line up with your intentions and how much weight you're willing to put towards luck forging blocks. I picked a 0/100 pool because I didn't see myself going above 150ish TB and that's what I personally think the low cutoff is currently to mine at like a 50/50 pool and not feel like I'm missing out on getting paid. Your mileage will vary.

Finally turboplotter. So I didn't start plotting with it, started with xplotter in qbundle, but it is what I finished with. Once you have your account numeric ID entered it's pretty mindless until it's done. It should generate the first set of plots without any additional input but once that drive is done, you point turboplotter at the plot with the highest nonce count and tell it to start on the next drive. This way you avoid potentially overlapping plots, hurting your mining performance.

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.

CPU - Ryzen is a no-brainer here. Music production is very CPU intensive so a Ryzen CPU with more cores and threads would be the better pick here than an i5. Ryzen CPUs are also fantastic for streaming as they provide a stable average framerate (Intel's are known to have a wide variation between maximum and minimum). It is 5 (-10) % behind Intel in gaming but it is usually not a very noticeable difference and I think it is a worthy compromise for all the benefits you trade for. If you opt for the R5 1600 already you will have 3x as many threads as the 7600, and it looks like you'll need them for all the multitasking you have described.

Therefore I suggest you swap out your $336.00 cpu+mobo combo for:

• $219 Ryzen 5 1600 (comes with decent stock cooler) and $85 Gigabyte B350 microatx mobo with crossfire support This route will save you ~$35 with which you can invest into another 1TB WD Blue for all your games and music library OR You can pick up a full sized ATX B350 motherboard with crossfire support and no extra hdd
  
  Everything else I agree with, especially the ultrawide monitor which will be invaluable to your multitasking. you will need to pick a mouse and case but that is your own preference. I suggest an S340 elite as a great & affordable option.
  
  edit: changed the motherboard to one that supports crossfire as you have wished

I'm completely new to this (basically have zero experience in the audio world) but I'm looking at getting a dedicated sound card. My use case is pretty much purely gaming, but I also listen to music a lot, just not hardcore like a lot of you folks do. I'm also a VR enthusiast and would be using this heavily for VR games. My setup would consist of 2.0 speakers, IEM's, and whatever sound card I get. What's important to me, in no particular order, is audio quality, immersiveness, surround sound, positional audio, ease of use/lack of hassle, build quality, and proper EMI shielding/lack of signal noise. The quality of audio through IEM's is more important than the quality of audio through the 2.0 speakers, since I wear IEM's while in VR. I'm not considering a DAC/amp at all, so please don't suggest that. My budget is $100 or less.

Here's what I've found so far, again in no particular order:

ASUS Xonar DSX

Creative Sound Blaster Z

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy RX 7.1

ASUS Strix SOAR

ASUS Xonar DGX

Out of these options, which do you think is best for my use case? Are there any better options in this price range I haven't considered yet? Will this even be a noticeable improvement over onboard audio? (Z270 motherboard)

Also, kinda unrelated but also kinda related: If I'm not horribly confused (which I am), the 2.0 speakers would require a left audio input and a right input, like this. However, I've noticed that none of these sound cards have left audio out/right audio out ports. Just front, rear, center, and woofer. (Plus a few more, like line in/mic in, but never left/right audio out.) So, uh... Where would I plug my speakers in? >.>

Also also, a lot of these sound cards advertise support for surround sound. Do I HAVE to have a 5.1/7.1 system in order to use surround sound, or would I be able to get surround sound with 2.0 speakers? Ditto for headphones - if I was using IEMs, would I be able to get surround sound? Or would it be the same as using onboard audio in that regard/make no difference because it's still only two speakers (one in each ear)?

Some suggestions for keyboard/mice:

Lenovo N5902. Goes on sale regularly.

Logitech K400

Generic keyboard/touchpad remote. There are many slight variants on this.

I've found that due to the size/shape/content of my living room, a wireless receiver plugged into my HTPC doesn't work 100% reliably. I've connected a USB extension cable to the back of my HTPC and run it behind things and under my couch to give me the best reception. Generally you can go up to 15 feet; any longer than that and you need a powered extension.

If you have a Logitech Harmony remote, I highly recommend the OVU4003/00 (RC6) USB IR reciever. Once set up with Windows and the Harmony remote, it works with XBMC/Kodi out of the box. This receiver was branded as HP/Dell/Gateway/Philips and probably many more. A Flirc is another option but it is ugly (IMO) and more expensive.

Regarding hardware, if you aren't gaming you don't need a lot. When using older gear the most important thing is video hardware acceleration. For Intel machines, you need something with at least GMA 4500 (Q45 chipset) graphics or later, and for AMD you need something with at least a 760G chipset. This hardware dates back to 2008/2009. Dedicated graphics cards should be at least a Radeon HD 2600 or a GeForce 8500. These cards date back to 2006/2007. CPUs are a grey area, but any mainstream dual core CPU (Athlon X2, Core 2 Duo) from 2007+ should be able to handle most everything. My first HTPC had an AMD Athlon X2 5000+ and it's still working just fine with W7 and Kodi.

If you want to game (and don't want to use a device like the DOKO), you'll need to find a quiet case that supports full length video cards. There are a bunch available, and I'm not sure if this has changed in the last 2-3 years, but the vast majority of HTPC cases large enough to support full size gear and M-ATX motherboards are simply too long to fit in a standard A/V rack or TV stand. The only exceptions I am aware of are the Silverstone GD05 and GD04. I'd be willing to bet that Silverstone has some other cases that will work also.

Additionally, you'll want to find a PSU, case fans and CPU cooler that are quiet and efficient. The best resource for this is http://www.silentpcreview.com/.

Lastly, if your A/V receiver has only S/PDIF audio inputs (no HDMI) and you want to play games in 5.1 surround sound, you're going to need to find either a sound card or motherboard with an S/PDIF output that supports DTS-Connect and/or Dolby Digital Live. Motherboards stopped coming with this around 2008 (AFAIK) and the cheapest option to get it in an add-on card is the Sound Blaster Z.

I would not suggest the Raspberry Pi. If they are a tech lover, it's likely they already have one. I would suggest this particular Arduino set: (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D8KOZF4/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2WWHQ25ENKVJ1). It has lots of nifty pieces that they can do a lot with.

Another thing I noticed on EpicGifts list is the Amazon Echo - If they have prime and are a big amazon person, then go with the Echo, or Echo Dot. However, if they are more integrated into google, I would recommend the Google Home (https://store.google.com/product/google_home).

Other then that, I would be careful on different gadgets (Phones/Watches/Tablets/ect). Most tech lovers are bias to specific brands, and like to do a lot of deep research before purchasing an electronic. So might want to ask them some general branding questions first.

Outside of that, if none of that interests you, tech lovers love random gadgets. For example, if they have pets - maybe something like the petcube would be great for them (https://www.amazon.com/Petcube-Camera-Video-2-Way-Built/dp/B00JGWN8O8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481486893&sr=8-1&keywords=petcube).

Just browse a bit and keep those things in mind. Best of luck!

Tons of threads like this, so take some time to browse this sub. Also a lot of good info in this sub's wiki In either case here's my quick and dirty off the top of my head in no particular order/level of detail, also some things are just my subjective opinion:

• Take the time to get the HMD situated comfortably on your head. Shouldn't be pressed against your face so hard that it leaves an impression. Back part should be cupping lower back part of your head.
  
• Configure your IPD as best you can.
  
• If you start to feel motion sick or have a headache / eye strain DON'T push through it. Stop and take as long a break as necessary to get back to normal. You may have to start your VR journey in smaller doses until you (hopefully) build up a tolerance.
  
• Since you've never experienced it, don't be put off by the resolution of the Rift. Things like the screendoor effect and god rays you start to lose awareness of the more you use it (especially if you really get immersed in a game).
  
• You'll have 2 sensors with your current bundle. I don't know the size of your room but I would suggest placing them in opposite corners (diagonally) of your playspace. Preferably high up and angled down towards you. Read Oculus blog on the matter
  
• Tied to the above, some people do just fine with 2 sensors (what you'll have out of the box) for 360/roomscale tracking. I went this route for some time and felt it was just fine (not perfect though). Try it out and if you feel you need more stable tracking, look into buying a 3rd sensor.
  
• Hopefully you have no USB bandwidth issues, but if you do, take the time to read through the Oculus blog 1 and Oculus blog 2 posts on the matter. I am one of the unfortunate folks who had USB bandwidth issues on mutiple motherboards and this was, to me, the shittiest aspect of the Rift experience. Once I worked through it (read, bought this card) I was good.
  
• You've got several free games alongside the ones you mentioned. Take the time to experience them all. In addition I recommend Super Hot, Budget Cuts demo (Steam), Rec Room (social/multiplayer).
  
  Everyone's experience varies. If its smooth sailing for you then awesome. If you run into problems, don't stress and take the time to search on this sub for answers. VR is amazing, hope you enjoy it.

Depending on what you mean by 'media' that 2500K is pretty overkill. You can get nearly identical gaming performance from the significantly less expensive i3-2100.

I wouldn't call that Zalman cooler superfluous, but I wouldn't pick it over the favored 212+ unless you have solid evidence showing how quiet it is. You should see what sites like SilentPCreview and Guru3D consider the leaders in quiet cooling at the moment.

You can definitely save a good deal of money with any one of these ASRock micro ATX motherboards. That Asus is enormously more expensive than you need.

The GTX 560TI is a good choice. You should consider this MSI twin frozr 6950 2GB card for only ten bucks more. It is the more powerful card in nearly every case. MSI also makes some of the coolest cards around, which is of primary importance for a microATX build like this one.

You probably don't need all 16 GB of that RAM. You should stick with this set instead.

You also won't need that 650W power supply. With a single mid-range GPU, at most you'll need is 500W. I would recommend finding a well reviewed, modular unit around 500W instead.

Hey man!

Check out [this motherboard] (http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Intel-USB3-0-Motherboard-GA-H81M-H/dp/B00I6DLKCA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1412625307&sr=8-4&keywords=lga+1150+motherboard) which goes for around 50 USD.

If you are new, you need to make sure that the socket type of the processor is a LGA 1150, so the motherboard must have the same socket type. Your i3 is a LGA 1150, so the motherboard and the processor should work together. Just made a similar mistake, however nothing terrible bad occured.

I know that you just asked for a motherboard, but I can't help but notice that you are going for a budget gaming build. Half the parts you have are the same as the parts I have. In fact, I ordered the Evga GTX 750 Ti from Newegg just this Saturday for 135 USD.

So what I have to say on your build regarless if you asked for help is to get a [Intel Core i3-4360 @ 3.70GHz] (http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i3-4360-Processor-Cache-BX80646I34360/dp/B00J2LIFDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412625825&sr=8-1&keywords=Intel+Core+i3-4360+%40+3.70GHz) which is more expensive, at 150 USD, but has way better performance.

Even better yet is to go for an AMD processor, however I know that some people are not a fan of them, but thats fine.

If you don't mind about AMD, pick up a [AMD FX-6350 Six-Core] (http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-Processor-Edition/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412626082&sr=8-2&keywords=AMD+FX-6350+Six-Core) which goes for 100 USD, but is far better than the i3 I linked above, and the i3 in your current build.

Please note that changing to AMD will change the motherboard you need, but the cost of the motherboard should still stay around 50 USD.

AMD also has a 8 core processor that runs for 130 USD that you may want to look into. Most games dont utilize more than 2 cores however.

I will gladly help you with anything you need.

One more thing I am looking into is buying a case that comes with a PSU. I know that Coolermaster, a reputable company, provides an option like this for around 60-70 USD. You could look into that if you prefer.

Also note that a operating system will cost you almost 100 USD, a sizable chunk of money in a budget build, unless your run Linux.

Glad to help.

I haven't looked at the website you linked, but just right off the top :

1. You can definitely go for a cheaper CPU cooler. For example, the Cryorig H7 is plenty good for a lower price (assuming you can get that where you're located). The Hyper 212 EVO is also a very popular budget option.
   
   
2. You don't need 3200 RAM. RAM speed will typically be one of the last things to affect your computer's performance (in terms of bottlenecking). The usual advice is to go with the cheapest set of RAM that matches what you want in number of RAM sticks, amount of memory, and aesthetics.
   
   
3. You'll hear this often, but you should definitely look into getting an SSD for your OS and main programs/games. It's the #1 contributor to making your computer FEEL fast. Load times in games will be much, much quicker, you'll boot your PC up in seconds, and moving around files/copying/installing/etc will be much faster as well.
   
   Basically, I'm recommending you save money by getting a cheaper CPU cooler and cheaper RAM, then putting that towards getting a solid SSD. I'd recommend ~250GB minimum, but 500GB SSDs on sale often offer more storage per dollar and would therefore be a better value. Plus you'll be sad if you run out of space on your SSD for your most often used programs/games.
   
   Good luck!

Motherboard: That will work just fine. I believe the quote you listed is telling you to buy an add-on card which connects to your motherboard through a PCI slot and gives you extra USB ports like this. That mothboard has 4 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports and your case has two front panel USB ports. This brigns your total USB ports up to 8. If you need more than 8 then you can buy an add-on card or back plate that attaches to the USB connections on the motherboard. The latter looks like this. The black thing obviously goes to the motherboard.

CPU: Depending on how much video editing you do you might be able to drop down to the 2500K. The 2600K will be better for video editing, but if you really need to save money and don't edit enough to justify the price increase then you can get the 2500K.

GPU: The 570 is pretty good and you would want to get an EVGA card because they have a lifetime warranty. You can also get the 6950 which is slightly worse (maybe 10% less FPS) but costs about $80 less.

Hard drive: Switch to the Samsung Spinpoint F3. It's cheaper, faster (the 6 Gb/s on the WD is crap, HDD can't even get up to 3 Gb/s), and more reliable. If you have extra money then get an SSD. One of the best upgrades you can give your computer. They are crazy fast

Everything else looks good. Make sure to get an aftermarket CPU cooler if you overclock. The Cooler Master Hyper 212+ is great.

So you have four corners on the recessed ceiling (higher up), and four corners on the lower ceiling. I would almost prefer to put the cameras in the corners of the lower ceiling, because it would give a more straight-on view of the player/controllers. Each camera has a narrower viewing cone at extreme close proximity. The further from the main playspace they are, the more that cone has a chance to "spread out" and cover the actual playspace. In this case, you would draw your playspace with at least (2 ft) or (0.6 m) distance from each of the four walls, so people don't bash their knuckles at the borders.

However, you might not want your cameras to be further than (12 ft) or (3.6 m) apart from each other (for best tracking quality). I don't have a big enough room to run into this limit, so you may be fine with further spaced out cameras. If the lower ceiling corners are further apart than (12 ft) or (3.6 m), then you may want to put them in the recessed ceiling anyways. You can always ignore the Oculus Rift setup's warnings about camera spacing, by the way. In fact, with larger playspaces, the Oculus setup wizard will always complain. Don't worry about it.

Also, you might want to consider using this USB card. It can handle the throughput of all four cameras in USB 3.0 mode, if desired. You can downgrade any camera to USB 2.0 by simply running a USB 2.0 cable to that camera instead of 3.0. A passive USB 2.0 cable is fine for short runs, but consider an active USB 2.0 cable (like the one that comes in the box of an extra Rift camera) for longer runs. You should put your Rift headset in one of the motherboard's USB 3.0 ports (USB 2.0 might actually be fine), and then put all four cameras (you might only need three cameras) in the USB extension card.

You can search this subreddit for discussions on whether you want/need to have the cameras/headset on 3.0 or 2.0. I prefer to run everything at USB 3.0, but it may not be necessary.

For USB 3.0 cable runs that are less than 10 feet (say, those corners nearest to your computer tower), use these passive USB 3.0 cables. You're also going to want a passive USB 3.0 extension for your Rift headset.

For USB 3.0 cable runs that are more than 10 feet away, you should use an active USB 3.0 cable. This is necessary for cameras that are further away from your tower. Note that the cable I linked has an optional barrel port for a 12V power supply. You only need to power these cables if you're daisy-chaining two or more of them in a row (for runs longer than (33 ft) or (10 m)).

These CAT6 round cable clips should work well for cable routing, especially for the slightly thicker active USB 3.0 cables. These general-purpose adhesive cable clips work fine for runs of the thinner, passive USB cables, but you may have issues with the adhesive depending on your wall.

You'll want this HDMI extension cable for your Rift headset, to make use of the extra space. I've had a good experience with bunching the HDMI and USB Rift headset extensions together by using these lightweight Velcro ties. I have about a (10 ft) or (3 m) square playspace, so you may encounter different problems than me if your playspace is larger. I only have three cameras, and it works fine. Good luck in your setup, I'm sure whatever you do will work great!

To follow up on Zouden's comment, I started with the official starter kit, partly because I do normally like having a nice-looking, physical book to refer to.

However, I quickly realized that all of the code for the Starter Kit Projects is already included the Arduino IDE, and that the Arduino founders created video tutorials for each project as well -- for example, the spaceship project. You can even find a couple of the chapters of the book on the Arduino site -- again, like the spaceship project.

The Arduino site even has detailed tutorials for all of the IDE's built-in example code. Look at the button tutorial -- that's about as good as any of the projects that are in the book, just stripped down and without the conceptual/imaginative layer ("spaceship interface," "love-o-meter")

Again, typically I prefer a physical book -- but I paid around $75 for the starter kit. Looking back, I probably would've gotten the plain-plastic-box $25 kit that the store had and used the Arduino website and videos to learn everything-- I bought the $25 kit later just to have another Arduino and extra parts, and it seemed like it had all of the components the Starter Kit did, just without the book or fancy packaging.

Not sure that that $25 kit is a typical thing - it was an official Arduino project kit, but I don't think I've seen any others but the one I bought. But you can get kits like this Elegoo one and have many of the same parts you'd get in the official Starter Kit - plus some cool other parts like the ultrasonic sensor.

If your friend loves physical books and nice-looking packaging, and has the money, they should go for the official Starter Kit. But if they'd like to save some money and read equally good tutorials online, they should buy a less expensive kit and use the Arduino website for learning.

[Edited some typos]

With the chassis you chose, and the socket, these coolers will work (I have the same case and similar socket): https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16835608042

Technically, the 120mm version of that cooler will fit, but only if you get lucky. The top of the 120mm cooler has heat pipes that have been crimped off and sealed. If one of those heat pipe crimps is too high, you wont be able to close the lid on the chassis (speaking from experience).

Don't skimp on power, it is the lifeblood of the system. Get something like this instead: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKDETOW The link you provided for the Xeons is for the RAM, so I don't know how much power consumption you will have, or how many drives you wish to spin up. The 750w power supply will be sufficient, and give you some headroom in case you want to fill all 15 drives bays, 2x HBA cards, and a 10g NIC later down the road. .

Word of warning on the case; it's awesome for the price, but has ZERO cable management. It will be tough to have a neat build. Also, the weight of the case by itself, is enough to bend/bow the long side of the case. Always properly support the case when you pick it up. Aaaaaaaaannd, the fans are absolute trash.

Budget wise, if you have too choose, spend more on the power supply than the coolers.

Good luck!

I appreciate the kind words! I got started by getting the Elegoo UNO Super Starter Kit from Amazon.

I'm a Computer Science major but I've always had an interest in hardware and electronics so I just bought this and now I'm having all sorts of fun, especially since I get to combine both my interests: software and hardware. Like you said, you get a great feeling when putting things together, so I would highly recommend you pick up a kit if you have the slightest interest!

Sure bud, here is the cooler and here is the fan I put on the rad, completely optional but I'm certain makes a big difference in noise, as Noctuas are top end.

Also, here is the video tutorial for installation, an easy installation that takes a little over an hour if you have the right tools, but is pretty simple. Here is the tool set I used, and it gave me any size or fit that I needed to do this easily, plus is great if you ever do any computer customizing in general and need a nice set.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

No worries.

I would recommend checking out this video and seeing if you think it makes a difference to you first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnpLUlD20z8 ... I use an Astro Mixamp for my console gaming and wanted to try out a soundcard for my first pc build so I got this one: http://www.amazon.com/Blaster-Performance-Headphone-Forming-Microphone/dp/B009ISU33E/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1415131668&sr=8-13&keywords=asus+xonar ... Got it for $70 on sale, btw. With that said, I personally enjoy having the soundcard. I like having 3d sound emulation from my stereo headsets and personally I can hear a difference between the different technologies. I like the THX (same as SBX I believe) for it's overall accuracy and immersion. With that said, the soundcard is also useful for playing around with equalizer settings, using a voice changer in game (just for fun) and for managing multiple audio sources on one pc: for example, I have my headphones plugged into the card as well as my 2.1 speakers and can choose which one I want outputting sound at any given moment. Additionally the soundcard has an on board amp which helps if you have hard to drive headphones. I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary to get a soundcard as you could download and try out the razer sound software for free, but if you have the available funds and perhaps a Frys around you (or another retailer that has a great return policy on open products) I'd say give it a try. So in summary it's up to you and your budget but I'm enjoying mine.

On a side note, if you don't already have headphones/headset, check this out: http://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-KHX-H3CL/dp/B00JJNQG98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415132242&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+hyper

has favorable reviews and this is the cheapest I've seen it yet. Also, if you'd really like to delve into sound and gaming, check out this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-update-10-15-2014-beyerdynamic-t51i-added

let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor | $239.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z270 SLI PLUS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $112.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $74.99 @ Best Buy
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB ROG STRIX Video Card | $259.99 @ Amazon
Case | NZXT S340 - Designed by Razer ATX Mid Tower Case | $94.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $79.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $92.99 @ Best Buy
Monitor | LG 29UM67 29.0" 2560x1080 60Hz Monitor | $269.50 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1440.40
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-21 15:10 EST-0500 |

If you want to try 21:9 ultrawide, this should be a good place to start.
I included a CPU/MOBO/Cooler that can handle modest overclocking, incase you want to jump into it. There's a good guide on /r/overclocking and many youtube videos out there to get you started.
I went with a RX480 because the monitor supports Freesync. This an AMD only technology and would make this setup truly worth it.
Now if you didn't want a 21:9 ultrawide, you could swap that out for a GTX 1070 and a 144Hz 24" 1080p Monitor. Though I will note, that this monitor is also freesync and would benefit from an AMD GPU. That being said, the RX480 has a hard time reaching 144 FPS in most newer games.
* A note -- The 21:9 Monitor I included has support for 75Hz Freesync over Display Port, despite the product page on some sites listing it only at 60Hz.

Hello audiophiles!

Long post, so here's a TL;DR: What soundcard, DAC or AMP do I need that greatly enhances my virtual surround experience in Sennheiser Game One headset?

After a long research on gaming headsets, I went ahead and purchased Sennheiser Game One headset. I know I could have gone different routes but that one was the best I could have done with my budget. Going separate headphones and mic was a bit too expensive since I wanted claritiy in mic also (which would require investing in a good mic). This Sennie was kinda was the bang for my buck.

When I plugged the headset to my motherboard, the sound was a bit low (at which point I thought maybe I need an AMP). However some tweaking in Windows 10 (such tweaking being turning on "Loudness Equalization" in "Enhancements" tab in playback device settings) made the sound too high and introduced a background hiss (permanent noise). Fiddling around the equalizer did help a little bit but the sound felt super artificial and bloated, also considering the fact that I am not the best person to understand what each equalizer column actually does. The end result is drowned out footsteps which is totally undesirable.

Other than this, I noticed almost no difference to my directional audio (i.e. where the footsteps or gunshots are coming from) compared to my old Steelseries not-so-very-good headset. I feel like there absolutely needs to be some sort of hardware that does this virtual surround processing. I tried the software route first; dolby atmos, Windows sonic for headphones etc, did not change things one bit. I think those things are nothing but fancy gimmicks. Feel free to correct me here.

Today I plugged the headsets to my iPhone 7 via 3.5mm adapter and boy the sound was awesome. Which leads me to think that my on-board motherboard audio (RealTek) is not that great. I feel like I need a sound card, a DAC or an Amp of some sorts.

Which brings me to my question and TL;DR: What soundcard, DAC or AMP do I need that greatly enhances my virtual surround experience in Sennheiser Game One headset? Now that I have made the investment, I can save up for something and get it if will enhance my experience.

I have found Sennheiser GSX 1000 and Creative SoundBlaster Z which may quench my thirst. Anyone had any experiences with these?

I appreciate any input from you knowledgeable audio people.

Thanks!!

CPU Cooler: Buy the Cyrorig H7. It's the best in it's price point at the moment, and looks amazing. You won't need a better cooler for anything unless you want to overclock, which you really don't need to do with a CPU as good as yours.


Video Card: For 1080p@60fps, I would advise the GTX 1060 or the RX 480. Both will crush 60fps at 1080p, but if you want extra future-proofing at a higher price, go for the GTX 1070. The 1060(try for 6GB), and the RX 480(try for 8GB) are excellent cards that will run any modern game well, even at 1440p. The 1070 is even better, but only really needed if you want something like Hairworks for The Witcher 3 or intensive mods for Skyrim.

RAM:Since you have a motherboard with 4 RAM slots, get another 2 4GB sticks of your current RAM and run it in quad channel, 16GB in quad channel is amazing for modern games, although your RAM's speed isn't probably high enough nowadays.

PSU:Upgrade if you want to(I'd advise it), but I won't go advising you on any because PSU's can be so inconsistent. Just try for one above 600w that gets good reviews and few failures, unless you feel OK about your current one.

I know you say the cords bother you, but hear me out.

I have a Sound Blaster Z, which comes with a mic that sits on top of my monitor. I never notice it, and I don't see any wires. I use the Sound Blaster Z to power my Sennheiser 598 headphones.

My setup is expensive, but it is also amazing. There are cheaper alternatives. The Sennheiser 558 headphones are 100 dollars, though you'd still need a small mic like the one that comes with the Sound Blaster Z.

Sennheiser does make headsets. This one is (if i recall correctly) the 558 headphones with a mic attached for you.

If that is also too expensive I can leave you with this advice. Get yourself a pair of open headphones and a mic like the one that comes with the Sound Blaster Z. Open headphones are better for gaming than closed headphones / noise canceling headphones. Open headsets have a much larger "Sound Stage" compared to closed. The "Sound Stage" is how big the area appears to be that the sounds are coming from. Open headsets with large sound stages allow you to better pin-point where a sound is coming from. This allows you to much more easily tell that the footsteps you hear you coming from your 5 o'clock and that player is 20 yards away, for example.

The only time a headset is better closed than open is if you live in a very loud house/apartment, you live in a college dorm and don't want your roommate to hear your games/music, or you plan to use the headset in public at a library or on a bus. If you are buying strictly for gaming, open is the way to go.

Most headsets you can buy at retail shops are closed. This is a trend that started maybe 5-6 years ago when eSports were getting bigger. The pros play in tournaments with closed headsets because they need to block out the sound of the crowd. People want the same gear their favorite pro uses, so suddenly open headsets disappeared from retail shops.

The three Sennheiser products I linked are all open headsets.

I am currently running an AMD Athlon II X3 455, which is a slight step up from the 450 you mention. It isn't a bad processor and it still performs well for me with my 550 ti card, but it's both quite outdated and not too great to begin with.

If it has to be between those processors I would go with the Phenom II X4 925 so you have some sort of longevity, but a newer processor is much better. The AMD FX-6300 is cheaper than the Phenom and should perform substantially better, plus it runs on the AM3+ socket if you have an older motherboard and don't want to upgrade.

If you are willing to purchase a new motherboard and spend a bit more on the processor, the Intel i5-4460 will likely get you even better lasting performance, though this comparison actually marks it as fairly close to the FX-6300, so perhaps it isn't worth the extra money.

I hope I was helpful, good luck with your build!


Edit: Looking at the link provided by /u/Feedel_Casthrow, it seems that the Athlon X3 450 may actually be the better pick, especially considering the cost difference. I would still side with the AMD FX-6300 over either option though.

CPU - Ryzen 5 1600 ($194.99) 

Motherboard - MSI B350 PC MATE ATX AM4 ($88.99)

RAM - Corsair Vengeance LPX 8gb ($92.99)

Storage - Seagate Barracuda 3.5" 2tb ($59.99)

GPU - MSI GTX 1050 Ti ($224.99)

Power Supply - Corsair CXM 550w ($59.99)

OS - Windows 10 64bit ($99.99) 

Wifi - Asus PCE-AC55BT B1 ($34.99)

Card Reader - Rosewill RDCR-11004 ($25.99)

Case - Corsair 200R Mid Tower ($59.99)****


TOTAL: $942.90 (Before Taxes) 

****This case is a placeholder. It works in this build, but I left room for you to choose your own.

Make sure the case is a Mid Tower ATX case, and has at least one 5.25 optical drive bay. 

-------------------
SPECS----

CPU: Ryzen 5 - 1600 (3.2ghz 6 core) 

GPU: GTX 1050ti

RAM: 8gb DDR4

Usb2.0: 8

Usb3.0: 2

Usb3.1: 4

Card Readers: Yes

Disk Drive: No

Wifi: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes (4.0)

HDMI: Yes

Ethernet: Yes

------------------
LINKS----

CPU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNRQHG4/?tag=pcpapi-20


Motherboard: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPM7FSR/?tag=pcpapi-20


RAM: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ARHBBPS/?tag=pcpapi-20


Storage: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IEKG402/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile


GPU: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137055&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=


PowerSupply: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B72W0A2/?tag=pcpapi-20


OS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZSI7Y3U/?tag=pcpapi-20


Wifi: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713RRZMB/?tag=pcpapi-20


Card Reader: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-2-Port-Internal-Connector-RDCR-11004/dp/B007YDJJFS


Case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GXZ8MM/?tag=pcpapi-20

***Oh, and if you need help with how to do it this guy is pretty good.
https://youtu.be/IhX0fOUYd8Q

5820k is still a good CPU no doubt, but it's a couple generation old now. For around the same money, you can get 8700k if you can find one. Even if that's not available, you can also go 7800x, as that's the most recent in the similar lineup. 8700k is the best choise right now though.

Maybe you have the motherboard and the CPU, in which case, just stick with those two and you'll be fine.

And don't aim for 30+ fps at any resolution. I highly suggest aiming for at least 80~100+ fps with that kind of budget. GTX 1080 will do its job just fine.

GPUs have their own VRAM, and GTX 1080 has 8GB on its own. Your 16 GB ram choise is fine, and that's independent of what GPU you go for.

And lastly, get a differernt CPU cooler. I see that Hyper 212 EVO recommended to everyone and their brothers and sisters, but there are better coolers for the same money. I actually hate people going for that one with a budget closing in on $2000. Get a better one. Your budget is not a 600~800 range which would make me understand for that cooler.

Get something at least like this thing for i7 CPUs that can overclock. Better thermals, better acoustics, and better looks. Or you can also choose this if you still want to cheap out on cooling.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | €214.94 @ PC Componentes
Thermal Compound | ARCTIC MX-4 2019 Edition 4 g Thermal Paste | €6.44 @ Amazon Espana
Motherboard | MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX AM4 Motherboard | €145.15 @ PC Componentes
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Elite 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | €101.87 @ Amazon Espana
Storage | Sabrent Rocket 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | €119.99 @ Amazon Espana
Video Card | Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 8 GB PULSE Video Card | €379.89 @ Amazon Espana
Power Supply | Corsair TXM Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply | €74.90 @ Amazon Espana
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €1043.18
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-07 18:35 CET+0100 |

cpu: ryzen 5 3600, best price for performance gaming cpu

cpu cooler: stock cooler is just fine here (no reason to upgrade due to case used so noise shouldn't be a problem)

thermal paste: recommended for all ryzen 3000 series builds, requires removing the stock thermal paste from the cooler

memory: ddr4 3600mhz 16Gb 16 latency, about as good as it gets, anything better is a lot more expensive, ryzen 3000 series benefits from fast memory in gaming

storage: a better than mid-range m.2 1tb ssd, doesn't slow down when over 1/2 full

motherboard: I went with msi b450 gaming pro carbon a premium b450 full atx motherboard that has 8.1 audio, wifi, bluetooth, usb-c, and gigabit lan included. Is fully upgradeable to 3950x. Note: You might have to flash the bios to be ryzen 3000 compatible. This motherboard can be flashed without a cpu. By and large though because of the massive sell rate of AMD products in the last few months this is most likely not necessary (they are being sold with the bios updated now). This is a premium part choice, lower budget considerations are available, but with less features. This is a great motherboard.

videocard: the Amd rx 5700, a 1440p capable video card, can do 4k upscale with a 4k monitor in gaming, can be overclocked to 5700xt performance, here is a video series with the 5700. Although Red Dead Redemption 2 is an extremely demanding game (and poorly optimized currently) this gpu and cpu combo should produce 60+ frames at near ultra settings in 1440p. 1080p is probably your current monitor configuration though, and it should max ultra playable at that resolution.

power supply: a gold rated (very power efficient), 550 watts(plenty of watts), semi-modular (some cables detach for easy building), five year warranty

fine to reuse the case: if you want some nice quality additional case fans, here is a suggestion for a 5 pack.

If you have a full version of windows you can use it on the new motherboard. If not I suggest a new oem windows 10 pro disk with code for about 30 euros. This will be a one computer license that will be bound to the motherboard.

Earlier this year I helped someone with a Spanish build, and did a side by side assembly next to PCComponentes. The cost and build quality was the same. So if you want to have it assembled through PCComponentes then the price will be about the same +30 euros for the assembly. If you need help with PCComponentes let me know and I'll do a build through them.

Let me know if you have any questions!

> Some of the studies are looking at reaching trajectories

As in, the trajectory of a hand reaching for something? Is this at normal, everyday speed, or are you looking for something like a boxer to give it their best shot & swing as fast as they can? Because that's one niche use case where Lighthouse outperforms Constellation - super fast movement tracking.

Given the camera nature of the Rift's Constellation tracking system (720p 60 Hz global shutter cameras with IR filters), super fast movements can cause tracking errors as the movement becomes too fast for the sampling rate to keep up. In this, Lighthouse has a better capacity for these fast movements as the total sampling rate of the sweeping lasers exceeds the sampling rate of Constellation's cameras, and in Lighthouse the controllers & the headsets are the receivers; they aren't outputting signals mid-movement like Constellation (where there are IR LEDs scattered across the tracked objects) so there's no equivalent to the IR LEDs output getting smeared across a single sample frame of the camera.

That said, we're talking fast here, this guy isn't having any issues landing his hits accurately, nor is this guy. However there was a thing about a climbing game a long time ago where the dev ran into issues with Rift because the whole game was about holding your hands up high & bringing them down with as much force as you could muster, which could send people off in the wrong direction as the Constellation tracking had a hiccup from the super fast motion.

On the other hand, speaking purely technically, hard-measurably, but not humanly observable, movements in anything but these super-speeds will likely be more accurate on Rift, compared to both Lighthouse 1.0 & 2.0, given the purely stationary nature of the external side of the tracking system. In a lab setting, you can tailor the camera setup to the needs of the test as well. If you were measuring smaller ranges of movement & had the 2 sensors that come in the box placed a meter apart & a meter from the test subject, the accuracy & low jitter..y..ness? would likely far exceed anything you could achieve with Lighthouse. Add a third sensor to that and have them in a triangle some ~1,5m away from the test subject, you'd probably be hard pressed to measure any statistically significant deviations in tracking at all. Add a fourth sensor, buy a high-performance USB expansion card, set them up surrounding the test subject in decently close proximity, and you honestly might not even need that Optotrak. Set a 4 sensor config up with them in a half circle in front of the test subject, and, well.. That'd be an interesting benchmark of the tracking system, and I suspect you'd be pleasantly surprised.

A while back someone wrote a piece of software to measure tracking deviations/jitter. They made it for Vive users as jitter was a bit of an issue for them back then, but they posted it on r/oculus to get comparative data. Figured you might find the numbers interesting, even if there are a ton of variables unaccounted for between all different user setups: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/4nezq5/looking_for_someone_to_run_the_vive_jitter_test

Since R9 270 serves well for gaming, for that budget you can nail an G3258 plus an H81-B85-H97 motherboard, FX-4100 is a pretty "old" chip and may be an slightly bottleneck.

At most, you can get:

GPU

Green Side: EVGA GTX 960 starting at $200 dls may be an 25-35% faster than your current GPU.

Red Side: R9 280X Vapor X Same story, but performs a little better than the GTX 960.

CPU

]Blue side:] One of the best performers is the G3258 it's a Haswell unlocked chip, you can get this little monster up to 4,2 ghz easily with the proper cooling, also to note you need a new motherboard for this chip, ANY ASUS branded board (H81, B85, H97, Z97) is able to overclock unlocked mutiplier chips since last year i think, it from $69-89
one of the best price-performance chip, don't get fooled by the "Pentium name".

Red Side: FX-6300, a bit "old" but also one of the best price/performance chips, it doesn't even bottlenecks a top tier card. And you won't need to change you Motherboard.

So: ($69 G3258 - $55 ASUS H81-M ) If you go Intel side, so you'll left $174 for the gpu

and for the red side FX-6300 and spare $198 for gpu

It can be another model, there's nothing inherently wrong with mixing and matching brands and models as long as they're of a size configuration that your computer supports. I think most people generally like to keep their fans consistent, but that's mostly an aesthetic thing. If you want to stick with the same fan model that came with the case, the fan that comes mountaed on the front of the Meshify C is this one: http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/casefans/dynamic-series/dynamic-x2-gp-12. The case can support up to 3 120mm front fans, so you could add two more on the front with little difficulty.

One point to consider if you're thinking of adding a bunch of fans is that past a certain point your mobo may not have enough sys_fan connectors to support all of them. This is easily fixed, though, by getting either a fan controller or however many fan splitter cables you may need to get easy inputs for all of your fans (I used https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Sleeved-Splitter-CPF01/dp/B00B46XKKQ on one of my builds and it worked well enough).

A 780 is a pretty beefy graphics card that can handle almost anything thrown at it, including WoW. I've never played WoW, so I can't speak from first hand experience, but I would be shocked if that card had issues running 1080p 60fps on ultra.

Given that you already have the GPU and don't need an OS, your budget is more than ample enough to build a high quality rig.

Do you live near a microcenter? If so, here is a link to their current catalog. They are renowned for having excellent deals on hardware.

A couple links to consider:

• i5-4690k - $180
  
• ASRock Z97 Anniversary Edition mobo - $55 (if bundled w/ CPU)
  
• Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB RAM - $80
  
• WD Green 1TB HDD - $67
  
• Corsair CX500 500W PSU - $60 ($40 w/ mail in rebate)
  
• Corsair 200R case (on Amazon) - $50
  
  Total: $492
  
  If you can fit an SSD like the Crucial MX100 ($73 @ microcenter), it is a glorious addition. Super quick boot and load times.
  
  EDIT:
  Found a better deal on the CX500 on Newegg - $50, plus a $20 prepaid visa card
  
  Also some cheaper G.SKILL RAM on Newegg as well - $58

If you want to keep future proofing more open ended, you definitely want to be on an 1150 socket board. AM3+ is effectively EOL. If you don't mind spending the extra $20 for an i3 I think you would be very happy with the performance. How would you feel about something like this?:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor | $114.29 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $51.34 @ Amazon
Memory | Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $33.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $53.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card | $129.99 @ Amazon
Case | Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $24.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Antec 450W ATX Power Supply | $34.99 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $443.58
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-22 00:23 EDT-0400 |

i3

appropriate socket motherboard, additional $10 MIR

cheaper GPU with similar performance, additional $20 MIR

cheaper case, matx to match motherboard. The Elite 430 is overpriced for what you get, at the least you could get something nicer for the same price like the Source 210 or Corsair 200R(if you go with the 200R you'll want to change the motherboard to something with USB 3.0 front panel like this)

It is not a case of how many USB 3 ports you have, but what the USB bandwidth load is: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-balancing-bandwidth-on-usb/

You can use a USB 2 for one of the cameras in smaller tracked volumes, but you really need USB 3 for everything for around 9+sq m.

Three cameras will do OK with less than 9sq m but 4 is an advantage when approaching the limits of what volume the Rift can reliably track. From my personal testing around 17.5sq m seems to be about the Rift limit, in ideal circumstances, personally I think reliable stable performance is a good bit below that.

There are some great VR HOTAS experiences, like Elite Dangerous, so if you find you need it then an additional USB card is well worth the investment, just go with something like this, which is known to work: https://www.amazon.com/Express-SuperSpeed-Adapter-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S/

Yeah thats a good case. I actually have one of those, except its the usb 2 not 3 version which is cheaper, and haven't had any problems with it, but something like this, this, or this might be a little better. They are all good so really just pick which one looks best or would fit all of your parts best.

I ended up getting the Hyper 212 Plus because I read some reviews that said it was quieter than the Evo. I've never had an Evo, so I have no basis of comparison, but I just installed the Plus last night, and it was definitely quieter all day today than the stock cooler I took out of there.

On a separate but related note - I have a quad monitor setup, with 2 GPUs, 3770k, and WD Black, so my office gets pretty hot. The old fan I was using to cool the room was too loud for me to keep it on when having meetings on Skype. So I ordered a Vornado 660. On the lowest setting, it keeps me nice and cool, and is damn near silent, even from up close. So quiet in fact, that after I bought it, that's when I decided to replace the stock CPU cooler, as that was then the loudest thing in the room. So, I definitely recommend that Vornado - worth every penny.

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

Everyone here is saying all the right things but I'm writing my own comment to further emphasize the comments regarding learning C and playing with an arduino. It is true embedded systems touches upon many topics as listed by captain_wiggles but a lot of what he's saying is overkill at this point for you.

i don't know how hard it is to get arduino stuff in ghana, but there exists arduino starter kits that comes with basically everything you need to get started. here's an example of what i'm talking about. Arduino Starter Kit

get your hands on one of these kits, watch a ton of arduino tutorials on youtube and learn C/embedded systems at the same time. you can get a feel of how much you like embedded systems or if you have misunderstood any of it in literally 2 weeks of just casually playing around with it.

if it's something you like, then dig deeper and choose two years of coursework relevant to embedded systems.

as a side comment that's meant to encourage you in your pursuit and not to discount the complexity/difficulty of embedded systems, but embedded systems is in my humble opinion one of the easier sectors to get into and also the most fun. the hardware/software is not as complex as x86 microprocessor and you can get a lot done very quickly.

tldr: just get an arduino starter kit and watch youtube tutorials as a summer project. if you like it then come back and ask more questions.

edit: You can learn Arduino in 15 minutes.

EVGA Bronze 500W PSU. $56 as I type this. If you want cheaper, here's the same Bronze supply but with a 'fluid dynamic' fan bearing which probably is noisier. $46. Both of these supplies come with a 3 year warranty.


I hear only great things about EVGA's customer support. If you want to step up to their bulletproof line, the 550W G2 Supernova is a fantastic PSU but doesn't come in under your price range. I have the 850W G2 supply and I love it.

https://www.amazon.com/CRYORIG-H7-Tower-Cooler-Intel/dp/B00S7YA5FQ

Can't tell you why it says preorder I bought mine from amazon and it's been out since last year but yea amazon has it for 35 which is what I paid for it. To give some context on its efficiency my cpu at idle sits at 25-30c which is amazing. When under a heavy load like watching a stream and playing a triple A title game at max settings I haven't seen it get past 60c which is super amazing.

If you do have the money now I would pull the trigger on this build its very solid. If you only have enough to get a few parts now and the rest in a couple weeks immediately get the 1070 because that will be the first thing out of all those parts to go out of stock. I've been watching the 1070/1080 stock get demolished as soon as a store has some.

No, that PC is not enough to run Rust.
I see your budget appears to be very low, I'll give you a better suggestion.
At your price range, I'd suggest buying an older prebuilt, (sometimes colleges give their old PC's away for ridiculously cheap prices. You might be able to snag one there) but I'll give you a link to Amazon for one.
I would get this as it has an older I5, which even given its age, should do fine for Rust, and then upgrade it to suit your needs.
You also want 16GB of RAM if possible. The game has frequent stuttering on 8GB or even 12GB
This would probably be a good option, overclock it if possible
You're going to need a GPU. If you want to play it safe and go brand new. An RX 580 would be just fine for playing this game, hell you could probably do fine with a worse GPU. They regularly go on sale for under $200. $200 should be the absolute maximum you buy this card for.
If you have to go used, I'd suggest a GTX 770 if you want to save a bit of cash. The card should also be just fine for Rust, I'd try to snag anything used from the U.S to reduce the odds of being scammed (It's a huge business in cards made in the China area, unfortunately)
The last thing you will need is a new Power Supply, as the one that comes with the prebuilt sucks.

This Specific Power Supply should do you just fine. EVGA makes some of the best stuff out there when it comes to a power supply.

​


If you don't feel qualified to do any of the modifications to the PC required, just look up how to do it. There are plenty of great guides out there for that sort of thing. Shoot me a DM if you want to know anything else.

So I'd do two things right off. Install some temperature monitoring software like hwmonitor or openhardwaremonitor (both are free and lightweight). Start it up, check your temps, then yank the fan (you can just disconnect the wire from the motherboard while it's running, no harm). Then watch the temperatures, preferably while you do audio stuff on the computer. It's entirely possible that the very loud fan is doing less for the temps than you think. It's also possible that that's not the fan making the noise.

If it is that fan and disconnecting it makes an unacceptable difference in temperature, Noctura makes very quiet 120mm fans for not a lot of money. Other common culprits would be GPU fans (almost always loud, and unnecessary in audio workstations) and sometimes CPU fans. If you're overclocking and the cpu fan is loud, go back to a stock clock and see if the fan gets quieter.

There's a lot to say about keeping PCs quiet, but that'd at least be a start. I'd definitely start with just yanking that fan and see what happens, might be you can get some peace and quiet for free.

If you want a quick and more expensive solution, check out Fractal Design cases. They're nicely soundproof with quiet fans and can be had fairly cheaply on sale.

Thanks :-)
I get to combine my two hobbies - electronics and aquariums, which is awesome.

FYI electronics is a great hobby as it doesn't cost a lot to get into and there's loads of help out there. If you are ever interested I highly recommend buying an Arduino starter kit like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01D8KOZF4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494889424&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=arduino+starter+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=615S0N50XHL&ref=plSrch

And having a play :-)

For 20$ you should get a cooler master hyper 212+, it has a bigger fan (120mm vs. 92) and will easily allow you to reach the max "on air" overclock of that chip. The stock heatsink will easily allow 3.4 GHZ, possibly more. throw in a coolermaster 4 pack of 120mm case fans, put one on the other side of the hyper 212+, and three in the case. all your cooling needs taken care of for 30$ shipped

for 30$ you might as well get 2x4GB ram. these ones are great

the case and psu are good quality, though you can get the antec bp550w, which is modular, for 10$ more.

170$ for that video card seems pretty standard, with 140$ being even better if you get the rebate to come through.

Reading reviews of that mobo, it seems that the compatible ram list is pretty small, and ram issues seem to happen a lot to that board. in the 100$ range there are several am3+ mobo's which would fit your needs. I suggest going with one that has 2 pci-e x16 slots and runs them at (x16, x8) in crossfire or sli. the one you currently have is x16,x4 which will give less performance if you sli/crossfire down the road. if you don't think you'll crossfire, don't worry about that.

• The H7 won't be enough to sustain heavy overclocking on a 7700k. Consider a $46 Scythe Fuma when it goes back in stock (or from eBay)? That thing outperforms almost every other boxed cooler on the market right now for a very good price.
  
  
• You'll need a bios update to use that motherboard with a Kaby Lake CPU. That's not an overclocking motherboard either, though it'll be perfectly adequate for casual overclocking. I'd probably be looking at an ASRock Z270 Extreme 4 or Gigabyte Aorus k5 or k7 for budget overclocking and aesthetics.
  
  
• The MSI Armor cards don't have backplates, so the back of the card (the part that you actually see most of the time) will just be a blank PCB. You might want to consider an EVGA FTW or ASUS Strix for a good-looking back. GPU's are a part you could probably save $50 or so on by using Jet.com instead of Amazon.
  
  
• Cases are very much down to aesthetics, but you can get very nice tempered glass cases for less than that Corsair thing. At your price point and with your aesthetics, I'd probably be looking at an Enthoo Evolv.
  
  
• That PSU isn't going to help you with overclocking. Get a G2/G3, RMx, Seasonic, etc. If you're serious about overclocking or longevity. This is a part you can potentially save ~$20 on with Newegg.
  
  
• You don't need a wifi card that nice. Most people don't even have home internet fast enough to fully use a card like that. If you really need wifi, it might be cheaper to just get a motherboard that has it out of the box.
  
  
• Those are static pressure fans, not designed for case airflow. If you want more case fans, consider a value pack of Arctic F12's. They're probably the most acoustically efficient unrestricted airflow fan at low speeds, which is what you want for case fans.
  

Cases are really a matter of preference, the companies that I recommend are Cooler Master, Corsair, Fractal Design and NZXT. As long it supports ATX mother boards you will be fine.

I'll recommended 2,
The first one: Corsair 200r, not flashy but high quality and a great price.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16811352020&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile-_-pla-_-Computer+Cases-_-N82E16811352020&gclid=CjwKEAiA-5-kBRDylPG5096R8mASJABqEdm4yKexU2p0ldX1CGv-9IKLUOuTNnk6LdJigDit-nieNBoCxBDw_wcB


The second is the Fractal Design Define R4 also great case but more at the end of the budget.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Compact-CC-9011023-WW/dp/B009GXZ8MM

Anyway choose what you like and good luck building.

It's this. It was recommended on this page. I wanted to be absolutely certain I got flawless tracking, so opted for a dedicated USB 3.0 controller for each port, so there wasn't any chance of running into a bandwidth limitation. Also wanted all three of the sensors to be running at USB 3.0, whereas they recommend plugging one of the three into USB 2.0 otherwise (again, due to bandwidth limitations under one controller).

I don't doubt you could have a flawless experience without it, but I wanted to make damn well certain that it would be plug-and-play goodness from the start, given my history of building up expectations and ultimately being disappointed.

EDIT: Forgot to answer your last question. It was actually just the "First Contact" demo thing that you start out with the learn the controls. This the realism and accuracy of the controls, and interacting with the environment in such a natural manner was just amazing. I went and played through it again this evening. The other games I've tried (SuperHot and RoboRecall are really, really good as well, it's just that was the first one, and the environmental interaction is really cool).

Yeah definitely no bottlenecks to worry about! On the USB ports, I'm pretty confident in saying that if the Oculus utility isn't throwing errors at you then you're good there. It is pretty sensitive to incompatibilities.

At work but I think I remember my settings for comparison. Pretty sure I use hmd graphics settings on medium and supersampling at like 1.3 with antialiasing off. It runs buttery smooth with the rare graphical hitch here and there. Another trick worth looking into with the rift is that if you tweak the HUD colors to a primarily green scheme, you will get a slightly better effective resolution on the text due to the Samsung pentile displays used. It's not a lot, bit it's noticeable and worth the downsides of changing HUD colors.

Ref: R7 1800X; 16GB@3200; EVGA 1080ti SC2 at stock clocks.

Edit: also relavent, I do have all my rift USB plugs going through one of these.

Glad I helped.

Your temperatures seem to be completely safe. 71 degrees is absolutely fine for your components, and you shouldn't worry about it. You should only be concerned if temperatures start exceeding 75-80 degrees.

As /u/Dyzleksi suggested, you could move the PC out of the furniture if you have room. This most likely will make the PC slightly cooler, and therefore a little quieter. If you want to make a huge difference to noise and heat, there are many options for cheap but quality fans:

You should start with a CPU cooler like this. This is one of the most popular ones on the market, I have one myself and it is silent.

Any aftermarket case fans will typically do the job much more effectively and quietly. Noctua is a good choice, as is Corsair. If you aren't willing to spend that much, cheaper options will also be a large improvement.

Bear in mind that case fans greatly affect overall performance. How many case fans do you currently have? (These are the fans attached to the case itself, not to components.) Most cheaper cases come with only 1 fan on the front (intake). You should install at least 1 more on the rear or top of the case as exhaust, for a total of 1 intake and 1 exhaust fan.

Grounding should not affect the temperatures or cooling at all. It is a precaution you can take while handling the components to avoid damaging them with static electricity. Many people (myself included) do not bother with grounding and get on just fine. In future, though, you should tap a metal object such as the side panel of the PC before touching any hardware.

If you have any more questions, I'm always here to help.

Thermalright's TY-127s fill every checkmark on your list. Great fan by a great manufacturer. I think they are only available in Europe though.

Phantek also has some good black/white ones as well. Also could be worth checking out gentle typhoons though I think those are gray rather than white.

If you're want something a bit cheaper you can actually get a five pack black/white arctic f12s which are pwm. Amazing value here.. They are legit good fans.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a pro, hopefully you will get some other responses from wiser HT builders.

I would suggest looking at these suggested builds (from this sub reddit's sidebar), might help visualize the pros and cons. Have you ever built a PC before? If not go over to /r/buildapc! Great community! It's not hard at all, I have built three! 730 is good! 6 or 8 ram will be better, but not vital. My first pc has an i3. Just depends on how many cores you want. I would suggest the new "hot" item right now, AMD's FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor. Of course this requires a motherboard that will support AMD CPUs. What's your budget? Hope I helped! :)


Edit: Use PC Part Picker!! I didn't know it existed till I upgraded my PC a couple of years ago. So helpful! You can compare prices from stores, make sure parts are atleast some what compatible, and making & comparing multiple builds and parts! They also have guides, tips and tricks, etc!

The cooler you chose doesn't appear to be 1155 compatible; I'd recommend the other Cooler Master cooler.

$200 is a bit much for a system at this budget level. This is a much more reasonably priced SLI MB.

You can get a much faster Spinpoint F3 for the same price.

For that kind of money, you can get a much better case, like a Lian Li Lancool, Antec Dark Fleet DF-10 -- or use that money saved on the motherboard to bump up to a HAF 922, NZXT Whisper, a CM690 II Advanced, Thermaltake Armor, Dark Fleet FD-30, or a higher-grade Lian Li.

Corsair's CX series power supplies have a mixed reputation. For that price range, I'd recommend something like an XFX Core Edition. But we'd still have money left over after switching to that MSI board and getting a better case. So you can just get a nicer Corsair if you like, or take advantage of a July 4th sale and get this Antec HCG for $55 after a rebate and promo code EMCKCKJ43.

I also agree about bumping that video card up to a 560 Ti.

Checkout:

• https://www.serverbuilds.net/
  
• /r/JDM_WAAAT
  
  The build above is more expensive than I would spend for a home media server, but everyone has a different budget. You might want to consider alternatives to some parts that are just as good, but cheaper. For example, do you really need those noctua 120mm fans? You can get a 5 pack of Arctic fans for $27 and do just as good a job cooling. There are other things you could do without or find cheaper alternatives for. Below are a couple of things that jumped out at me:
  
  I'm not sure about the 10 gb ethernet adapters. I get your desire to link your PC, but check to see what other bottlenecks you have and if the 10 gb adapters will do anything (e.g. hard drive / ssd read and write speeds).
  
  While we are talking storage, I always try to challenge peoples assumptions that they need RAID. RAID is not a backup solution. RAID is about up-time. RAID is not easy to expand. For media storage you might be better off using a pooling solution like mergerfs or stablebit drivepool.
  
  Is the ethernet cable going outside? If not, then you don't need the direct burial / waterproof cable.
  
  The netgear switch seems unnecessary if you only have two devices with 10gbe and you can connect them directly.
  
  The rosewill drive cages are nice, but if you don't need hot swap you can save ~$80 by switching to Norco 5 x 3.5" HDD Hard Drive Cage.

Really nice find! I'm assuming your computer is already bluetooth compatible?

If not, at least for me and others on the PSMoveService Google group, (Great place to ask questions and get help with troubleshooting) you have to have a bluetooth adapter to get the PSMove controllers to pair to your computer.

(I suggest this bluetooth adapter which is used by myself and others for the PSMove controllers)

(Don't forget that first time setup requires a micro USB cable for first time paring)

If so, just be aware that the Playstation Eye takes up a lot of USB bandwidth and you have to plan out where you plug in your devices very carefully for them to all track at the full 60fps.

I'd suggest downloading something like USBTreeView before starting as this will allow you to check your USB root hubs when plugging in your cameras and possibly bluetooth adapter.

Some things to keep in mind when setting this up are:

Try to isolate your cameras away from other high bandwidth devices on the same USB root hub, considering we're using an HMD with an IR camera that also takes up a lot of bandwidth so remember that too.

(This is what my USBTreeView looks like, make sure that your cameras are on USBs with the little H next to them meaning their high-speed.

("USB Composite Device - Camera" is the IR camera)

("ASUS USB-BT400" Is the bluetooth adapter)

"USB Composite Device - Audio, Camera" Is the Playstation Eye)

Most of the time the most cameras you'll be able to get away with are 2 cameras on one motherboard and the front panel USB connections included, unless you buy a PCI/PCI-E USB expansion card for more USBs and root hubs.

(PSMoveService reccomends the Inateck PCI-E to USB 3.0 5-Port

Most likely the controllers you bought were part of the older batches which were manufactured around 5-6 years ago when they first came out, so be sure to check the batteries and you can buy replacements here. (Although you have to open the controller up to access them)

Some of the newer controllers which were released with PSVR have their magnetometers disabled which are used for orientation in PSMoveService so be weary of that if their from the latest batch.

In conclusion, just follow videos like these (This and this) (You can just follow the PSMoveService portion of it) and for troubleshooting either resort to the comments of those videos, the offical Github documentation, post back here and I can try to help, or post in the Google group for help.

Aside from everything else good luck on setting it up and please excuse any grammatical errors you see in this post, it's over 3160 letters long.

I am currently a physics student, and I need to code a fair bit. If you want to start coding, especially as a way to build tech skills for a job, you could buy yourself an Arduino. These little microcontrollers are nice because you can use a combination of electronics and software to interact with the physical world. One of the biggest difficulties of getting people interested in coding is that it all feels so meaningless when you start. It can be tough to learn things that are actually practical.

Buying an Arduino solves this (somewhat) by letting you build a physical object right away, and they are extremely powerful. You can just Google "cool Arduino projects" and you'll get a zillion hits. The community is fantastic and welcoming, there a zillion tutorials for beginners online, and everything is open source. There's really not enough good stuff to say about it. For you personally, another benefit would be you learn the coding skills AND electrical technical skills for a job.

I would recommend starting with this Arduino clone starter kit from Amazon. One project I saw basically made cocktails for you. Just tell it what you want and it mixes the appropriate amount of each ingredient. Point is the possibilities are endless and you can build technical skills along the way.

I honestly get so excited by this stuff, so feel free to PM me if you are curious about more stuff.

You can save $5 by grabbing your mobo and OS together. Alternatively, buy it from Superbiiz along with your HDD and use the coupon code CHEERS to get $20 off the order.

Save yourself some more and grab the Hyper 212+ or Corsair A70. If you're buying your CPU from Newegg, grab the i5/A70 combo.

You can save yourself some money by grabbing a nice 8GB RAM kit and 6870 combo.

If you're dropping that much on a case, you might as well grab the nicer Antec P280.

Your PSU is overpriced. You can save money and get a better PSU with this FSP Aurum.

Lastly, if you really want to save some more, you can cut out the CD drive and install your OS with a flash drive.

Bit dark of a photo but the red looks very nice as a theme. I too use an MSI 1070 and went with Fourth Level Manufacturing's brace on amazon - Atlas Graphics Card Brace Support - 19 bucks retail
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DQK7DDW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like there out of stock at the moment but i got one for a discount recently and installed, as they didnt know if it would fit a 1070 as they said they couldnt get there hands on one themselves. It fits great, price is very good.. i'm only concerned if i can keep it in my case if i get a 2nd 1070 once the prices drops haha..

My own install can be seen @ http://imgur.com/tjilazh Thanks!

Just like everyone else is saying you should wait to see what 3rd gen Ryzen has to offer before making a purchasing decision on a new CPU. Rumor has it 3rd gen ryzen is going to get another core count increase and significant boost to clock speeds so its worth holding off til then. With regards to your GPU you mentioned its starting to give out on you? I assume its out of warrenty by now so that is why you are looking at getting a new GPU.

In the interest of value i would seriously avoid the RTX 2060. The GTX 1660ti is looking like a good value proposition currently and if i had to pick between the 1660ti or the 2060 i would go for the 1660ti. On the other hand you could consider getting an RX 580 8GB. This one on Amazon is only $189.99 and should perform a bit better compared to the RX 480. (assuming you were satisfied with the current performance of the 480) https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-1386MHz-Graphics-RX-580P8DFD6/dp/B06Y66K3XD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=385DKW1HZJU1A&keywords=rx+580+8gb&qid=1550951906&s=gateway&sprefix=rx+580%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-3

Your motherboard seems to have a wide variety of options as far as USB-ports go. See if you can spread your sensors and headset so that you don't have two sensors/headset on one channel. I advise you to put your headset in the USB 2.0 port. Your channels are as follows (based on your motherboard's website, which I found here):

• Intel® X99 chipset :
  4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s) (4 at mid-board)
  
• Intel® X99 chipset :
  6 x USB 2.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, black, 4 at mid-board)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
  2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(s) (2 at back panel, black, USB Type-CTM)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
  2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(s) (2 at back panel, red, Type-A)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.0 controller :
  4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s) (4 at back panel, blue)
  
  Be aware that PCIe cards you've installed (if any) also affect these ports, disabling or sharing power. Follow my link to the website and look at the bottom for the explanation on which. If you haven't installed anything (besides the graphics card in the first slot), you don't need to worry about it.
  
  As for your express cards, you have:
  
  
• 4 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16, x16/x16, x16/x8/x8, x16/x8/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8 mode with 40-LANE CPU; x16, x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8 mode with 28-LANE CPU)
  
• 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4
  
• 1 x PCIe 2.0 x1
  
  Unless you've gone for a really expensive CPU, my assumption is that you have a 28-Lane CPU, not that it matters here. You have a x4 slot available (unless you've installed something yourself in that slot) for the best USB expansion card, and if you do buy one, my recommendation is this one. Install the windows 10 drivers (plug and play, basically), because the website's is not up to date. Works brilliantly, and each USB-port has its own full-powered channel. Put all Rift USBs in the card and never think about power-issues again. ;)
  
  If my explanation was a bit on the heavy side, don't worry. It's easier than it sounds. Briefly put, try splitting USB-devices so that they don't share power with others where possible (the list above has an explanation for where these ports are). If that's not good enough, buy a USB expansion card and put it in the x4 slot (shown in your manual as PCIEX4_1 on page 1-7. I looked).
  
  Disabling power-saving in Device Manager, like I mentioned in my earlier comment, might help with your current dis/connect-sound issues, as does driver-updates. I experienced the same.
  
  I wish you the best of luck and feel free to ask again if you have questions or need clarifications. There are people quite a bit more skilled than I here, though, who might be able to advise you further.
  

I just did a similar thing, but am running Ubuntu instead.

Get the Ryzen 1600 and not the 1600X.

Some AM4 motherboards have BIOS issues with the new AMD Hardware. This gets fixed in Kernal 4.10/4.11. Check where Qubes OS is! And I'll star this for importance***

May I recommend the Phantek Enthoo Pro M?
http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Pro-M.html
^I am truly astounded by the case vs. cost.

Might I add that the Ryzen 1600 comes with a CPU Cooler?
https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Cooler-YD1600BBAEBOX/dp/B06XNRQHG4
Effectively, this saves you $64.
The Phantek Case you $20(ish)
EVGA makes significantly cheaper PSU's (save $30)

But as others have said....getting the 1600X is like throwing money away.... If you're running Linux like I am, the CPU is PLENTY powerful.

you've got a good start, there are a couple of easy upgrades you could make to optimize your build.

you can upgrade your hard drive to a samsung f3 1TB for $5, and you could upgrade your graphics card to a GTX 560 for $20. both of those upgrades are worth it, and neither costs alot.

if you're planning on overclocking your 2500K, i would definitely add a CPU cooler like the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus. even if you're not overclocking, it's a good upgrade to keep your system's temperature down.

Don't forget to get a optical drive, especially if you plan on installing your OS from a disc. this is a cheap read/write drive, however if you want to play blu-rays; you'll need something like this. but you won't be able to burn discs with that drive.

if you're looking to save some money, you won't need 8GB of RAM unless you plan on dealing with large/complex files. 4GB is plenty for gaming. if you're going to be doing heavy video/photo/vector/3D editing, then 8GB is worth it. However; RAM is cheap right now; 8GB is no longer unreasonable for average users.

If you want to connect to a wireless connection, you'll need an adapter

don't forget your peripherals! unless you already own them, you'll need a keyboard, mouse and monitor.

you'll also need an OS; newegg carries all versions of windows 7. they have a good deal on 64-bit home premium OEM. I don't recommend getting a 32-bit operating system, 64-bit systems can emulate a 32-bit OS to run any 32-bit applications you may need. it is possible to install apple software, but it is a legal gray area. consult /r/hackintosh for more information.

have fun building, let me know how it goes!

Get This instead of that current CPU. This is cheaper and will actually give good performance during games. Look at the reviews.

The rest looks good, but use the money saved from the CPU to buy a better GPU. Maybe this (again, look at the reviews, the second one down especially.)

EDIT: Just realised you're below his budget currently :P Put all the left over money into a better and better GPU until it reaches the desired price.


Hope I helped.

Good choice on the cpu. It is fantastic for gaming but you are paying for the K at the end.

You probably know already, but if you do not, intel's K series have an unlocked core multiplier meaning you can easily over clock them.

But in order to do so safely, you will need an aftermarket cooler. I suggest the CM-212 Plus. If you don't plan on the overclock, the locked core i5-2500 saves you a little bit.

I have that ram, and its great but if i did it again I would go with something like Crucial Ballistix which have better timings.

And finally, I would highly suggest the crucial m4 of Plextor m3 instead of the corsair.

EDIT: Here is my go-to $600USD list which might equate to around the price you are looking for.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor | $116.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | $102.55 @ Newegg
Memory | Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $41.99 @ Amazon
Hard Drive | Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $118.99 @ eCost
Video Card | XFX Radeon HD 6870 2GB Video Card | $179.99 @ Newegg
Case | Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply | $34.98 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | $645.48

From the looks of this thread things are figured out, but I thought i'd throw in my 2¢

You definitely need a PCI card. I have Oculus' recommended Inateck one - others have had success with this card which provides a controller for each port - useful if you want more than 2 sensors someday.

I run 2 sensors on the Inateck, and headset on Mobo.

USB bandwidth is a big deal for Oculus, so I don't recommend running more than the two sensors off the Inateck card.

A powered hub will not end up helping you here, as you'll be bottlenecking all of the information to a single port.

Something else that can be helpful - the vive breakout box is fully compatible with the rift. You need to buy your own power supply, male-male USB3.0 and HDMI cables - but it will make sure the headset gets consistent power from an external source. It's also nice so you don't rip your PC down/headset off tripping over a cable.

this only relates to general use and gaming for me because i dont know the kind of equipment people who create music or work with audio actually need.

my answer would be it depends on your situation and what you need from your sound card. i had a logitech z5500 system forever now i've switched to their newer z906 setup. both of these sound systems can accept dolby true surround and thats usually a crapshoot with onboard audio. if you have a more simple or non dolby based sound system you would probably be fine with on board audio. also if you use a headset for the most part, especially a USB headset, you will likely be fine with on board audio.

i bought a sound blaster z for my new build because i didnt want to fiddle with on board attempting to output dolby true surround and probably end up with upscaled stereo anyways, but more importantly i needed something with optical in and out so i can hook up my consoles to my PC line in and still hopefully get dolby surround from those. i will say the dolby integration with this sound card is better and easier to use than any on board audio i've had in the past, but these two things are specific requirements that you might not need.

i also wouldve been perfectly fine using on board audio and aux cables for everything but i'd be listening to simulated surround and my consoles would be stereo only, to me and with this system it made a difference to buy one.

What are you hoping to do with it? I definitely going with an AMD processor with that price range, as you'll get a better bang for your buck. If you want a lot of processing power, and don't need a super fancy motherboard, I'd recommend this: http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-6-Core-Processor/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427230753&sr=8-1&keywords=AMD+cpu

Along with this motherboard: http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-Corp-760GM-P23-FX/dp/B005SEB336/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427230780&sr=1-3&keywords=am3%2B+socket+motherboard

Let me know what you're looking for, and I'd love to help you out! I build computers for a living, so I'd love to help :). You could also go to http://www.facebook.com/vipertechcomputerservices, and I'll definitely see any messages there. Thanks! :D

So i made an alternate pcpartpicker list for you that is more focused on intel. the 9600k is much better for gaming than 2700x, just keep that in mind (Despite it having less cores)

Here are my thoughts. Just know im a little biased towards intel over ryzen at this budget

would you consider a slightly faster processor. My build was the same except I got a 9700k with a noctua nh-d15

the 9700k will make your computer much more upgradeable in the future and you wont have to rebuild as often


Other notes: Powersupply is def too expensive

if you are student try and see if you can get student version of office. all you need is a .edu address

Big One: CHECK AMAZONWAREHOUSE for used monitors. A lot of times they run the used price -20% of base price of total monitor after you put it in shopping cart. i got ASUS ROG PG279Q for like 280 on there. the ASUS ROG PG279Q does not have that special deal right now but another 1440p 144hz+ monitor might.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00N2L5CXO/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

for monitor you picked on amazon used deals (there is no special 20% off on that monitor right now)

Ram: Your RAM is massively overkill but it is a good choice for 2700x.. Only get that RAM if you get an AMD. I still would recommend 9700k or 9600k imo over that, but i am biased towards intel so keep that in mind. just remmeber you can save some money on ram if you get intel. Also, I only have 8 gb of ram and it works fine with my build and things i do (Gaming)

-That motherboard seems a bit pricey for ryzen, but I dont really know about ryzen boards. I just know that htey are generally cheaper than intel boards and that MB is running hte same price as my intel board

-don't get that cooler. just use stock cooler. I think someone else already said it but the stock cooler is fine with ryzen. only get a cooler for ryzen if you get a good one

Note: power supplies are really cheap on amazon warehouse right now

check out used version of this power supply
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKDETOW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&psc=1#

it is much higher quality and is same price as your power supply but is

Overall pick this build if you are primarily gaming imo

Hello again Oolon,

I managed to snag the monitor you suggested me for 600$ (150$ cheaper)! Glad I waited. Thank you again for the suggesting me this build! However, I wasn't able to catch any significant price drop for the Radeon RX 580. Do you believe it will become cheaper?

However, some other graphic cards such as the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce® GTX 1070 are having insane 75% price drops. Have you been following these? Is there a graphic card that had a huge price drop that I could fit in my build? I haven't purchased any part yet except the monitor, haha.

Cheers! - Zero

Edit: Hmm, I'm browsing through the GPUs. Could you please tell me the difference between the GPU you proposed
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06Y66K3XD/?tag=pcp0f-20
and this one?
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079NX4GCF/?tag=pcp0f-20

Thank you so much!

Edit #2: I ended up having a change of heart for the monitor. I chose to go for a more powerful and durable PC with a lower-quality monitor.

ahahahahaha !!

Joking aside though. Certainly when talking about Rift, its not necessarily the number of ports that is the most important consideration but the number of USB controllers. Doesn't matter of you have 6x USB 3.0 ports and 6x USB 2.0 ports if your motherboard has only 1x USB 3.0 controller and 1x USB 2.0 Controller.

My Thrustmaster 16000 FCS HOTAS takes 2x USB 2.0

My Logitech G920 Wheel and Pedals take 1x USB 2.0

My 4x Rift Sensors take 4x USB 3.0

My Corsair Void Wireless Headset takes 1x USB 2.0

My XBOX controller takes 1x USB 2.0

My Blue Snowball Mic takes 1x USB 2.0

My Keyboard and Mouse take 2x USB 2.0

My Flirc IR sensor for Harmony Ultimate One Remote takes 1x USB 2.0

Thats 13 !!

My Asus Z170-A mobo has 2x USB 2.0 ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports and 1x USB 3.1 port but only 1x USB 2.0 Controller, 1x USB 3.0 controller and 1x USB 3.1 controller.

Hence why I am also rocking a dedicated Startech 4x Controller 4x USB 3.0 Port PCIe card just for my 4x Rift Sensors and a random 3x USB 2.0 PCIe card dedicated to my HOTAS and Wheel/Pedal Set. Rift is on my Motherboards USB 3.1 port and the rest of the peripherals on the other motherboard ports.

I also have a front 3.25"/5.25" Bay box with Card Readers, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI and USB charging ports that are connected to the internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Motherboard Headers. This was great for connecting the HOTAS and Wheel/Pedal set and the Rift to the PC at the front of the PC instead of blindly swapping them in and out around the back but has largely been rendered defunct now that I permanently ran some extension cables for the Rift and HOTAS/Wheel/Pedals from the back ports of the PC to elsewhere in the room. Still us the card readers and the USB charging ports for my eCig and Corsair Void Wireless Headset though.

imgur Album of PC Peripherals and Room

I can't say for sure that this is a simple question, but I don't feel as though this requires it's own post.

I'm looking at upgrading my processor (an AMD Phenom II X6 1090T) but I don't know what I should upgrade to. After looking at benchmarks and prices I feel like [this] (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0087EVHVW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=ALMGMPH6QS3S&coliid=I2SLDP3JIS4Y1) would be a good idea, but I can't find a reasonable motherboard. They're either too expensive or don't have what I want, and the only ones that are ideal are out of stock. To add to that I would need new RAM as well, although at this point I'm wanting to get more RAM anyway.

I'm alternatively looking at just getting an AMD FX-6300, but it doesn't seem like it will be very future-proof.

Right now my specs are:

• CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T
  
• GPU: PNY Geforce GTX 660
  
• MoBo: Gigabyte 970A-D3P
  
• RAM: Corsair XMS3 (2 x 4GB, 1333MHz)
  
• PSU: Corsair TX750
  
• OS: Windows 10
  
  Another important detail is I'm Canadian, which means I'll be paying about 1.34x as much money as an american. I'm trying to budget, but can certainly afford to go crazy if ideal.
  
  With all this in mind, do you think I should upgrade most of my system for a new processor? Or should I just get another AMD processor compatible with my current rig? Thanks in advance and sorry if it's too much to take in.

Actually yes, I did. My motherboard used the Realtek built-in sound or whatever it is, which was alright, but once I got the soundcard (I got this one on sale for like $75) the sound was much clearer, and insanely louder with better control over everything. You do need decent headphones, so like a $30 headset isn't going to be affected as much as something like the ATH M50x's I got a year or so ago (Also very good purchase). I used to listen to music at 75-95% usually which was pretty loud, and now the equivalent is around 25-30%, and its quality is enough to very noticeably tell the difference between stuff like spotify premium and YouTube audio.

I see, so lots of cores is a good thing for this type of work, huh? Alright, so I looked up the AMD processors on this local website and found this one with 6 cores - AMD FX 6300 3.5Ghz BE SkAM3+ (also on Amazon), at 108€.
This should do the trick?

For RAM, 4 of these sounds alright? I don't usually go too high in layers though. Maybe 50~ max. But perhaps it's best to plan ahead and get it for if I do need it in the future.

Also, I must reiterate I don't intend to be able to play new games on max settings. I just want them to be playable on a basic level. I can do just fine without AA and some of the fancier settings. I'd prefer to get something just good enough and instead save the leftover money for other things I plan to get next, like the Cintiq. If somehow I could get all this by much lower than 700€, that'd be great. :p

Shipping a case is usually free through amazon or newegg.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $194.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $99.67 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $91.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $58.79 @ Amazon
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card | $379.99 @ Newegg
Case | NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | $66.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $44.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $987.19
| Mail-in rebates | -$15.00
| Total | $972.19
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-06 23:01 EST-0500 |

Made some changes for better value/performance.

Change cpu to 6500 instead of 6600k. You don't have a z170 board for overclocking so it's wasted. The 6500 is nearly identical unless you overclock with a 6600k+z170.

Changed psu to much better seasonic modular gold. It's on sale on Newegg for 60 bucks. A steal.

Changed gpu to more popular gigabyte model, cheaper.

Added case since I was still under 1k. Very popular s340 but you could use anything under 100 bucks and stay under budget.

Changed cooler to Cryorig H7. The 212+ is nice but needs a break and the H7 looks way better.

I know you mentioned staying with Amazon but much of this wasn't in stock and Newegg has free shipping. Just a thought.

Edit: The cooler is cheaper and is on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/CRYORIG-Tower-Cooler-Intel-CPUs/dp/B00S7YA5FQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478491544&sr=8-1&keywords=cryorig+h7

Phantom 410.. Probably the 240 I think? If so I had that case. Yeah with phantom that's the only way you only have one fan in front but the front fan doesn't do much other than cool the hard drive bays imo if you removed some of those bottom bays it'd let cool air go into the case more. H100i fan was loud af in my (410).

Yeah also change out corsair imo the stock are alright but!
https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-F12-PWM-Cooling-Fan/dp/B00650P2ZC and the cables that come with it limit the rpm to 3 different levels depending on how loud you want them and these are for radiators because they push more air than the other and much more quiet. If you don't care about rgb you can replace all other with 140mm and 120mm quiet editions noctua. If you want rgb for the others I recommend thermaltake riing fans (quiet edition) actually doesn't matter because if I remember they are all 4 pin so you can adjust in bios


Or

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KG8K5CY/ref=pd_aw_fbt_147_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4WJBQAR06PMYQFMBRPGX

You could try these cables to the fans and they will lower the rpm depending on which one you use so it's not as loud. If it's the 410 there should be the fan controller on top if it's the 240

To be honest, I picked that one because the reviews said it was easy to build in. I thought the design looked cool enough, but I'm really not picky about how it looks. Do you think this is a better choice?

The disc drive is there for fun. Entirely not necessary, but I do still occasionally burn CDs for my car and to hand out at events. I figured the inclusion wouldn't compromise anything, or is that incorrect? Thanks for your input friend

Well, $150 doesn't really lend itself well into getting you very far.

You could go the AMD route, and get yourself a FX-8350 for, well exactly $150. It's on sale right now, so that price might not last.

If you want to go the Intel route, things become a little more complicated. I'd recommend personally getting a Skylake CPU, as that allows you a great deal of upgradeability down the road. But, at $150 you can't really afford a Skylake i5, short of the i5-6400T, which while viable, I guess, isn't something I'd recommend. You'd want to enter Skylake in around atleast the 6500 or 6600k area.

The choice is yours, AMD is certainly a viable solution, and will continue to be. But going Intel will require you put down some more money. You'd also have to get DDR4 RAM, which honestly, these days isn't that expensive anymore.

EDIT: There is also the i3 route, which is once again, a viable solution. But for the purpose of gaming, and such I would recommend an i5.

Inateck (or anything else with a FrescoLogic 1100 chipset, but the Inateck is the most readily available) is the Oculus recommended PCIe card for adding USB 3 ports. You can buy them on amazon. They have a few different variants. Inateck also sell some cards using the NEC D720201 chipset. Don't get those. Any of their cards with model numbers beginning with KTU3FR are good. If you want the one with the most usb ports, you want the KTU3FR-502I or KTU3FR-502U. The 5O2I is 5 usb ports on the back with a usb header like on your motherboard to connect 2 more to a case. The 502U has 5 usb ports on the back and 2 usb ports on the inside which I guess you could route the cables out of your case if it has cable holes.

I know people have mentioned what extension cables they have used successfully on this reddit, but it doesn't look like it has been documented on this reddit's wiki. I think it has been mentioned it is pretty hit or miss even when you buy ones other people have used successfully.

Okay, one thing at a time:

1 - Your motherboard seems to only have one fan port for case fans, and the one for your CPU cooler. You don't necessarily need to plug in both of your case fans, but if you want to, you'll need to grab a splitter cable to turn that one plug into 2, [like this one on amazon.] (http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Tek-Sleeved-Splitter-CPF01/dp/B00B46XKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417755776&sr=8-1&keywords=fan+splitter) (Probably available more conveniently and cheaper at an electronics store, but I don't know what those stores are in the US [assuming you are] as I'm in the UK).

2 - Your motherboard's fan ports have 4 ports because they support PWM fans that can be speed controlled by software. Your fans don't have cables to support that, so they'll just run at 100% the whole time unless you remove them and replace the case fans with PWM case fans. Again, not a problem, won't harm them to run at 100% really, just might be a bit noisier than necessary. The plastic connector on the fans and the motherboard will likely only fit together one way around, if not, check the motherboard manual and that'll tell you which pin is the PWM pin, connect the cable so that that pin isn't connected to anything.

3 - Which audio cable? The one for the case audio ports? That should slide on as easily as the rest of the case cables for the power button etc, make sure you're putting it in the right place but it should go in fairly easily. Some parts do just take quite a push to get in at times.

4 - Your case might not have a firewire port, and nothing uses firewire these days anyway, you'll likely never use the port, don't worry about that.

5 - If the power cords melt, you've got bigger problems, things shouldn't get that hot in the case. Just tuck them out of the way somewhere, if you have cable management slots in the case on the less-open side, then pull them through there and just leave them out of the way.

That's actually a good RX570 and 8gb for that price i think it's a great deal comparing with the others i saw with a "RX 570" search, the one i don't really recommend is the Armor because of the cooler.

​

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rx570&i=electronics&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

​

Depends on what you want to spend cause you can buy a 4gb one for 120-130, i think going with 8gb is a good option but depends on what you want to spend like for a bit more you can grab a RX580 8gb.

https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-1386MHz-Graphics-RX-580P8DFD6/dp/B06Y66K3XD/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=rx580&qid=1563706556&s=gateway&sr=8-2

​

What resolution you play and how many monitors do you have?

​

I have the Gigabyte Aorus RX580 8gb i play at 1080p and use two monitors a IPS@75hz and a TN@144.

​

PS: There are some rumors of new cards coming out for that price range probably the new Navi 5600 note sure if true or when they will come out.

Here's a copy/paste of a PM I sent somebody yesterday in regards of building a budget build. It may be worded weirdly since it was a direct message to him, buy you get the idea

_____

CPU

(and motherboard)

Are you familiar with Sandy/Ivy bridge processors? They're a godsend for budget computers (2500k/3570k). At 1080p gaming they perform near all the newer generation Intel processors.

Best thing? You can easily grab a 2500k from /r/hardwareswap for ~$100-$110. Hopefully you could find a 2500k/3570k motherboard combo for ~$180 shipped.

Pair that with a Cryorig H7 from Amazon ($35) and overclock the processor to 4.0-4.5ghz and you have a processor booming in performance for cheap!

So, to recap, look into getting 2500k or a 3570k . Both are LGA 1155 processors and share the same motherboards. Buy from /r/hardwareswap and get your motherboard there, too

PSU

It's best to buy PSU new.

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $61.99 @ SuperBiiz

Priced great for a terrific PSU.

#CPU cooler $35

Cryorig H7

Keeps my 2500k @ 4.5ghz cool at low temps at low noise. I can't suggest this cooler enough.

#Storage

Hopefully you can find a SSD on /r/hardwareswap. I suggest this route: Get a 250gb SSD now and hold off on getting a HDD. The 250gb will hold you for a while and the money you would have spent on the HDD can go elsewhere. You can add a HDD in a few months when you actually need more storage.

#Case

You're going to be hard pressed to find a case on /r/hardwareswap due to high price in shipping. Keep an eye out on /r/buildapcsales or take a look over at Corsair refurbished (notice the tabs on the left side for components) or just but new

#RAM

Ram is cheap enough. I've noticed RAM prices over at /r/hardwareswap is near the price of new. So, your call there. If you're using a case with a window, and since you'll be using DDR3 RAM, and want some type of color scheme I suggest these (and I do suggest getting 8gb of RAM, you'd be wasting money on more and you can always add more RAM later)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury White 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $36.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $34.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $40.98 @ PCM
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $29.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury White 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $35.89 @ Amazon
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $33.99 @ SuperBiiz
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $212.83
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-03 00:49 EDT-0400 |

There is a 1600mhz and 1866mhz variant of the three colors. I linked all of them so you'd see all the prices. Right now the 2x4gb 1600mhz blue is $30 which is a nice price, and the 1866mhz 2x4gb Blue
is $34 (Sandy/Ivy bridge love fast ram, might be worth the extra $4)

#GPU

This is where things are kinda in the grey area. Current generation GPUs are about to fall in face value like the USA housing market did in 2009. I highly suggest building the entire computer first minus the GPU. Once AMD releases the Rx 480 at $200, all current GPUs will be forced to fall in price. If the Rx 480 performs like it is marketed to, we could see the R9 390 get sold on /r/hardwareswap for like ~$180, which is insane.

So, to recap, build the PC now taking your time on /r/hardwareswap scoping out for good prices on stuff, and by the time you have the PC built GPU prices should be in your favor.


Pretty sure I covered everything there. If I missed anything or if you have any questions let me know. Again, 2500k/3570k is your ticket to performance on the cheap.

You'd be surprised how close in performance the new Skylake processors are to the older Sandy/Ivy (2500k/3570k) are. Watch this video (note: those are the i7 variants, but makes the same difference with the i5's) Used 2500k/3570k (both basically sdame processor, the 3570k vbeing a little better) i5 is the best bang for buck processor on the market.

When it comes to gaming, DDR3 and DDR4 make almost no difference, in some cases DDR3 does better with gaming. Here is Linus saying so

Sounds good my friend! Yeah, hopefully the i7 Skylakes normalize.

I prefer Noctuas myself, and I'm not sure if you've heard of Cryorig, they're a newcomer in the CPU cooling business. I sound like a salesman but I'm actually considering one of their coolers called the H7, it's almost similar to performance to Noctua U12S, but priced close to the CM 212 EVO @ $34.99, while looking great with a black top-plate. I was browsing builds on PCPartpicker with the Cryorig and I've been drooling at the aesthetics. But you can't go wrong with Noctuas! I've used the L9i & U9S and they're amazing!

Cryorig H7 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S7YA5FQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A2ZKSOM6XK2G3G

Here's what I would do: MSI Krait edition motherboard + Corsair Dominator Platinum Series RAM sticks. It is a better overclocking mobo and you get the style points for a black/white build. Also, the RAM is faster so you're a little bit more futureproofed. The Cryorig H7 is replacing the 212 in terms of the go-to air cooler, otherwise the Corsair water cooling kit is a great option as well (also fits color scheme). I'm personally recommending 240GB since I've filled up my 120GB with games and programs twice now before I had to do some cleaning. I also like this case better, plus you can remove drive bays to make room for larger GPUs, if you are still undecided about which one you want. I wouldn't worry about M.2, I got that SSD and never ended up using it. If you do end up building this, please do take pics :)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $345.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $149.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair Dominator Platinum Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz | $109.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.99 @ Amazon
SSD | Kingston SV300S37A/240G | 67.86 @ Amazon
Video Card | Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card |-
Case | Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case | $54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | ~$903.80
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-14 19:36 EDT-0400 |

Oh great, I can get away with a 620W PSU? That card looks like it will fit what I'm doing perfectly.


For the air cooler, will a $20 fan cause any noise?

Thanks for your suggestions!

edit: Would this fan do well?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8KOZF4?aaxitk=dfLkaId6ZuFZo4yNDC4DTA&pd_rd_i=B01D8KOZF4&pf_rd_p=3ff6092e-8451-438b-8278-7e94064b4d42&hsa_cr_id=1247439260401&sb-ci-n=price&sb-ci-v=28.00&sb-ci-m=%24

This is what I started with. If you're not short on money you could get the arduino mega kit, the extra input pins is going to be really useful.

As for videos, jeremy blum has a great playlist to get started.

https://youtu.be/fCxzA9_kg6s

Pretty sure there's a free pdf textbook somewhere. Everything else just look in forums and guides.

Good luck!

You can YouTube how to upgrade a pre-built one enough to play games at 60FPS a Medium graphics for fairly cheap. Maybe 500-600 dollars for everything (which isn't bad considering consoles sell for that at launch)

I am in the process of upgrading my Lenovo H50 (AMD) enough to play Siege at a decent pace. I bought my PC about 2 years ago so I already had the computer and just bought a new Motherboard and Processor for about $300 for both of those with 1 day shipping on each of them (I'm impatient) lol but really that isn't all too bad considering the set-up could last me the next 5-7 years and just would upgrade the processor again for another 200 and that's another 5-10 years. Look, just spend some time on YouTube, eBay, and Amazon and check out what you want to get from it and see what you can get done. You'd be amazed really. Good luck, bro.

Rule of thumb:

Any mother that has a Z like a Z97 is meant for overclocking whereas H series are just standard.

Like I said I built a pic last weekend with an i5 4690 and an ASRock H97 Pro4 and it went flawless so you wouldn't be disappointed there.

Edit: plus it would match your RAM.

Second edit: you might be pushing it with 450watt and a r9 380. If you can afford it, I can recommend the EVGA G2 series enough. Top tier in terms of quality and fully modular so cable management is a breeze. I would look for other builds and see if anyone has gone 450watt with that video cards.


Power supply recommendation:
EVGA 220-G2-0550-Y1 80 PLUS GOLD 550W ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI Ready and Crossfire Support Continuous Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-438-053

Another edit:
Even better, the 750watt version of the G2 is the same price as the 550watt version on Amazon.

EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 80+ GOLD, 750W ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI and Crossfire Ready 10 Year Warranty Power Supply 220-G2-0750-XR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKDETOW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_qsyHwb8X08VYH

The design of arduino is open source so other companies have fabricated compatible boards or systems.<br />
.<br />
There are MANY arduino beginner kits out there. Some can be great and others not so great.<br />
The components available in kits varies greatly.<br />
Will she have the parts for EVERY project, NOPE. But she can learn about the system and the language.<br />
Companies like Adafruit, Sparkfun and SeeedStudio provide parts (or rather sub-assemblies) for more projects.<br />

I googled for a beginner kit and saw this one, I have no experience with it specifically.
The components I see are quite a wide variety,
$36 ELEGOO UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial and UNO R3 Compatible with Arduino IDE
https://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Project-Tutorial-Controller-Projects/dp/B01D8KOZF4
The only thing I don't like is that they use a 9V battery and connector to power the arduino.
To me, to make the board portable, that is just silly; a better way is to use a USB power bank
For example
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2100mAh-Universal-Battery-Pack/dp/B01AUT8CRI/
also a USB cable
https://www.amazon.com/C2G-28101-USB-Cable-Printers/dp/B000FW60E8/

Just for grins, I went to their download page, searched for "super" and downloaded their ZIP
https://www.elegoo.com/download/
Elegoo 2.8 Inch Touch Screen User Manual V1.00.2018.09.19.zip
In "English" folder is a PDF, that explains installation and gives projects. I'd suggest reviewing that file.


I found these links, maybe reading them will give you some more insight.

Elegoo vs Arduino: Which Will Your Kids Love Most?
https://www.allhomerobotics.com/elegoo-vs-arduino/

Elegoo vs Arduino – Which should you choose?
https://techttech.com/2017/11/17/elegoo-vs-arduino-choose/

"These boards don’t support the non-profit Arduino project."
This means that the original makers who invented and open-sourced the design, don't get part of your $$

Elegoo UNO R3 Project Complete Starter Kit Review
https://techttech.com/2018/06/02/elegoo-most-complete-kit-review/

I bought the elegoo super starter kit off Amazon and I've been SUPER happy with it. For less than the price of an official arduino you get a knockoff board and a ton of electronics to play with. Also arduino is open source so it's completely legal to make knock offs.

Elegoo EL-KIT-003 UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8KOZF4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CvMWAbFQQHAP4

I'll look around for prices on GTX 1060s, 580s and a possible 590. The benchmarks and such for the lower bracket GPUs here look fine to me, if I see a good deal on a 590 I'll get one of those. I don't really like to buy used PC parts, especially something as important as a GPU (unless it's super marked down lol)


Thank you very much, have a nice day!

Quick edit: For the RX 580, I should opt for the 8GB and not the 4 GB model correct? And is there any real difference between the MSI and EVGA stuff? When I search Amazon to buy a 1060, both brands for the same card come up. I'm looking at this one about $80 cheaper than a 1060 atm. Just hope they fit in my MicroATX case lol

• /r/hardwareswap is a buyer's market, but a little risky unless you do your homework on the seller
  
  
• Ebay is fairly safe considering the buyer protection from both ebay and paypal.
  
      You can easily get a GTX 770 2GB for $200-220 on either site, assuming it will fit in your case (since your mobo is micro-ATX) and your PSU can handle it. The recommended PSU size on the Nvidia website is 550W for the GTX 570, and 600W for the GTX 770, but those are overestimates.
  
      Your RAM is the recommended amount so that's fine as is
  
      With your current mobo you can't really upgrade the CPU which is just okay.
  In the short term, getting a 770 will probably see the most improvement in games, but you should also consider getting a FX-6300 for $100, and a suitable motherboard. A very solid option is this board, although it's $125 plus tax and ($2) shipping, with a $10 mail-in rebate.
  
  If you went the CPU/mobo route, you could look into getting a second 570 and running SLI assuming you have the power to run it. You could also possibly afford a used 760 once you sell your current card. This guy for example is selling one for $160 OBO, although I haven't looked into his credibility.

1. Hey guys planning on upgrading my fans for my case, is this a good deal and/or reputable fans? Would like all noctuas but im just not rich enough sadly lol. my current cpu case is the nzxt source 530 also, been using for about 4 years and i clean it monthly but the ambient temps are starting to go up https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00NTUJTAK/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1
   
2. I'm thinking of parts for my next rig, currently waiting on zen 3, any good board recommendations? I've read that the bf450 tomahawk is good and the msi am4 carbon gaming mobo is good too, should I just wait in case new boards get launched? Trying to snag some deals
   
   ​

> Could you please tell me why the usb audio board is needed for the Pi setup? As far as I can remember has the Pi an audio jack too right?

The audio jack on the Raspberry Pi is only for audio output. The music visualizer requires audio input, so you will need a USB microphone or USB sound card with audio input.

I am using this USB sound card. I connect the audio output of my music player to the microphone input of the sound card. You may want to purchase an audio cable splitter as well.

I recommend getting a diffuser channel for the LED strip. They often cost more than the LED strip itself, but the colors and light output looks much better when a diffuser channel is used.

For the best performance, use the Raspberry Pi 3 or 2. The Raspberry Pi 1 is a bit too slow.

I will be adding support for the FadeCandy very soon. If the FadeCandy is used with the Raspberry Pi then it will noticeably improve the LED strip output.

I agree that at least another fan would be worth it, but I might suggest these fans <ARCTIC F12 PWM PST - 120 mm PWM PST Case Fan - Five Pack | Cooler with Standard Case | PST-Port (PWM Sharing Technology) | Regulates RPM in sync https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NTUJTAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ud18BbKFFXBFA>. I haven't used them myself, but they are a great price and have good reviews both on Amazon and independent reviewers.

Thx so much for the fast and very clear answer !
CPU
Shoudl I take the intel core i7-6700 k instead of the i7-6700 ?
Case
I'm sorry I changed my mind about the case so it will probably change the motherboard too ^^
I decided to take a Corsair Carbide Series 200R : https://www.amazon.ca/Corsair-Carbide-200R-Compact-CC-9011023- WW/dp/B009GXZ8MM/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465910816&sr=1-3 Because space is not an issue and we could probably have a better motherboard for the same price right ? (Because it is a normal ATX board)
Motherboard
Maybe my first pick would work but if you have another idea it would probably be better !
RAM
Will it all change and my first pick was better ?
Thx one more time and have a nice day !

I have a heat issue. Build specs:

• MSI 970 GAMING ATX AMD Motherboard
  
• Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 2133 MHz
  
• EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SC GAMING ACX 2.0
  
• AMD FD8350FRHKBOX FX-8350 Processor
  
• Corsair CS Series 750 Watt ATX CS750M
  
• Cooler Master Hyper T2
  
  Idle temperatures were 44° C with the stock cooler so I replaced it with the T2. The case purchased didn't allow a T4 to fit in it - it was about half an inch too high.
  
  With the T2 idle temperatures dropped to 26° C while the cores are running @ 1400 Mhz.
  
  No overclocking has been left in place; it was accidentally enabled for a short period. However, when my son starts playing games he finds himself at 76° C and the thermal protection kicks in, locking the box up.
  
  I made sure to remove the plastic on the bottom of the T2, where contact is made between the cooler pipes and the CPU. I made sure to evenly spread the thermal paste over the chip. I've ensured that the cooler is tightly clamped to the CPU.
  
  Now this board has an "OC Genie" and he did activate it, however, I uninstalled the software overclocker (MSI Command Center) and turned off the OC Genie in the BIOS. I reset the power supply levels to default, as well as anything else I could find in the BIOS. (I don't do overclocking at this point in my life. If I want a 5% boost in speed, I pay for it.)
  
  There are two fans on the case, one on the front and one on the back. The computer is currently in a corner area with little to no ventilation, so that's the next thing we're changing. However, I thought it might be useful to ask for advice from all of you.
  
  Any advice on what I can do to help cool this thing? I know AMDs tend to run much hotter than Intels, but this seems ridiculous. In general I see acceptable ranges of 20° C to 60° C. Would you guys agree that's an acceptable range?
  
  If necessary we can buy a new case and put the T4, or whatever recommended cooler is there, on the PC.
  
  Thanks.
  

you need to make sure you're looking at wireless cards, so you won't see those numbers. I'd look for something that at least supports wireless N. And the 5GHZ (dual band) if your router supports it. If it doesn't, there's no reason to spend extra.

Something like this would be a good place to start: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0079XWMEI Feel free to look for something cheaper. I know I have had very good luck with my TP-Link adapters.

There's a few things, first of all Intel K series cpu's don't come with a cooler in the box, so you will need one. A good (but pricey) cpu cooler is the Noctua NH-D15. If you would like something more affordable the Cryorig H7 will work, although the temps will be higher than the former.

Yes, all desktop ram will fit into all desktop motherboards (sodimm or laptop ram will not).

The hard drive you selected doesen't have great reviews, for $8 more you can get a [WD Blue](https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Cache-Desktop-Drive-WD10EZEX/dp/B0088PUEPK

/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1537074431&sr=1-1&keywords=western+digital+-+caviar+blue+1tb+3.5%22+7200rpm+internal+hard+drive) or a Seagate Barracudda, both more reputable.

The cases you linked are good for their price, but you will most likely need 1-2 more case fans as they only come with 1. If you would like some cheap fans these will do, but they wont be as good as something like the Noctua NF-F12

Dont worry about asking questions! It's what we are here for :) I'm sure I missed something, so if you have any other questions make sure to ask!

Edit 1: Do you already have windows? If not make sure to but it, as you wont have an Operation System without it (Unless you want to run linux).

I just installed a Master Liquid Pro and it was very quiet, so apparently there a big difference between that and the Lite version. Are you talking about fan noise or pump noise? If it's pump noise, you'll have to replace it, but if you're talking about fan noise, just replace the fan. You can get a great, pressure optimized fan like the Noctua NF-F12 PWM for $20.

I prefer Sound Blaster Z/ZxR's surround to Dolby. Dolby tends to sound like a tin can where the Z/ZxR sounds more natural in a gaming situation. Altho since I've gotten better gear and developed a more sensitive ear I might just look into some type of crossover system that basically combines the Left and Right channels by a small percent to remove the hard left/right panning when gaming. That is basically all Dolby Headphone and Sound Blaster Surround does is just combine the two channels and throw the effects in a way that sounds more spacious.


If you're going with such a nice pair of cans like the K702's I'd go this route:

Sound Blaster Z

Schiit Modi Optical

Shiit Magni


You're going to spend $200 on the ZxR why not just get the Z a amp/dac that will last you for decades. A Schiit stack looks amazing, sounds amazing, is made in the US and has a 5 year warranty + 15 day satisfaction. The Modi Optical isn't in stock but I asked their CS the other day and they are shipped some to Amazon so they should be in stock very soon.


Your setup will look like this with the Z and Schiit amp/dac:



Sound Blaster Z > Optical cable > Modi > RCA's > Magni > Headphones.


If you go that route you get all of the benefits of the Z sound card (surround, EQ, etc) but get to bypass their lower quality amp/dac and use your own which will last much longer and sound much better.

That console is pretty low end to be honest. The problems are the RAM (only 4GB), and the graphics for this says "Custom Nvidia Maxwell GTX CPU". I would go custom build, but you don't want to :(. There are very few good cheap prebuilt PC's

This is an ok prebuilt PC

Try pcpartpicker, ask on /r/buildapc. Custom built are really the way to go nowadays :).

Check this out:

GPU

CPU

RAM

HDD

CASE

PSU

It's a pretty decent build. Not great, but inside your price range. I know it's definitely better than that console.

If you want a decent gaming PC, check out the subreddit buildapc.

Thank you so much for the response and info!

I saw this review on Amazon. What do you think?

That person also links to the following products. How essential/necessary do you think they would be to the node-804? I've read some other review that don't highlight suggestions as the review above does. What are your thoughts?

• SilverStone Technology 3.5-Inch to 2 X 2.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive HDD / SSD Bay Converter, Silver (SDP08)''
  
  
• Monoprice 108794 24-Inch 4-Pin Molex Male to 4 15-Pin SATA II Female Power Cable Net Jacket
  
  
• StarTech.com 4x SATA Power Splitter Adapter Cable (PYO4SATA)
  
  
• SilverStone Technology All Black Sleeved 1-to-2 Sleeved PWM Fan Splitter Cable (CPF01)
  
  Unfortunately I'm in a strange situation where I don't have as much time as I'd like to review/research for the absolute best route to go -- and I'm in need of making a decision very soon.
  
  I'm totally cool with building, although I must say that I'm not as experienced as I would like -- however, I will have time on my hands to learn what is needed to build the setup I decide to purchase.
  
  Any and all info/feedback is most welcome! Thanks!

Last week I was advised to take the plunge and upgrade from my GTX 660 to a 1070. Well, I am ordering today and was wondering if it matters which version I get with the below three or if I should just grab the most inexpensive.

EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition, 8GB GDDR5, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) 08G-P4-5173-KR (SC BLACK) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KVZBNY0

ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 O8GB Dual-fan OC Edition 4K/VR Ready Dual HDMI DP 1.4 Gaming Graphics Card (DUAL-GTX1070-O8G) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JHQSZ40

EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING, 8GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Card 08G-P4-5170-KR (BLOWER Version) - https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Founders-Graphics-08G-P4-6170-KR/dp/B01LZ5J28B


Or a different version I am missing while researching. :P I currently play on a 21:9 ultrawide with a second 24in 1080p to view my stream/netflix/etc. Not sure if that matters. Have not really done a new build in 5-6 years. :)


Last question, semi-related. With one of these cards am I able to run the HDMI to the 4k TV I have on the wall and play my Steam games okay on it? Will the 4k scale down to 1080 or will me card try to run the games in 4k and overheat. Completely new to 4k also (and wouldn't be using it all the time, just wondering if that is an option since I already have a PS4 in same room with the 4k TV).


As always, thanks in advance! :)

I have 4 sensors, each mounted on top of 7'6" DIY stands made out of cheap 5'9" Ikea floor lamps..2 lamps per stand, each in it's own corner. The 8' long stock cables of the sensors only have a few inches worth left over when mounted on the stands, so extensions are a must no matter where you position them. I use the 'Monoprice 15-Feet USB 3.0 Extension Cables' from Amazon, with the sensor in the far corner needing 2 cables to reach the stand. This gives me a 10'x10' area, with an actual playspace of 7'x7'. I also shelled out for a Startech 4 port USB3.0 PCI card recommended on the Oculus blog. The sensors on USB3.0 use a lot of power, so you'll need to connect either a SATA power adapter or a molex power adapter to the PCI card...if you go that route. I haven't had any issues whatsoever, completely glitch free. I used the Sensor Bounds app in Oculus to make sure the sensor beams covered my play area high enough, as well as covering the corners closest to the stands. The beams aren't 90 degrees, so the higher the top of the beam, the less the corner gets covered by the lower part of the beam. It takes a few minutes, but it helps to completely cover the entire play area.

​

Btw...the best part of my DIY stands...they only take up 10" squared. Tripods are at least 2' squared. I considered microphone stands, but they only extend 5' or so. Nowhere near tall enough.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-15-Feet-Female-Active-Extension/dp/B00AA0U08M

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

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60416176/

https://www.amazon.com/CM01-Camera-Digital-Recorder-Adapter/dp/B001GWCC4I

Yes. Current metrics would call it a "modest" computer.

CPU: Dual core Pentiums and Phenom 2's.

Something like this:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7651325&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=tCdAnHNE6xQ-iu_wzMq7YUPooc98Htqh1g

Or this:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Phenom-3-4Ghz-512KB-4000MHZ/dp/B002SRQ214?tag=logicaincrem-20


Don't spend more than ~120 bucks on a CPU.


GPU: Radeon 6570, 6670 or 7750

The 6570 should be considered the bare minimum for a dedicated GPU. The 6670 is a great deal of bang for your buck. 7750 is as well. All of these should be able to handle modern games from at least the lowest rung of settings. My old computer with a 6670 runs WoW on high settings, and COD4 : 3 at all high settings, and can run Company of Heroes 2 from at least low settings smoothly.


All three cards should be bought for 100$ or less.



RAM: 4 gigs is adequate. If you want to splurge 8 gigs is more than affordable.

Don't spend more than 60 bucks on RAM.


HDD: 500 gigs can be bought for ~50 bucks. 1 TB can be bought at about 70. Either is probably excessive.


PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0


or


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0


Depending on future wants and needs.



Case:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815014&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0


Or


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Compact-CC-9011023-WW/dp/B009GXZ8MM?tag=logicaincrem-20


I use a corsair 200r currently. Can't complain. Comes with two 120mm fans, has room for 7 more.


Mother Board:


Depending on what CPU you buy,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157394&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0


or


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157362&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0


or


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157314&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=5961731&SID=0

Yo what is this article, it's made a list of the top 5 pre-built gaming PC's and they are all by the same brand, are they just the only competitive pre-built manufacturer?

Anyway, quick amazon US search (amazon isn't even the cheapest place for a lot of these parts) shows that all those parts are worth maybe 460 dollars (plus a case and windows which you can get for free) they also don't list any of the models/brands so I assume that means they are terrible, on the amazon search I get legit brands like EVGA for the PSU. See for yourself: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GAMING-GTX-960-2G/dp/B00SAYDRP8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473949393&sr=8-1&keywords=Nvidia+GTX+960+2GB+GDDR5+Video+Card

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-DDR3-Micro-Motherboard-GA-78LMT-USB3/dp/B009FC3YJ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473949409&sr=8-1&keywords=amd+760g

https://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-6-Core-Processor/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473949427&sr=8-1&keywords=fx-6300

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Ballistix-PC3-12800-240-Pin-BLS8G3D1609DS1S00/dp/B006YG9E7O/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473949445&sr=1-2&keywords=8gb+ram

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-WHITE-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473949459&sr=8-1&keywords=500w+psu

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Cache-Desktop-Drive-WD10EZEX/dp/B0088PUEPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473949474&sr=1-1&keywords=1tb+hdd

You said you don't have a lot of money so I would definitely just build your own, other people have linked to subreddits that can tell you what components are best for the money for what you're going to be using it for, wouldn't be surprised if you could be playing CS:GO at 300 fps on a 450 dollar computer. When you buy a pre-built you are basically paying the manufacturer an extra 30% for them to build it for you, which is like 150 dollars in this case, for what would take you a couple of hours, idk anyone who's time is worth that much, you also lose the ability to save money by cutting costs in certain areas, you don't need a sick GPU to play CS:GO afaik for example.

I've got an i5-750 (yes old but it's doing well) with the stock cooler on it and I'd love a new aftermarket cooler so I can try some overclocking. Gigabyte P55A-UD3 mobo.

SHould I get this cooler? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S7YA5FQ/ref=psdc_11036281_t1_B01IBSR18G

I think it will fit my mobo socket and I think it should work well.

Or is there something of better value?

I'm looking to replace my PSU but have it ready for a i7/high end mobo within the year. I definitely don't need anything more than 750/850 as I intend on going with one GPU probably about a 970.

I haven't much experience with Seasonic, and my last PSU is a Antec which has held up remarkably well.

Money isn't really a big deal as I want to make sure I have a solid PSU. What would you recommend EVGA or Seasonic. I'm looking at the G2 which is around 99$ on Amazon. Any recommendations?

Is this the model you have? http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Crossfire-Warranty-220-G2-0750-XR/dp/B00IKDETOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457031186&sr=8-1&keywords=G2+750W

I'd personally pay 10 dollars more and get the SuperNOVA 750 G2, but only because I've made good experiences with it. The GS should be an excellent choice too, and the price is also good. The G2 series is based on the Super Flower Leadex platform, while the GS series is based on a Sea Sonic platform. Both are well-known for their reliability.

This (1500x) is their best quadcore with full 2CCX's worth of 16MB L3 cache https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Cooler-YD150XBBAEBOX/dp/B06XKVNRSM/r

But I'm sure the hexacore 1600 is their best midrange CPU (and best value at under $220). It's basically a higher end CPU at midrange price.

https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Cooler-YD1600BBAEBOX/dp/B06XNRQHG4/

Whether the Ryzen 5 1600x qualifies as mid range or high end might depend on your income figure. I'd consider it either. $270 at Amazon right now.
https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-1600X-Processor-YD160XBCAEWOF/dp/B06XKWT7GD

A good point. If I were buying a PCIe USB card I'd probably get the 4 port Startech.

https://www.amazon.de/STARTECH-COM-SuperSpeed-Express-Schnittstellenkarte-Kan%C3%A4len/dp/B00HJZEA2S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527086391&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=startec+usb

There are cheaper options but the difference isn't that much in the grand scheme of things and I'd rather have the best solution

Independent channels per port so no bandwidth sharing, and supplemental power.

My mobo has 3 independent USB controllers already so it's non issue for me fortunately

amazon has kits at pretty much every price point, just search arduino kit. make sure it's got an arduino uno clone, a breadboard, breadboard wires, basic stuff like leds, buttons, resistors, potentiometers, a couple transistors, stuff like that. plus some cool things like sensors and lcd displays.

something like this, although it might not be the best one at that price point https://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Project-Tutorial-Controller-Projects/dp/B01D8KOZF4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=arduino+kit&qid=1574021245&sr=8-3

this one has a lot of good stuff too https://www.amazon.com/EL-KIT-001-Project-Complete-Starter-Tutorial/dp/B01CZTLHGE/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=arduino+kit&qid=1574021245&sr=8-7

i'm sure somebody can link one with a slightly better spread of parts, but in general if he doesn't have specific projects in mind any kit will do well enough to get started

how much are you looking to spend specifically? 30ish is a good price point, but there's options below and above that. i'd say stick to amazon kits instead of buying more expensive kits or individual parts if you don't know what you're looking for.

I fixed a majority of my issues by installing one of these into a PCIE x16 slot, and plugging all three of my sensors, as well as the rift itself, into it. It's a bit pricey, but it did the trick beautifully.

Still get the sensor jump when turning around. I haven't noticed any significant change to my guardian location or my height, but those still may decide to plague me.

Previously everything was plugged into my motherboard (all 3.0) and worked, more or less, perfectly until the patch. Don't know why it worked before when, honestly, I should have been taxing my USB controller, or why the patch broke it, but the above card has made things great.

Depends on what you want to do in the future. For your current build, you could use any 500 watt bronze rated power supply with good reviews.

But if you want to future proof your system (maybe you want to run some 290's in CROSSFIRE later on), I recommend an ~800 watt gold rated PSU.

Generally, the higher wattage you need, the higher rating your PSU should be (bronze, gold, platinum, etc)

Here are some examples of good ones

500 watt bronze:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ALK3HF4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1414173887&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40

750 watt gold (recommended for systems with nvidia SLI setups)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IKDETOW/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1414173817&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70


860 watt platinum (for ppl who want to run 2 power hungry cards like the 290x) - I bought this one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A0HZMKG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1414174127&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

Remember that your PSU is an investment. Play your cards right, and it will be good for 10 years or more. Get something modular in the 500-750 watt range that's modular, with good reviews.

First off, I'd like to confirm that this is your motherboard.

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4305#ov

If it is, you can see from the page there that the socket is AM3+, so you'll want to find a processor that fits this socket. If you look at pcpartpicker, you can easily find processors that fit these specification.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/cpu/#k=4

(hopefully that link works, it should processors that fit the AM3+ socket type, make sure that is checked on the right side of the screen)

Ok, so here comes the recommendation. I highly recommend the 8350, as it is one of the processors that rivals intel's chips most commonly used for gaming. You shouldn't have any problems playing any games on it, as your GPU will most likely be the bottleneck.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009O7YUF6/?tag=pcpapi-20


I'm also inclined to ask the wattage on your power supply, and who the manufacturer is. You wouldn't want to put a more intensive processor and risk everything because of a power supply that isn't adequate. You should be fine, seeing as you currently have a 660 installed, but please do a check to make sure you'll be ok installing a new CPU. I would recommend any power supply made by a well-known manufacturer, above 450-500 watts.

Generally, PCI-E is much faster of an interface. However, Wifi speeds don't go nearly as fast as even the maximum speed of USB 2.0. So, speed-wise, it doesn't matter.

The USB one will be good for futureproofing your computer in case you later get a router with AC and 5GHz support. It's also nice in that you'll be able to preposition it to different USB slots for better signal.

For PCI-E, I would recommend this TP-Link one instead of the Rosewill:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-PCI-Express-Adapter-TL-WN881ND/dp/B0079XWMEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483091328&sr=1-1&keywords=wireless+network+card&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A6011949011%2Cp_36%3A700-2500
It's from (in my opinion) a more reputable company; it seems like it's a current model from their website; and it's a buck cheaper and will probably ship faster. Otherwise pretty much the same as the Rosewill.

There is a third alternative I found:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N300-Wireless-Adapter-TL-WN822N/dp/B00416Q5KI/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483092749&sr=1-3&keywords=wireless+network+usb&refinements=p_36%3A1253503011%2Cp_72%3A1248879011%2Cp_89%3ATP-Link
This would be especially great for if you know you get a bad signal between your router and computer. You can connect it via USB and then stick the device up high somewhere for maximum signal. If you have a place to put the device and don't currently have or have plans to get an AC or 5GHz router, this is what I would get.

Case is mostly subjective so everything I say is also but I like the look of the corsair 200R more and it can be found at 50$ with 10$ MIR from NCIX (I wanted to link you to the same merchant though), and same goes for the NZXT Source 220

The only other changes I could offer would be to save a little bit and drop to a 600W PSU, but if you plan to Crossfire in the future having the 750W PSU makes sense.

You can save a bit on the RAM by dropping to 1600 MHz (which in performance translates to a fraction of a percent usually depending on the application)

Those are about all the corners there are to cut that I see besides dropping to a MicroATX to save another 10$ or so, if you'd feel comfortable with that I could look for a compatible MoBo. To get under 650 you will have to roll back the CPU and the GPU.

Multiple upgrades. Motherboard. You may not see much a performance increase but it will allow vastly more upgrades. I recommend the b450 gaming plus max (which is atx so make sure it fits). Dont know if you have an ssd or not, but if you thats a cheap upgrade that makes a huge difference. Your cpu is ok as it is, so unless you have a huge budget, id leave it. Your gpu NEEDS an upgrade. For 150gbp or 256cad you can get an Rx 580 (8gb) which is really nice, but on a lower budget you can get a gtx 1050ti (4gb). Dont know much about your ram but i'd upgrade to 16gb ddr4-3000 but make sure its compatible with your mobo + cpu

Hey guys, I'm about to build my first computer and I have some questions that, hopefully, can be answered by more experienced individuals:

• Someone suggested that instead of having one 2TB of storage, you get two 1TB of storage? Is that true?
  
• What are some of the best cases around the $60-$75 range? At the moment, I am thinking about using this case.
  
• How good is this CPU? Does it need a lot of cooling? Is there a better one at a similar or smaller price?
  Thanks guys!

For your graphics question, definitely wait on the reviews for the RX 480 to see if itll handle games at 1440p. If it doesn't then consider waiting for non-founders edition cards to be released closer to the $380 msrp.

One detail I noticed is that you are going to buy a haswell refresh CPU so you should purchase a Z97 chipset board instead. It supports Haswell refresh cpus out of the box and don't require a bios update like Z87s. Also, depending on the board you buy, Z97 also supports M.2 SSDs which could be useful for potential future upgrades.

As for your CPU cooler, while the D15 is very good for what it is, the Cryorig H7 will offer just nearly the same performance for a better value.

Should be fine, but if you're concerned or want better aesthetics, something like this will be cleaner than using an ad-hoc solution like a figurine or the like:
https://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Support-Holder-custom-Gaming/dp/B01DQK7DDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474731756&sr=8-2

+1 for PCI

I game and have never had problems connecting unless it was ISP side (boo comcast). I also stream Netflix and Amazon without any signal issues.

I use [this PCI-E adapter] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN881ND-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B0079XWMEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405104552&sr=8-2&keywords=tp-link+pci+wifi) with good results. They also make regular [PCI] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN751ND-Wireless-Adapter-Low-profile/dp/B005FUGPP4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1405104552&sr=8-4&keywords=tp-link+pci+wifi) depending on what you have available. I'm sure the Rosewill one is quite good too.

I also picked up something similar to [this] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-ANT2405C-Desktop-Omni-directional-Antenna/dp/B001VEAI74/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1405104686&sr=8-11&keywords=tp-link+antenna) to help with my signal, since my room is quite far from my router. It will give you some flexibility on your antenna placement, and gave me a huge boost in signal.

For your purposes either would probably work but I prefer having the cleaner look of a PCI card and I'm under the assumption that there is better power/bandwith going through PCI. If you do go with USB, I suggest something like [this] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN722N-Wireless-Adapter-External/dp/B002SZEOLG/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1405104921&sr=8-14&keywords=usb+wifi) where you can add on an optional antenna if you have signal issues.

Thanks for the detailed reply! Full disclosure, I bent a capacitor while I was pulling the motherboard out to clean it out properly (having done this 6-8 times previously with no issues). Replaced it, took it to a computer tech to see if they could fix it, no joy. Have had no issues with it before then.

​

Crazy how a $20 CPU can outperform a ~$350 10 year old CPU.

​

Being in Australia some of the parts are different/higher costs, some questions.

CPU: Will the X650 suffice? $17, passmark 7388? Cheapest x5670 I can find is $36.

Drive bay converter: Is this the same/similar (they only have 1 available atm)? If I can't get that one, is something like this ok?

Fans: Should I be looking at the F series in the ARCTIC fans? Work out at about $11/fan. Is there a good balance in number of fans for cooling/quietness?

CPU Cooler: CM 212 Hyper Black edition is currently $136 on Amazon AU. Is this just the RGB version (it's available more readily in Aus) and is this the older version ($16 cheaper). Is there something I should specifically be looking for to get a quiet cooler or is it just down to reviews/experience?

GPU: So I just need this for a display out, not needed to help with transcoding? Something like this 8400GS would work, 256mb? I assume used is not an issue.

​

I might have backed myself into a corner with Xpenology as my drives are currently setup in using SHR configuration, so the only way to access them (as far as I know) is through another Synology device, or using Xpenology?

​

Thanks again! You've been more than helpful! Sorry for all the extra questions.

Oh that's great, thank you. I may take you up on that one of these days. I grabbed a chinese starter kit (this) off Amazon and a multimeter tonight (this). I've been wanting to get into this for years. I'm already a developer, the electronicy bits just elude me and I can't stand it anymore, I feel like I'd excel at this and I always have ideas I can't execute on without the knowledge. I'm 37 but your high school level material is just what I need at the moment.. haha.

I chose the kit to keep the cost down and learn the basics. Need to start budgeting my hobbies better. But if there's anything that would be a big benefit to have in addition, I'm all ears

I'd replace the fans though. Corsair stock fans generally aren't bad, but the H55 is old and low. I have these SP 120mm fans in push/pull. I control it with software, but they are on a graphics card anyway so they only really ever stay on low. I also have 4 of these on my H100i GTX and I've never had my CPU go over 40 degrees, but I'm not sure if that's the fans or the rad.

If you're not bothered about having 2 fans or what they look like (since it's in a HTPC case) then check out the Noctua NF-F12. They have some fans in grey or black/brown, but you won't see this in that case. It's a really good fan.

It's worth pointing out that I don't know how easy it would be to route the pipes from a closed loop cooler in that case. I don't have it physically, so I wouldn't want you to purchase something you can't use. Also if you want some 80mm fans, I can recommend these, I've got them in my microATX machine and they're pretty solid.

Hey fuzeebear,

First off thank you so much for replying! I've looked at different audio interfaces, and I prefer the mixing boards. Originally I was going to get a Scarlett 2i2, which seems to be pretty standard for people who make Youtube videos. However, my goal is to get my EQ and compression set so that I don't have to do it in post. That is why I was looking at the Mackie ProFX8 because it has inserts and AUX so that I could experiment around with different setups.

I think there was a miscommunication, probably stemming from me trying to type this on my phone. Anyways, my question is: Is it better to use the USB output or to go through an internal sound card. The sound card I have on my mother board I linked. I would be looking at about $100 for an internal sound card such as the ASUS Xonar DX or Sound Blaster Z. Is it worth it to get a dedicated sound card or just use the one on my mother board? Obviously I will spending more on the rest of my setup.

The Akai EIE Pro looks more promising. I'm not sure the Komplete Audio 6 fits with the setup that I am trying to accomplish because I would have to do my EQ and compression in post.

What I am looking at right now is my mic going into the Mackie ProFx8 with a compressor in the Insert. Then either a USB to my computer or directly into an internal sound card. will this work?

I have a 4-port PCIe card with 4 dedicated 5Gbps channels specifically because I was previously using the recommended Inatek card and it was an utter nightmare.

Everything but the headset itself is plugged into the card, as I've found that's the best possible configuration. It's still finicky, but much, much better than it was. (I was in BSOD hell /w the Inatek card) I'm convinced that there is no truly "perfect and stable" way to set up 3+ sensors, (from the perspective of the Oculus setup tool, that is) though, as I have tried many configurations and they're all a little wacky during setup even though they work well during gameplay.

It doesn't seem to be an issue with USB, it's just that the three cameras have trouble seeing my Touch controller for the entire duration of the trigger-hold simultaneously. It's extremely annoying, but it seems pretty clear that it's just a flaw in the setup process because the whole system works like a dream once I get it configured.

I'm open to suggestions if it means not having to hold my touch controller behind my head like an dumbass 20 times in a row every time I want to adjust my sensor positions though.

your motherboard would allow sli, but i dont know if your psu could handle it.

your case isnt the problem with your temps, its your cooler.

if youre going to spend that much on a cooler, buy this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

its basically the best on the market.

but you could get by on a lot less if you wanted to.

something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303803446&sr=8-1

would be a lot better than stock but for less money than the noctua.

theres obviously a ton of options in between there as well.

Take an free online free course!

I recommend a programming course "python for everybody" on Coursea. It is being taught by Dr. Chuck from University of Michigan. Its an awesome starter course to get into program. Of course you have code academy and etc.

If you can, buy an ardiuno kit from Amazon and build what you can from it. Most kits have instruction manuals on what to build from the kit.
This is the kit I bought: Elegoo EL-KIT-003 UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8KOZF4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w.tdBbSBN6C7N

Yes your processor is still very good to this day,

https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-1386MHz-Graphics-RX-580P8DFD6/dp/B06Y66K3XD?ref_=ast_sto_dp

or

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GeForce-Windforce-Graphics-Gv-N1650WF2OC-4GD/dp/B07QF6NH2S/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=gtx+1050ti&qid=1568521867&s=electronics&sr=1-9

these two i'd say are pretty good for the money and if that's still too much or if you have more to spend let me know and i'll try to help you some more (:

Two choices for fan types, blower style like this:


https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Founders-Graphics-08G-P4-6180-KR/dp/B01FWI6F08



and double/triple fan designs like this:


https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-Support-08G-P4-5173-KR/dp/B01KVZBNY0/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RGJTQJW5GJ7CARMZ911Q



Blower style is "reference" / factory, they run hotter and louder compared to their open air / "aftermarket" (the double fan) design. The aftermarkets are made by Add In Board partners like EVGA, MSI, etc.



OC is just the clock speed that the card is promised to hit. It's the same for CPUs, no one knows how far a component can go. There's also thermals to consider, but generally, all components can OC a little.



Other considerations would be fan bearings / warranty / return process / customer support / build quality. EVGA and Sapphire are the best.


And cost :D

1. How important is RAM compatability with motherboard? I have always figured a lot of it is plug and play, but I was going through the online support manual for my MSI Z97 PC Mate to see what kind of memory I should be getting. The Kingston HyperX Genesis model that I was interested in isn't specifically listed as compatible with the motherboard; the MoBo supports a different kind of HyperX memory, but not the cheaper blue one that I wanted.
   
   Should I risk trying to make the 2 work, or just go with another memory module ($2 difference, ADATA instead of Kingston, not blue, from Newegg not Amazon)? I am leaning towards the latter: better safe than sorry.
   
   
2. How to determine compatabilty between this PCI-e WiFi card and PC? MoBo comes with PCI-e 1x adapter, case has 7 expansion slots (GPU takes 2). Anything else to take into consideration? Should I go ahead and pull the trigger on the WiFi card?