Desktop Computers

Joeboo

Molten Core Raider
8,157
140
Hey guys. I am going to finish buying my parts today. Any thoughts?

Basically anything that isn't already bought is up for change. I think I like what I have selected but you guys know more than I do.
Just a heads up, but that HAF 912 case(which I actually like a lot) doesn't have any USB 3.0 ports on the front of it(they would all be on the back of the case on the motherboard). No idea if this is a big deal to you or not, just wanted to give a heads up. Generally, cases that have USB 3.0 on the front tend to be a good $20-$30 more than what you are planning on spending right now.
 

Rabkorik

Silver Knight of the Realm
164
45
Just a heads up, but that HAF 912 case(which I actually like a lot) doesn't have any USB 3.0 ports on the front of it(they would all be on the back of the case on the motherboard). No idea if this is a big deal to you or not, just wanted to give a heads up. Generally, cases that have USB 3.0 on the front tend to be a good $20-$30 more than what you are planning on spending right now.
I wouldn't mind spending $30-$50 more on a case if it's worth it. That's why I wanted to get input on all the pieces I haven't bought yet (not just the case). Thanks for the heads up.
 

Ameraves

New title pending...
<Bronze Donator>
13,882
15,347
Okay, so I had planned on putting a computer together last year but the extra funds just weren't there. My computer is at a point now that I need to go ahead and put one together. I am a bit torn on a couple things though.

Through my work we get a great deal on Intel chips, and a decent discount on SSD and Motherboards. Some of the deals are a bit better if you buy them in a bundle, so I am contemplating a few options.

Option 1: $560. Reason I am unsure of this one is the motherboard. I don't know much about it but it seems quite pricey, but I am getting about $80 off the price of it.
CPU - i7-4770K
Motherboard -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...irtualParent=1
SSD -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...irtualParent=1

Option 2: $442 Same CPU and SSD but this Motherboard instead. Again, just not sure about how good this motherboard may be.
Motherboard:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...irtualParent=1

Option 3: $393 This would be just the CPU and SSD, and then I can get a different motherboard elsewhere.

I have options for the i5 as well, but with the discount I get it only is about a $50 price difference. So what do you guys think? Are the Intel boards worth it, and if so which one
would be good?

Oh, and one last question on the video card. Is the price difference between the 770 and 760 worth it? I don't do a ton of hardcore gaming anymore, but would like this to last for a while. However, if it is better to just get the 760 and save a bit, and simply upgrade that later, I could do that.
 

Joeboo

Molten Core Raider
8,157
140
Both of those motherboards look solid, it really comes down to features. The more expensive one(Z87) has 3 PCIE 3.0 ports, where as the cheaper one(H87) only has one, so if you ever think theres a possibility that you might run more than 1 video card in your machine, the Z87 would be the way to go. The Z87 also looks to be a tad more overclock-friendly as it accepts higher speeds of RAM beyond DDR 1600.

That being said, if money is a concern and you have no serious plans to overclock much, just go with the H87, it looks like a perfectly good motherboard. Its easily worth the ~$50 that it would cost you to get the bundle that includes it. You won't find another decent 4770K-compatable board for anywhere near that cheap, that's a good deal.

And as for video cards, the 760 is kind of the sweet spot right now for price/performance. The 770 is probably 20% more powerful, but costs ~60% more, if you are on a budget, I don't know that it's really worth it. The 760 is a hell of a card for $250, it's a great deal.
 

Ameraves

New title pending...
<Bronze Donator>
13,882
15,347
Thanks for the info. I wouldn't say money is a huge concern, but I don't want to buy something just because it is the best. I highly doubt I will ever run more than one video card, so if that is really the biggest difference than I will just go with the cheaper one.

I know there is been much discussion about monitors as well. I have tried looking around a bit, and this appears as good as I can find.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2UP5XAILMISJEwhich comes out to about $353 shipped. Are there any better deals out there now for the 27 IPS at that resolution?

I will post the build here when I have it all ready just for any other feedback.
 

Kovaks

Mr. Poopybutthole
2,358
3,148
I know a number of others have asrock z77 extreme4. Has anyone else gotten suround sound working from it using an HDMI cable. I downloaded the latest audio driver for it and when i test it in my audio settings it pings all my speakers but when i play a video of any kind the back 2 don't make any sound.

Getting frustrated.
 

Ameraves

New title pending...
<Bronze Donator>
13,882
15,347
Alright, so here is what I went with

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1iReG) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1iReG/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1iReG/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-...r-rr212e20pkr2) | $29.98 @ Outlet PC
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-...800cl10d16gbxl) | $123.30 @ Newegg
**Video Card** | [Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-vi...tx760dc2oc2gd5) | $259.99 @ Amazon
**Case** | [Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal...se-fdcadefr4bl) | $93.49 @ Amazon
**Power Supply** | [SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasoni...m12ii620bronze) | $83.98 @ SuperBiiz
**Optical Drive** | [Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lite-on...ive-ihas124-04) | $14.99 @ Newegg
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $605.73
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-20 21:30 EDT-0400 |

Then ordered the i7-4770K + DH87RL + 240 GB 525 mSATA Series for $487 shipped, and found a QNIX 27 IPS for $286 shipped.

I have a 2TB external HD that I use to store all my documents, media etc. on. I may go pick up another one at Fry's to make sure I have enough storage. Other than that I need to get a new keyboard and speakers as well, but that is of lower priority.

So all total it came out to $1460 with tax and shipping.

EDIT: Oh, sorry about the ugly formatting. Too lazy to go fix it though!
 

Inque

FunEmployed
521
719
Invest in the 760 unless you have money to burn. I picked up the EVGA 4GB version with stock cooler for approximately $290 and it's idle temp is around mid 30s, at max load on WoW it's not pushing any higher than mid 50s and for everything else no higher than 60 if that. And I'm using an old Antec P180 case with not the best air cooling solution. Love this card.
 

McCheese

SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
6,933
4,349
I picked up my mobo and cpu (the ones from my previous post) at Microcenter today and found that they fit into my super old case, so that saved me 50 - 70 dollars.

I decided to go with a basic 7200rpm HD instead of a SSD. While I'd love a SSD, it is a luxury and I'm really, really limited in the amount of money I can spend, so I can't afford to spring for luxuries. Since I've never used one I won't miss it.

Thanks for the inputs, everyone. Now I cross my fingers that nothing arrives DOA.
 

Jysin

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
6,829
4,991
I'm pretty sure 2gb is all you'll need for 1080p or less. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Correct. You only need the massive memory models for ultrawide resolutions. (Triple monitor gaming, etc)

If you are 1080p gaming, your money is better spent on the OC version.
 

W4RH34D_sl

shitlord
661
3
Ugh. Fuckin MSI. They put the x-fi gaming audio software on their overclock line, and cinema software on their gaming line.

So I actually like the features of the x fi 3 so I went ahead and bought the suite from creative, and it doesn't have the one thing I wanted on there. LOL.

Anyone know of a cool voice mod for your mic? I wanna sound like optimus prime or something.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,654
16,718
My brother is looking for the best card for $150 or under, any recommendations? He isn't huge on PC gaming, just wants something better than his GTX 260 or something - it's pretty shitty
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,654
16,718
That's what I told him last night, so that's good. I haven't kept up with much in terms of graphics card technology for awhile.
 

Ameraves

New title pending...
<Bronze Donator>
13,882
15,347
Super bummed! All of my parts are here now, with the exception of the monitor. Checked the shipping status, it was originally supposed to be here Thursday, but now isn't going to be here until Monday. Sad face