(Part 3) Best products from r/buildapc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hey again! Okay, couple things: what's your budget? Do you have any older components that you can transfer to this build? Things like monitors, keyboards, mice, hard drive, CD drives, etc. can really knock down the price of the total build and allow you to get better quality components. It looks like you have a few things that you could upgrade or downgrade based on what you're going to be using it for and how much you want to spend. I think you're missing an optical drive above?

Basically, whenever you see something you don't understand about anything, google it and you'll find all sorts of other people who don't understand it too. Things like motherboard chipsets/sockets (H61, H67, P67, Z68, Z77, LGA 1155) take a while to sink in, so just lurk around BaPC and read forum posts and things will start to make sense.

i5 vs i7: The only real difference between these is the availability of what's called hyperthreading. Hyperthreading (available only on an i7) allows a CPU to simulate more cores than it actually has, and in 3D modeling programs like Maya or 3D Max it looks like you might actually get a fair bit of a boost, as well as any programming that can do computations in parallel. Not to say that an i5 is bad at these applications--you have to decide whether it's worth the £68 to you.

The commenter who said to upgrade to an "K" series processor mainly did so because the i5-2500k/i7-2600k processors are champion overclockers that have unlocked multipliers (basically meaning that you can change the set operating frequency from the stock 3.3/3.6 Ghz to 4.2-4.5 Ghz without sweating, making things run faster).

If you want to try overclocking, you're going to want a better motherboard. Do some reading about what kinds of motherboards allow overclocking.

Your CPU cooler is a bit overkill, especially if you have a non-overclockable processor. Processors always come with their own stock coolers.

Large SSDs usually only come on pretty expensive builds, as they're pretty cost-prohibitive, and usually are accompanied by a "storage" HDD anyway. You can get a ton more space for a lot less money with a normal HDD. Use the money you save, for example, on a better GPU.

You also have to decide how much beef you want on your GPU. The 560 Ti is a very capable GPU along with the equivalent AMD card--look into it, but for using a "viewport" in 3D modeling, nVidia consumer cards might be better than AMD? Quick searching didn't tell me anything. Check out the Best Graphics Cards for the Money link in the sidebar to get the most of your budget. Note that this guide is for gaming only.

Note about PCpartpicker: In your build, many of the components you've chosen aren't listed as being able to be bought anywhere in the UK, so they're not listed as having a price. If you can find a particular component on a site somewhere, it's just that PCpartpicker doesn't list that site, so feel free to include it anyway. These guides are a great place to start to start with a budget and begin putting parts together.

Here's what I put together that would be a sort of higher-end build (budget based mainly on the one you showed):

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor | £168.18 @ Scan.co.uk
Motherboard | ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | £113.12 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £32.00 @ Maplin Electronics
Hard Drive | Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £89.99 @ Maplin Electronics
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card | £198.84 @ Ebuyer
Case | Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case | £76.99 @ Maplin Electronics
Power Supply | Antec 650W ATX12V Power Supply | £73.55 @ Amazon UK
Optical Drive | Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer | £13.67 @ Scan.co.uk
Monitor | ViewSonic VX2253mh-LED 22.0" Monitor | £117.86 @ Scan.co.uk
Monitor | ViewSonic VX2253mh-LED 22.0" Monitor | £117.86 @ Scan.co.uk
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) | £100.85 @ Ebuyer
Keyboard | Gigabyte KM7580 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse | £19.00 @ Dabs
| | Total
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | £1121.91
| Generated 2012-04-13 18:40 BST+0100 |

Keep in mind that if you have any monitors coming in, you'll probably greatly reduce the price. I'm a fan of the processor, motherboard, GPU, hard drive specifically. Corsair makes good cases, but you could definitely get a cheaper one that would serve your purposes. I'm not particular about the memory, optical drive, power supply, monitor, or keyboard/mouse combo. If you want to overclock, you're also going to want a cooler (cheap but very loved cooler here, but not on PCpartpicker for some reason) Also, you can use an Windows 7 upgrade DVD for a full install, and you can get a student-priced Windows 7 Professional upgrade for cheap through Microsoft.

Quite high-end:

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | £236.60 @ Scan.co.uk
Motherboard | ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | £113.12 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £32.00 @ Maplin Electronics
Hard Drive | Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £89.99 @ Maplin Electronics
Hard Drive | Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | £73.00 @ Ebuyer
Video Card | Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card | £217.70 @ Scan.co.uk
Case | Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case | £76.99 @ Maplin Electronics
Power Supply | Antec 650W ATX12V Power Supply | £73.55 @ Amazon UK
Optical Drive | Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer | £13.67 @ Scan.co.uk
Monitor | ViewSonic VX2253mh-LED 22.0" Monitor | £117.86 @ Scan.co.uk
Monitor | ViewSonic VX2253mh-LED 22.0" Monitor | £117.86 @ Scan.co.uk
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) | £100.85 @ Ebuyer
Keyboard | Gigabyte KM7580 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse | £19.00 @ Dabs
| | Total
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | £1282.19
| Generated 2012-04-13 19:12 BST+0100 |

Again, I'm a fan of the processor, motherboard, GPU, and hard drives specifically. I added on a SSD, because it's pretty nice on a higher-end build to have the SSD as the boot disk (windows boots up in less than a minute!). Upgraded to a i7-2600k (note that you could put this processor on the previous build and it would work just fine, obviously), put up the graphics card.

So chew on that for a while, read some more posts about stuff, figure out how much you can spend and how much you actually need, make more posts here, and lemme know how it goes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

> The mobo supports SLI but at 8x PCIe 3.0, that should be fast enough if I ever want to add another GPU, right?

Yes. If the mainboard is specified for SLI, that will work. From the mainboard layout there should be no problem, though I can't be sure.

> Hopefully it's a bit more future proof with the extra power from hyperthreading.

It will help a bit, but for gaming only I'd save the money and go with the i5.

> I should be able to use and benefit from the faster RAM after changing BIOS settings, right?

Yes, no problem there.

> Couldn't really find any real comparison between different manufacturer GTX 1080s

Do you speak a bit of german? Computerbase tested many of them, see https://www.computerbase.de/2016-07/geforce-gtx-1080-partnerkarten-vergleich-test/. The Inno is okay, the Phoenix is nice, and the Gigabyte G1 is quiet. I'd value that most. If you gofor SLI later, a blower cooler would be nice though.

> As a last point, the CPU cooler isn't the greatest (CM 212X), but on the other hand its not terribly expensive and as far as I can tell it's easily good enough even for some overclocking, or am I mistaken?

Some overclocking will work, yes, but a better cooler like the Macho Rev.B does not cost that much more and is quite a bit better.

Please note also that the NEX psu is not really good for its high price.

This would be my build:

pc-kombo shared list

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K | EUR 235,16 @ Amazon.de
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI | EUR 138,60 @ Amazon.de
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3000 (2x8) (16 GB) | EUR 74,77 @ Cyberport
Storage | WD 3TB Blue (3 TB) | EUR 94,90 @ Caseking
SSD | OCZ Trion 150 (256 GB) | EUR 63,89 @ Amazon.de
Video Card | GeForce GTX 1080 | EUR 739,00 @ Mindfactory
Case | Nanoxia Deep Silence 3 | EUR 69,90 @ Cyberport
Power Supply | COUGAR GX800V3/R (800 W) | EUR 103,57 @ Amazon.de
CPU Cooler | Thermalright Macho Rev.B | EUR 46,99 @ Amazon.de
| Total | €1581.75
| Generated by pc-kombo 08.07.2016 |

Note that the case is purely a suggestion, it is very close to the R5 but cheaper.

>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.

Alright, I see that the GPU handles 1440p @ close to 60 FPS in most newer tripple A titles & handles games on ultra setting ^1. It also handles tripple A games at a much higher FPS(75-100~) with 1080p, and by extension, esport games (dota 2, cs:go, overwatch etc) at more than 144fps. So the way I see it is that you have two choises:

• Option one: If you care about High details & high resolution in single player games, I'd most def go for a 1440p ISP monitor. This is gonna give you a very gorgeous & detailed look in-games. It's also gonna be very great watching movies on. Something like this monitor, it's around 200 euro on Amazon, but I would try to find it locally to save on the shipping cost.
  
  
• Option two: If your only experience gaming has been on a lapop the first option might sound tempting, but if you wanna play some competative games such as Fortnight, Cs:go, Pubg or Mobas a 144hz, 24 inch monitor with low responds time (1MS) is the way to go. It's kind of hard to explain just how significant the change from 60 to 120&144hz can be, but everything will look way smoother & the gameplay will seem more immersive. In general you're just gonna have a better experience. The details arent gonna be as clear as with a 1440p ISP panel, but it makes up for that with the fluidity of the gameplay itself. For a more thorough explanation, check out this video. This is a really good 144hz, 24 inch, 1MS, 1080p monitor
  
  
• Option three : If you wanna have the best of both worlds, save up more money & buy a 1440p, 144hz monitor. This will give you the benifits of both, but this comes at more than double the cost of what you had in mind for the budget. Something like this should give you the best gaming experience.
  
  Hope that gave you some insight into getting a monitor.
  
  

• Will he actually require a m.2 ssd? I'm not saying its not good but for the same price you can grab him a 1TB ssd rather than a 512. Just a suggestion. Not saying you should do this. :P
  
  
• You should test out mice with him. G502 is a good mouse but not for everyone. There are other mice like the Zowie FK1/2, EC1/2, Deathadder, etc. that fit people better. Finding the right mouse is everything for a gamer. Also, make sure to buy him a good mousepad to go with the mouse. There are a lot out there so a bit of research will be needed lol.
  
  
• Watercooling is nice and all but they go out sooner than later. Multiple builds in the family that have had water cooling go out within a year or two. Cheaper to replace fans than it is water cooling. Really good systems for air cooling that will keep temps down, even at high over-clocks.
  
  
• A gamer is never complete without a gaming headset. https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW goes on sale every other week for ~56$. Add https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FNMCF7A6N6YMCZBEK9RD to that and it's the best gaming headset you can buy for under 150$ (ask anyone here). You can go for the slightly better http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sennheiser-audiophile-over-the-ear-headphones-titan/1700513.p?skuId=1700513 but you will need to modify it slightly (easy to do): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_fd3PzoTeY

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

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

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

I'm not too experienced with different monitors, but in my opinion 144Hz is really nice to have, the game feels much smoother. I own one myself This one but I'd recommend That one

The one I own isn't really better than the one I recommend performance wise, but I liked it more aesthetically.

So maybe you could see if you can get these BenQ's somewhere. Also if you see some Monitors from Zowie, they are most likely the same as the BenQ's
Hope that helps :)

Edit: I play CS:GO aswell and I never want to go back to 60Hz. So if you are able to get stable 120-144fps or more I'd go for 144Hz monitor.

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

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

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

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

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

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).

Keyboards: Ducky, KBParadise, Filco, etc. Browse around here:

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=110

You really want to stick to Cherry or Gateron switches, but if you don't know how the different switches feel, buy a $10 tester FIRST. I tried Cherry browns, wasn't a fan. Went with Gateron Blues and loved them, will probably go Gateron Clears next.

For cheap keycaps, look for PBT doubleshot caps on Ebay by a company names Tai Hao. You can get good sets for $10-50.

Mice: I really like the Logitech G703, you an shut the RGB off (I did), but a wireless mouse with a constant wireless charging solution is awesome.

Headset: Try these paired with this. Highly recommended combo, and much better quality than an actual gaming headset.

You're paying too much for the PSU, I bought a 600w one for that price (after rebates). Also, RAM is dirt cheap, you might as well get 4x4, that $20 won't make or break your build but it will come in handy. If you're near a microcenter, look for a processor/motherboard combo deal. I bought an i5 2500 and a decent motherboard for $250 by shopping locally. If you can spend a little extra on an intel processor, it'll increase the performance of your computer considerably (even at the same clock speed).

I have the same video card as you. It's served me well but I only have a 19" monitor. If you're going to be playing high-end video games, you should look for a smaller monitor as well because that card will struggle at high resolutions. It works perfectly at my resolution of 1400x900, and I can play most games at max settings.

This is the top-rated 20" monitor on Amazon and it's cheap: http://www.amazon.com/HP-2011x-20-Inch-LED-Monitor/dp/B004G8QO5M/

If video games aren't your main concern, then this is a nice 24" monitor that meets your price range. http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VS247H-P-24-Inch-Full-HD-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDS0/ref=zg_tr_1292115011_2

I built a similar computer for a little more than you're spending ($700), but I had a better processor, better PSU and more RAM.

I think you can also get a better deal on Windows 7, especially if you're a student.

Intel has an NVME M.2 drive that kicks ass for <$100: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-1-0TB-80mm-978350/dp/B07GCL6BR4

The RX 580 is a good card. Looks like the RX 580 has already jumped in price. If you find they are up close to $200, then you can find RX 590s at that price.

Your case only comes with 1 exhaust fan. Good to get a 140mm fan to put in the front for intake to help cool things down a little better. I use Phanteks myself: https://www.newegg.com/phanteks-ph-f140sp-bbk-case-fan/p/N82E16835709046 They also make a white led one, which can be nice because you can easily see when your case comes on: https://www.newegg.com/phanteks-ph-f140sp-bk-wled-case-fan/p/N82E16835709030

If you can manage an extra $25, the 2600X has a better cooler, the Wraith Spire. So you get a little better processor, and a good bit better cooling. See this cooler comparison review: https://www.techspot.com/review/1635-amd-wraith-coolers-compared/

I have had a great experience with my 1050 Ti SC, but you can get it cheaper here:
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498018511&sr=8-1&keywords=gtx+1050+ti+sc

And with that $20 I would highly recommend upgrading that CPU. You should really spend the vast majority of your money on the GPU and CPU (I think it is a mistake to spend more on your MOBO, case, and psu than your cpu). I think you could get an i5 in this build for sure if you get the gpu from amazon and find a less expensive mobo and psu (go with the 500 B from EVGA for great value if you don't mind non-modular).

Otherwise it looks like this is gonna be a great build!

Finally, after all these reviews, i'm going to buy these pieces and build my masterpiece-wannabe.

I would like to thanks /u/Raffles7683 for his dedicated, nice and smart help ! Also, thanks to /u/DIK-FUK and /u/golli123.

That's it, the final configuration, which is 2€ cheaper than the first one. WHAT A SAVE. But it's all the way better. I finally picked a I7-6700k as a CPU since nobody seems to know at which point a I5-6600k will bottleneck the GTX 1080, even with a 4.5 Ghz overclock. The debate is running litteraly everywhere and no one has the same point of view. So... I guess i can throw 100€ by the window to be sure and to overlock a i7 to 4.4 Ghz.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU |Intel Core i7-6700K | €325.79 - Amazon.it
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | €34.99 - Amazon.it
Motherboard | Asus Z170-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | €109.61 - Amazon.fr
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | €126.04 - Amazon.it
Storage | Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | €74.00 - Amazon.es
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | €53.44 - Amazon.fr
Video Card | KFA2 GeForce GTX 1080 EXOC 8GB Video Card | €560.00 - French shop
Case | Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case | €76.32 - Amazon.de
Power Supply | Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | €78.99 - Amazon.es
Wireless Network Adapter | Asus PCE-AC56 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | €48.00 - Amazon.de
Monitor | Acer XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor | €699.90 - French shop
| Total | €2187.08



The CPU has been edited according to /u/Raffles7683's review and /u/DIK-FUK's build suggest. And updated, because no one knows what is a bottleneck, in real world.
The RAM / SSD has been edited according to /u/Raffles7683's review, again.
* The case has been edited according to /u/golli123's review


I will provide some news in the future with, probably, in build photos :)

Ahhh, good 'ol LGA 1366, one of my favorite platforms of literally ALL TIME! You have a few options for upgrades definitely. I would recommend a Xeon x5670 as a great cheap CPU upgrade. You will also want a GPU upgrade, that old quadro FX is gonna be awful for any gaming, something like a GTX 1050 ti would be a great choice. You will also want some more RAM, upgrade that 4 GB to at least 8 GB. It will be DDR3 1066 or 1333 MHz most likely so get some of that. I actually run this exact CPU and GPU combination, a screenshot of my Xeon system here and it works very well for 1080p gaming. I also use it for 4k gaming with a bunch of older games, on my 4k TV.

Edit: Almost forgot! Also get a cheap 120 GB or 250 GB SSD! You may want to save a bit more money first though, these upgrades will be more than $150.

Don't get a "Gaming headset", they're just low quality headphones with a mic strapped on.

I normally use a pair of V-Moda M-100s with a ModMic 3. Works wonderful, but the M-100s are pretty expensive.

If your budget is around $100 I'd recommend the Philips SHP9500S. Great sound quality, very comfortable, doesn't need an amp, compatible with the V-Moda BoomPro, and pretty cheap.

The only downsides are that they're open backed, so outside noise will distract you, and their bass isn't amazing. I personally own these headphones, so ask any questions you want.

I'd also recommend going over to /r/headphones and going to their purchase advice thread to see what they think

You could go for the Hyper 212 for slightly less and you could save on the SSD or ditch it which if I'm honest is definitely the best option. SSDs are a luxury not a necessity. At least IMHO.
You could stand to wait for Haskell you're not going to lose anything except gaming time.
I have the Fractal R4 and love it. Spending money on a good case is never wasted as you can always use a good case again. I plan to keep mine for many future builds. Read the reviews on it.

> I opted for two mDP connections because I basically don't know any better. I think the Dell monitors in my office right now have both HDMI and MDP ports. If I can reliably run a dual monitor setup on Linux with a one-port card then that is great news. Thanks!

You want a two-port card, but pretty much any card will have that. You just might need to get an adapter cable since mDP is a pretty rare connection on most cards outside of workstation / signage cards. For instance, something like https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-Support-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/ would have both better graphics performance than that Quadro K1200 and is $100 less. You'd just need an HDMI cable and a DisplayPort to mDP cable (both cheap).

> So what's the deal with Intel's integrated graphics? Would that be sufficient for me?

That processor (and all of the X99 processors) doesn't have integrated graphics. You need a graphics card if you want to go with a high-end chip like that.

I love the build, but there's one thing I'd definitely change and one thing you might want to look into changing:

The Hyper 212 Evo is a decent cooler, but I have some serious reservations that it can keep up with an HEDT processor, especially a 12-core. Nearly any AIO water cooler will do a better job, but this is the one I use on my 9900K.

The "maybe" change is much more straightforward: For the price, your 860 Evo is a good SSD, but you could have much faster storage for the same price by going with something like a 660p NVMe. This would also help offset some of the change in price to get an AIO water cooler.

Other than that, this is an excellent build! It's basically the HEDT version of my 9900K/Z390 Taichi Ultimate/RTX 2080 Ti build called KAIOKENxTEN, which I use for gaming and video editing. You won't be disappointed.

Definitely do not need a Z class motherboard for a locked CPU. You'll be paying money for too many features you wont be using.

Also, I see you removed it, but just to clarify, you won't need that 212 Evo CPU cooler if you aren't overclocking the CPU, either. (there are some caveats there, such as if the ambient air temperature of where you will have this computer is relatively high, or if airflow to the inside of your case is restricted, an aftermarket cooler might be smart. Otherwise the stock cooler the CPU comes with will be fine.)

That N200 case is meant to be real nice. I might have gotten it for the build I just finished if it were a bit more aesthetically attractive, but that's highly subjective. It's features/quality for price is good.

Your PSU is fine. Definitely go 80+ certified. You can save some money going for Bronze over Gold and staying with a standard design over modular. The N200 case offers some decent cable management so dealing with the attached bundle of cables from the PSU won't be too big of an issue. I got this one.

I'm in the market for a new Video Card. I've been using a 5770 for a few years now and have been saving up. Unfortunately, I don't have the biggest budget (diapers are expensive and my son is fond of pooping). As much as I'd love to go for a 770, I can't go more than $300. I'd prefer something in the $200 - $250 range, as I'm also in the market for a new monitor.

Here are the video card and monitor that I'm currently leaning towards:

XFX Double D FX-795A-TDFC Radeon HD 7950

Asus VS247H-P 24-Inch Full-HD LED-Lit Monitor

Are these good options? I know a lot of people strongly dislike XFX, but others praise them. The reviews on Newegg and Amazon seem favorable for the video card, but there are some negative ones in the mix. XFX seems to be responsive to those negative ones. And a lifetime warranty is extremely alluring (granted the lifetime warranty on my BFG PSU doesn't really amount for much nowadays).

Should I wait for the 760? I feel like the 7950 looks just as good and I can find those on sale in the $260 range, while the 760 will probably be a firm $300 - 320 for a bit.

Any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Monitor Not sure what the difference is, but its a whole lot cheaper.

PSU Save you $20 and still enough to power your rig. Also modular.

RAM You don't want to pay the extra for $30 MIR to save a few bucks.

GPU Keep the boost or wait for a better sale on the 7870.


EDIT:You might be able to find someone selling a cheap windows 7 key at /r/hardwareswap or if you're in college you might be able to get it free or discounted with msdnaa

One option is to upgrade your CPU. The i5 4690k for $250 is the fastest cpu in your price range that your motherboard will support.

Another option, which will be better in the long run, would be to upgrade to the latest platform. This would mean a re-build with a new cpu, motherboard, and RAM. Personally, I recommend Ryzen unless you ONLY use your computer to play AAA gaming titles.

Honestly, in the end, my recommondation is to save that $300 until it grows a bit more and upgrade to the newest platform.

Unless of course you're like me, and love buying computer parts and tinkering this very moment -- in which case go for the 4690k.

I have this cooler, slightly annoying to set up but a good cooler for the price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RR-212E-16PK-R1-Performance-Universal/dp/B0068OI7T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654244&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+master+hyper+212+evo
Used to have this headset good quality sound and the mic sounds good, simulated 7.1 is good aswell for the price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-788-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00LNJZTTY/ref=pd_cp_147_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PY9QKDZ31F262YH8NGT
WIFI adapter is just a generic one from amazon it's fine for the price really
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-A6210-100PES-AC1200-802-11AC-Adapter/dp/B00OT586RQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654430&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+adapters
Keyboard there are some options but for £20 you might not get a great one I would recommend saving and getting a decent mechanical keyboard, it really is worth it. This corsair is a good shout at £65 but it is tenkeyless if that bothers you.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CH-9000040-UK-Vengeance-Performance-Mechanical/dp/B00DOTQ15M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654646&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+keyboard
Edit: added wifi card and keyboard bit

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.

I'll start off by saying $2500 will get you 5x what you need to play these games, the PC I built for about $930 after rebates and all runs H1Z1 at an average of about 110 fps on a 1920×1200 monitor. However, if you so pursue to spend this much money and that is your wish I have some opinions on the build. I would go the GTX 1070 to save some cash, the 1080 is certainly overkill. I would upgrade your RAM to 16GB DDR4, that is something that is very nice and almost necessary to run some games efficiently nowadays (I know a friend who plays H1Z1 on 8GB of ddr3 RAM and he complains it is always is capping out for him and causing FPS lag, I don't know if this is from H1Z1 alone but alone H1 uses 4GB or RAM on average. This isn't accounting for anything else you may be doing. Next, with that budget get a better PSU, I would recommend a modular, 650-800W PSU that is gold plated such as this. If you can afford to get a nice PSU it is worth ensuring all your stuff won't get fried or damaged in the long run. The only other thing I got would be the monitors(s) portion. I play COD competitively and also take some games very seriously on PC so for me I personally would get a BenQ 144hz monitor, but that is a preference of mine... and I also prefer to stay away from Dell monitors, go get anything but Dell in my opinion. Hope I helped!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $188.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus PRIME H270-PLUS-CSM ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $84.99
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $84.99
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.99
Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB Dual Video Card | $194.77 @ OutletPC
Case | Corsair SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case | $54.99
Power Supply | Corsair CXM 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $69.99
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer | $14.99
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $109.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $883.59
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $863.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker

I've never used it so I am not sure, but this is the mic. There is a video of it I bleieve you can hear a demo. Keep in mind that this is an Omni-directional mic so it will pick up everything in your room including your voice. So if you constantly have barking docs and what not, this may not be ideal. But this should be loud enough for your friends to hear you over Skype.

Your next best option would bit This mic. THis should be a uni-directional mic, so it should mostly only pick up your voice. It still sounds tinny but it should sound better than the Clip on mic, and almost every webcam mic. It is basically a "Budget-Mod Mic".

But the best "attachable boom mic" on the market right now is the Mod Mic, which is what I was using for quite awhile until I just switched with an AT2020 XLR mic.

Can anyone recommend a good cooling fan for my CPU on my pc? Issue is I'm not sure what sort of details I need to give for this.

I've been using my stockfan for sometime in my PC but it's now got super loud and my computer is randomly restarting, leading me to believe that its time to upgrade to some better cooling. As well as replacing the thermal paste which hasn't been done in a few years. But I know what to buy thermal paste wise.

Thinking of going for this as I can get it very quickly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-Hyper-RR-212E-16PK-R1-Heatpipe/dp/B0068OI7T8/

Will this EVGA 600B 80PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Active PFC 600W Power Supply 100-B1-0600-KR fit in this [Raidmax Raptor No Power Supply ATX Mid Tower Case (Black) ATX-823BR] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008X199N2/?tag=pcpapi-20)

I'm really new to pc building, so bare with me.

[This is my soon to be rig] (http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme/comments/220ism/cheap_below_1000/) the ones I'm chaging are the Memory and Tower because they're not available in amazon (international shipping) so if you guys can recommend for memory and tower, that would be great, but if the tower I linked is, hopefully, good enough. Then recommend a good memory.

I'm looking to buy a graphics card for my first PC build (which will happen in the next few months) because I got a relatively substantial amazon gift card. Literally the only game I play is Rocket League, and it's the only game I plan on playing. What is my best value option?

I don't have a 4k monitor (nor do I intend to get one) so I'm really not trying to run everything at max settings/max fps. I just want something that will run the game well enough on high settings.

My current thought is this one but if this one would help me that much more, I think I'd be willing to dish out the cash. Or if there's an entirely different one that would work best for my needs then by all means suggest another!

I think he means overpowered, but the video card you list actually requires a 750w unit, so I don't think that's the case. Personally, I'd strongly advise going with an Intel based build considering your budget. You don't specify what you're using the system for, but INtel is far and away better than AMD at per thread performance. Very few applications can take advantage of all the cores you have on that AMD processor and, even if they could, using fewer threads faster will still blow the doors off of the AMD. That's been the case for a while now.

The current crop of i5s paired with 8GB of RAM (2x4GB) is generally considered the best bang for the buck for any gaming rig. If this is for video editing or anything along those lines, then an i7 may be worthwhile, as well as bumping up to 16GB of RAM.

I'm heading out in a sec, so I don't have time to pull together a full build, but pair either of those CPUs with a decent motherboard like this one and you should be fine. Use the rest of the same build you have except drop the CPU cooler entirely unless you plan to overclock.

One thing I'm noticing is the non-modular PSU. I would look at getting something that is fully modular, or even semi-modular. It's just easier to work with and I think easier to mantain better cord management.

For the CPU, I would take a look at the 9400 not the 9400F. As far as I can tell, at least in the states, the 9400 is the same price, it's just slightly faster and a bit newer.

The SSD - the 750 Evo seems more expensive than what it's worth. I would take a look at an NVMe drive like the Intel 660p. For 1TB of space, your getting something that is much MUCH faster and, at least in the states, is only $4 more expensive:
Intel SSD 660p Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GCL6BR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_85L2CbQP2JY6Y

Then, this way, if you get the faster Intel SSD, you can ditch the HDD, because you'll have 1TB as a boot drive and storage, most likely saving another $50 as well.

EDIT: Also, it seems like the case you're looking at is a full-ATX (correct me if I'm wrong) so then why are you going for a mATX board? You could get something a bit faster, better with cooling, and probably cheaper if you got a full-sized board like this one:
MSI Performance Gaming B360 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CBKQ75V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_agM2CbBWA8CJP

Same price in the USA as the board you've chosen.

Edit 2: Also, I can't find the PSU anywhere come to think of it. Don't buy a used PSU, that is one of the general no-nos, because those things deteriorate over time, what you think is a 500W is possibly only 350W to 400W. Stick with EVGA or Corsair even SeaSonic.

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.

Okay I did a quick little research and I found this monitor. I think the used goods of it is pretty cheap, but my next reaction was wow that is huge. Coming from someone that only ever uses laptops, are 20+ inch monitors actually standard for PC?

Also is there a subreddit where I can find people to help me build irl for maybe some payment and a lunch? lol

All in all the parts below are pretty damn nice and not overkill for what you need. Very good cpu imo (using one in a current build), quality msi mobo, not a crazy power supply (most people go overboard with their psu) and the case.... don't even get me started. So good! Best of luck to you and your build

Motherboard:http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Motherboards-Z97-PC-MATE/dp/B00K23BW70/ref=zg_bs_1048424_43

CPU:http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-4690K-Processor-BX80646I54690K/dp/B00KPRWB9G/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417246859&sr=1-4&keywords=cpu

PSU:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H33SDR4/ref=twister_B00NCZND2C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Case:http://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Design-Define-Cases-FD-CA-DEF-R4-BL-W/dp/B008HD3E6Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417247326&sr=1-1&keywords=fractal+design+define+r4

You'll get better sound quality for a better price buying a good pair of regular headphones and adding a mic. Specificially I would suggest getting a pair with a detachable cord and adding this mic.

As for the wireless route, that's a bit more complicated, but you could still pair a set of wireless headphones with an external mic and getting something nice. I have this set of wireless headphones from Sony and really like them, although you could probably do better for $300. For the mic, I would get something like the Blue Snowball.

Its not easy buying in Ireland but if your upgrading the graphics card shortly you look on ebay.ie for an older second hand one for the meantime.
The build looks good but you can save a few euros on

Memory http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00J8E92I0/?tag=pcp05-21 or http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J8E91H2/?tag=pcp0f-21

PSU http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00I64OYM2/?tag=pcp05-21

Case http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011A2LWZI/?tag=pcp0f-21 or http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NZI69JU/?tag=pcp0f-21

I wouldn't skimp on the PSU or case because they'll last you if there good, though 650W is a little high for a single GPU setup and that mobo doesn't support SLI (have to pay a premium for SLI mobo) and limits memory speed to 1600. For mobo unless you want all the features of a H97, a cheaper model will be would fine. Goodluck with the build.

For faster web browsing and general multitasking, you want: Fast ram, fast/multicore CPU, and fast storage.

I don't see an SSD on your parts list, so that would by far be the biggest bang-for-your-buck improvement you can add to your computer.

Get a solid state drive to use in conjunction with your hard disk drive, reinstall your Windows operating system onto that SSD, and move all important/frequently used software/files onto that SSD.

Here is the SSD buying guide to help you choose which SSD to probably buy: https://www.reddit.com/user/NewMaxx/comments/9yv0c6/ssd_buying_guide_wip/

For top performance, I would recommend the Samsung 860 EVO (in whichever size you want, but the bigger the storage size the better it will perform). If that is too expensive for you, there are always other options, such as the ADATA Su800.

---

Note, an SSD will improve your loadspeeds on everything, but alone is unlikely to improve your LoL framerate much. For that you will likely need a new CPU, new RAM, and a new motherboard to put it all in.

Total custom PC building noob here. Had a friend help me out each time I wanted to upgrade, but thinking about doing it myself this time. I want to upgrade my graphics card and was wondering if someone could let me know if the one i'm planning on buying is compatible with my current motherboard.

Planning on buying a EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC.

My current motherboard is a Z87M MSI Gaming Motherboard.

Would these two work together? Any help would be super appreciated!!

I have a basic question:
My graphics card is pretty outdated (ASUS Radeon R7 200 Series), and I was wanting to upgrade to a new GPU that would run games like H1Z1, Player Unknown Battlegrounds, LoL, WoW, etc. Would this graphics card be okay for that? If there is a better quality one for the price, let me know. Thanks ahead of time! https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-Support-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1491492287&sr=1-3&keywords=graphics+card

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?

You buy a physical card that plugs into your motherboard, like this one.

They have very good range (and can easily get a bigger external antenna). They don't suffer from speed limiting issues like USB or powerline. They're compatible with most modern PCs.

The downside is that it's not as clean inside the PC if you have a super good looking build, and you still need strong wifi signal wherever your tower is. Also slower and usually more expensive than just running an ethernet cable to your PC, if that's an option.

IMO, it's one big gimmick and you would get better build quality and sound quality from music headphones. If you pay a little more then you get a little more.

A gaming headset mic is ok but a standalone mic like the V-MODA BoomPro, Modmic or the Blue Snowball would be better.

'7.1 surround sound' is basically gamer advertising for the soundstage I mentioned earlier.

Extras like the programmable keys, RGB and wireless are gimmicks too. I used to own Logitech G930s with programmable keys and wireless. I went into the other room and my wireless would drop in and out. I ended up not using the programmable keys because I already have a ton of keyboard keys and mouse buttons. It's plastic buttons and colors my friend.

I just want you to get something really well made and that blows everything else out of the water.

Yes, you can install that graphics card.

Yes, you could, but I'd prefer that you get a better quality power supply. One that isn't a fire starter. A power supply powers your whole computer - definitely don't cheap out on this component. I'd recommend this one if you're on a budget: http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-BRONZE-Continuous-Warranty-100-B1-0600-KR/dp/B00EON40CS . I've used it personally and it's quite solid. Reviewed decently on JonnyGuru.

Cleaning your computer with compressed air or a balloon pump probably won't help much, but a good cleanup can reduce the amount of noise since the fans don't have to work as hard dissipating heat from crud-infested heatsinks.

Looks good. I'm +1 with everyone else who has said 'SSD' with the caveat of choosing a better SSD than the one you have chosen in system builder. The 860 is a SATAIII drive and at 500gb will fill with modern games fast.

If budget is an issue, I'd go this route instead.

(Newegg) https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-series-1tb/p/N82E16820167462?cm_sp=SearchSuccess-_-INFOCARD-_-intel+660+ssd-_-20-167-462-_-1&Description=intel+660+ssd

or (Amazon) https://smile.amazon.com/Intel-660p-1-0TB-80mm-SSDPEKNW010T8X1/dp/B07GCL6BR4/ref=dp_ob_title_def

The Intel 660p (1tb) is not the fastest NVME drive by any metric but its still 3 times faster than any SATAIII based drive. Plus the extra room is well worth the extra +$20 dollars it would cost.

Again, everything else looks fine, especially if you already have a monitor/KB/mouse and OS. Good luck!

Thanks - Ill definitely go with PCIe now.

As much as I like Asus - I was thinking of going with one of these two -

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079XWMEI/?tag=pcpapi-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WWMZSK/?tag=pcpapi-20

They seem to get better reviews and are cheaper.
Also, This question may get a little technical- but certain standards such as 802.11a/b/g/n offer different speed rates. Since N is capable of 300mbs, isnt that a little overkill - considering my internet provider will give me something around 50mbps? I dunno just hoping your a comp whiz that knows everything - thanks for the advice!

I entered 1300 as a budget and it came out with this

pc-kombo recommendation

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K | EUR 349,00 @ Amazon.de
Motherboard | ASRock Z97 Anniversary | EUR 82,90 @ Cyberport
Memory | Kingston HX316 (8 GB) | EUR 42,32 @ Amazon.de
Storage | WD10EZEX Blue (1 TB) | EUR 52,23 @ Amazon.de
SSD | Samsung MZ-75E250B/EU (256 GB) | EUR 75,97 @ Amazon.de
Video Card | GeForce GTX 980 | EUR 499,00 @ Amazon.de
Case | Fractal Design R5 | EUR 109,11 @ Amazon.de
Power Supply | Be quiet! L8-CM (430 W) | EUR 61,80 @ Amazon.de
| Total | €1272.33
| Generated by pc-kombo 10.01.2016 |

This should acceptable i think. Upgraded graphics card and better CPU. I was looking onto getting more new game title since right now im only capable on playing these two low requirement games. I was thinking about games like GTA V or Witcher 3. I also want some higher graphics in WoW even in intensive Raids.
Maybe change the graphics card since i think its kinda overkill ( is it?)

Get Windows 8. It's way faster and the learning curve is not too bad at all.

Intel 4690 i5 + Asus H97 if you're not gonna overclock.

Intel 4690k i5 + Asus z97-A if you're gonna overclock.

Of course, the mobo's are entirely up to you, depending on what features you want, but those are pretty popular ones.

As for the HDD, I'd really recommend taking advantage of the low SSD prices and getting a cheap 120 GB Samsung 840 EVO and pairing that with the existing hard drive you have. Installing Windows 8 on this SSD should give you a noticeable performance boost. Then again, the SSD is up to you.

Right now I'm trying to choose storage for my first PC build. I've seen a lot of "NVMe M.2 are not worth it if you are just doing gaming." Which is fine with me, I don't mind getting the 2.5'' SSD. Except right now I am looking at the Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD and the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD and they are both on sale and the difference between the two is only $30. I was wondering, at this price range is the 970 EVO worth it? If it was at max price I would definitely not buy it, but right now it looks like this is a pretty good deal.

TL;DR

Looking to buy Storage. Should I get the Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD or save $30 and get the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD Is the 970 EVO worth it at this price?

Hello r/buildapc. I have a quick question about some monitors I recently bought and my framerates. Couple of days ago I bought two Asus VS247H-P to replace my old monitors which were a 1920x1080 main monitor and 1024x720 second monitor. After I hooked up my new monitors, I loaded up Dota 2 and tried to play some games but noticed a significant decrease in FPS, which led me to turning off V-Sync, and it brought my FPS back to 65 (I have it set at 65 in the console). However, I still notice a slight "lag?" or something, it just doesn't feel "smooth" as my previous monitor setup and I'm not sure if it is because my GPU is now running two 1920x1080 monitors at the same time or because my eyes aren't adjusted to the new monitors maybe? I plan on purchasing the EVGA GTX 750 Ti SuperClocked FTW Edition when it becomes available, and saw that it comes with a Display Port for G-Sync. Would using G-Sync with these monitors help with the slight fps lag I am experiencing right now? Could it be an issue with my CPU? Will my new monitors support work with G-Sync if I get an HDMI to Display Port cable? Thanks.

Current GPU: EVGA GTX 570 SuperClocked

Current CPU: Core i7-920 @ 2.66 ghz

The Philips SHP-9500's and V-Moda BoomPro. Stupidly good combo for the price. The headphones have massive cups and are super comfortable, though they are open so you better be okay with sound leakage. The mic is great and is super convenient, it will pair with any headphone that has a standard 3.5mm removable cable.

I was looking back at your build for reference on the CPU (which I have now switched to in order to save ~150 dollars), and I noticed how expensive the monitor you're getting is. I just bought this one and could not recommend it highly enough. It has nothing but 4-5 star reviews and is the best monitor I've seen for the price at 24". Here's an amazon link. Just wanted to give my two cents and maybe even save you some 120 dollars :)

Oh well nevermind .. i should have compared prices earlier to other shops, they seem quite good. If you want you can check out these sites and see if you can get away with less money.

• Home of Hardware,
  
• Case King,
  
• Mindfactory
  
  Your build looks quite nice, although i would change a few things. I would swap the Noctua Cooler for a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, which is not listed in pcpartpicker for some reason. You also want to change the harddrive to a 7200rpm (thats either a seagate barracuda or WD Blue) drive and maybe go for 1 TB of storage since you can save a little bit there. Also you can go for a little cheaper RAM (G.Skill Ripjaw).
  
  I will post a list with changes later, if you want.

SSDs can be made with different types of NAND flash. The EVO uses TLC NAND, and the QVC uses QLC NAND. QLC is slower, and has worse endurance. TLC is not top shelf, but better than QLC.

However, you probably won't notice a speed difference unless you're a video editor or have some other super heavy workload. Likewise, the endurance issue is not really going to be a problem for a normal user. Get the cheaper QVO unless you're editing 8k video all day every day.

Or better yet, get the 1tb Intel 660p for $109. It's QLC like the QVO, but uses the nVME connection, which is a faster than than SATA. An nVME QLC drive will be faster than a SATA TLC drive, as SATA is a bottleneck (one of the reasons why the QVO and EVO are so similar, the speed of SATA is a limiting factor). It also regularly goes on sale for around $95 .

But if you're editing 8k video you'd probably want to upgrade to higher end SSD like SX8200 Pro or 970 EVO (but they're roughly 2x the cost)

My motherboard only has one system fan header, but I have two system fans. Would I be able to use something like this to safely use both case fans that come with my corsair 350d? I have this motherboard. I can't find the amp values for the case fans, and don't want to fry/melt the on board fan header from the initial power draw.

You can use splitters like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B46XKKQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 2 way splitter linked, if you look under "color" there is a 3 way one too.

I have both a 3 way and 2 way. They should work fine unless you have high speed fans that draw a lot of current, you can check the Amps your fans draw on the specs and as long as the total(for all fans on splitter) is less that like 1 Amp for a header it should be fine.


Also I happen to have your motherboard.

CPU optional apparently just matches whatever the CPU fan is putting out, so it isn't individually controllable.

You can use AIO pump as a fan header and control the speed, but not as well as other fan headers, and if I remember you can't have a fan on there stop/shut off.

Case 1, 2 and the M.2 fan header at the bottom are fully controllable fan headers, so I would suggest using those 3, with splitters for whatever you want to do.

I recently Upgraded to an Define R6 so I'm just using the included fan hub on that for the fans that I always have turned on, and then use Case 1+2 with splitters for fans that are normally off but turn on when the system heats up.

Sorry for the long response time. IPS panels have better colors and viewing angles. TN panels on the other hand have higher refresh rates and response times.

You have to pick one or the other at this price range though. I however prefer TN panels because I like the smooth 144hz refresh rates and 1ms response times. You on the other hand might want the better colors.

Here are some IPS monitors that are recommended often.

• Lenovo 65D1KCC1US 23" 1920x1080p display with a 60hz and 4ms response time.
  
  
• LG 24MP59G-P 24" or 27" 1920x1080 display with a 75hz refresh rate and 5ms response time.
  
  
• LG 24MP68VQ-P 24" 1920x1080 AH-IPS with 75hz refresh rate and 5ms response time.
  
  TN Monitors
  
  
• ViewSonic XG2402 24" 1920x1080 144hz 1ms response time
  
  
• Asus VG248QE 24" 1920x1080 144Hz 1ms
  
  
• BenQ ZOWIE XL2411 24" 1920x1080 144Hz 1ms

Hello there! I'm in the same boat as you, so I can't answer all your questions, and my answers may be lacking detail, but I'm deciding on a build pretty similar to yours so I'll try :D. Anyways:

1. Modular seems to be the way to go due to easier cable management which increases air flow in your case, which is an overall plus.
   
2. I'm also planning on getting the 770 GPU, but I don't see the relation between cheaper MOBO now and potential for SLI a few years later...? I'm assuming its not a money thing since you said a few years. However, you might need a better PSU as someone on IRC told me 850w for 2 770's. Just depends on how far down the road you're thinking about SLI.
   
3. I was advised to get 2 4GB RAM for dual channel, so I switched to that.
   
4. I've been looking at monitors, and you can get a ~24'' for about 16 dollars more. IMO it's worth it, but up to you:
   http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VS247H-P-24-Inch-Full-HD-LED-Lit/dp/B005BZNDS0/ref=pd_cp_pc_1

Changed the cooler. New one uses less power, runs quiter and has adjustable fan speed. Put everything except the case in via Amazon. MUCH easier when you get it all in one delivery. Also you will need some Thermal Paste

The PSU will be fine for your question below.

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | £177.91 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer C + LNC 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | £49.99 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £89.58 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury White 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | £63.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £115.90 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £54.00 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card | £544.98 @ Amazon UK
Case | NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | £88.98 @ Aria PC
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | £90.11 @ Amazon UK
Monitor | Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor | £530.88 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1806.32

I know nothing about the inner workings of a computer. My 14 year old son plays games on his all the time (mostly Steam). For Christmas 2014, I got him this. I am struggling on ideas for what to get him, so I have been googling and found this on a list of "perfect gifts for the pc gamer in your life" or whatever. My question is, Is this a decent upgrade? Would it make that much of a difference for him?

Also, sort of related, but not really. He said he needs a new XBox controller that he uses for his computer games (he broke his). He has an Xbox 360 that is old and he never plays on. Do I have to get him a 360 controller? Most of the ones I have been seeing are for the Xbox One. Also, do I need any kind of adapters?

Thank you so much.


edit: Also, if you can suggest any other parts or things that will improve his experience I would greatly appreciate it. Like I said, I know nothing so this is all very confusing for me. Amazon links would be amazing.

Also a noob, but I'll help as best I can:

1. Try getting a screen that has little lag, about 2 ms response time.
   http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VS247H-P-24-Inch-Full-HD-LED-Lit/dp/B005BZNDS0/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370892196&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=moniton+24+inch
   
   
2. Right off the bat. Install Windows 7 on a USB and boot the USB through your BIOS once ready. See sidebar for instruction.
   
3. Should work right off the bat.
   
4. Someone more experienced can help you there

No worries, I figured it would be good if I explained my reasoning for the part choice. In my opinion, if you have the money to spend, 144hz is definitely worth the investment. The 144hz experience is very smooth and fast. Hz refers to refresh rate, or the number of times the screen changes per second. Thus, 144hz will be faster, smoother, and better all around. They are a bit more expensive then your average 60hz though. The two 144hz monitors I'd personally recommend are the [Asus VG248QE] (https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479966681&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+vg248qe) and the [BenQ XL2411Z] (https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-24-Inch-Tournaments-Professional-XL2411/dp/B01H5KKQTM/ref=dp_ob_title_ce). Both are fantastic monitors however the BenQ monitor come with more features which can be found on their website. In conclusion, yes, I would say that purchasing a 144hz monitor is very worth it if you have the money to spend.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

That looks like a pretty ok build, tho you don't seem to have a cpu cooler.
Are you planning on buying an aftermarket cooler or just using the stock fan intel provides?
I would recommend getting an aftermarket cooler, if you will not be overclocking i'd recommend the hyper 212 evo.
The cooler is way better and more silent then the stock cooler and only costs around 30 euros (I've seen it sell for 20 euros also, but only in the netherlands.) Cpu cooler

Also the ssd seems a bit pricy for what you are getting,
if you are willing to pay 90 euros for that one I'd rather recommend a Samsung evo 850, it has better read and write speeds and it's 10 euros cheaper on amazon.de
SSD

Wow that's super convenient! Thank you so much!!
___
I was probably gonna go with the RipJaw Series since I've used their DDR3 RAM on this PC and it gave me no trouble. Plus i read they were a good brand and seem to be pretty reasonable with the price, and by looking at the link you gave me both the motherboard and RAM have 288 pin and DDR4 3000 so I should be okay.

I have this monitor
http://smile.amazon.com/VS247H-P-1920x1080-DVI-D-Back-lit-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDS0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

What is the best GPU for 1080p gaming? I assume getting a 1070 or 1080 would be overkill. So what current generation should I get?

In the future I might upgrade to a 1440p monitor, which GPU would be the best for that one?

Please and thank you!

I'd change that PSU to something a bit better like the XFX 550w http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-550w-core-edition-80--bronze-psu-8K0S.html?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=AW00&awc=3044_1371733810_7db70d1a1f24e8f96f99a688dc0b7bec

That will also save you some money too. Money which can be put towards a better cooler like the Hyper 212 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-120mm/dp/B0068OI7T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371733863&sr=8-1&keywords=hyper+212

I would change out that RAM too for some lower profile stuff, those silly fins on that Corsair stuff are unnecessary, be it something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008W6AK0O/?tag=pcp0f-21 or this http://www.dabs.com/products/patriot-memory-8gb--2-x-4gb--ddr3-1600mhz-viper-3-black-mamba-dimm-cl9-89V5.html?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=AW00&awc=3044_1371733960_8cc87971a000a75fba36c3826a8db7d3

Consider too maybe swapping the motherboard to the MSI G45 Gaming.

If you're not concerned about noise, or RGB, but you care about price to value ratio, take advantage of the fact the 303 is a large enough size case.

Buy 4 fans for less than the price of the expensive fan someone reccomended.

These are fairly quiet, 38CFM fans.


If you want higher CFM fans, here's a value pack of 5 here.

You can get a few fan splitters here.


Note, not all fans have to be PWM controlled. For some fans, can just run fans on their default setting, or H/M/L and not plug them into the motherboard (just use sata/molex power).

I don't know what kind of cooling you really require, a case with 7 fans will have serious cooling regardless. In smaller form factors, this is where the more serious high performance fans are critical. There's a lot of breathing room in the 303.

Obligatory 'this is my monitor and I love it': https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-XL2411P-Response-eQualizer-Adjustable/dp/B01H5KKQTM

Saw that it wasn't suggested yet so I thought I'd throw it in there. Good image quality, good aesthetics and a super sturdy stand. Plus you get that BenQ street cred.