[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Gaming PC round II (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/14/2014 7:41:57 PM EDT
|
Is this a decent start for a gaming pc?
(1) Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 ($197) (2) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ($93) (3) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X OC 2GB ($180 - $15 rebate) (4) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB ($36) (5) Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($57) (6) Case: Rosewill Challenger ($50) (7) Power Supply: EVGA 500B ($40) (8) Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD Burner ($19) (9) Operating System: Windows 8.1 ($92) |
|
Quoted: I keep reading that the difference between 4 and 8 is negligible for gaming. It's easy enough to add later if I need it. Quoted: Quoted: Need more ram... other than that it looks good. I keep reading that the difference between 4 and 8 is negligible for gaming. It's easy enough to add later if I need it.  |
|
My son is running a 4690 i5 and H97 MOBO with R290 GPU and is having no problem with any game at max resolution.
Get a 750 power supply. The Radeon GPUs are still good for the money: http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16814150697&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566 Our build... http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_119/1631848_Gaming_Computer__Birthday_Build_for_Son__Complete_.html |
|
I've read 4gb of ram is the bare minimum to run some things, 8gb is better.
I upgraded from 4 to 8 on an older pc and the change was very noticeable. ETA. You can open a program to see what amount of ram you are using now, iirc I used hover around 4GB or more while gaming. |
|
Quoted:
I've read 4gb of ram is the bare minimum to run some things, 8gb is better. I upgraded from 4 to 8 on an older pc and the change was very noticeable. ETA. You can open a program to see what amount of ram you are using now, iirc I used hover around 4GB or more while gaming. I'll just buy more RAM then, is the rest sound? |
|
Quoted:
I keep reading that the difference between 4 and 8 is negligible for gaming. It's easy enough to add later if I need it. Quoted:
Quoted:
Need more ram... other than that it looks good. I keep reading that the difference between 4 and 8 is negligible for gaming. It's easy enough to add later if I need it. It's not. Get 8gb. |
|
I like AMD cards,but that's a pretty low end one. I'd get at least a higher one jn the R9 series (probably R9 285 or better - you can find them for around $200-250).
And definitely need more than 4GB. Windows is a huge hog, and high-end games use lots of ram these days. I'd take a look at the "recommended settings" of the games you want to play, and get a few upgrades over that. |
|
Quoted:
I'll just buy more RAM then, is the rest sound? Quoted:
Quoted:
I've read 4gb of ram is the bare minimum to run some things, 8gb is better. I upgraded from 4 to 8 on an older pc and the change was very noticeable. ETA. You can open a program to see what amount of ram you are using now, iirc I used hover around 4GB or more while gaming. I'll just buy more RAM then, is the rest sound? Get a better power supply. This is the minimum I would go with: $25 more than your current choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&cm_re=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-028-_-Product Corsair makes excellent supplies; they cost more, but you get that back in quality. I've been running a 750 watt Corsair since 2011 and it has been flawless. My only regret is not getting the modular version, and that will be rectified when I replace the supply, whenever that may be... |
|
Quoted: I'd at least get 8gb RAM and I would get a better graphics card. AMD cards are power hungry. I suggest an Nvidia GTX 700 series card. Only other piddly thing I'd look at is Black vs Blue for the HD. Just all around better drive...get one with 64mb cache if you can. |
|
650 to 750 watt power supply preferably modular.
8 gig of ram SSD for the boot drive 128 gig or larger. and last but not least you need 3 monitors for surround gaming, i like the old 19's that are not wide screen for 3840x 1024 res. Put that cpu underwater and OC the crap out of it along with video card. |
|
Quoted: Is this a decent start for a gaming pc? (1) Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 ($197) (2) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ($93) (3) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X OC 2GB ($180 - $15 rebate) (4) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB ($36) (5) Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($57) (6) Case: Rosewill Challenger ($50) (7) Power Supply: EVGA 500B ($40) (8) Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD Burner ($19) (9) Operating System: Windows 8.1 ($92) #10) 120GB Corsair SSD isn't on the list for some reason... ????  Regarding #3 and #1, what games are you doing? I mean, for most FPS you could probably push down the CPU one notch in price and push up the GPU. Depends a lot on your needs, though. What about monitor and audio? They are both important and can help determine GPU/CPU ratio. For PSU: Wattage is important, but less so than amperage and overall build quality. A cheap one, regardless of wattage, will suck, fail sooner or later, and be unstable. Use an online calculator, then get a PSU with that wattage from a GREAT brand. It's that simple. Plan for upgrades, so basically set it up for the higher of the two: current build or upgraded build. Plan on losing 15% or so between now and the upgrade, so keep that in mind. Going through a half-guessed calculation, you need between 450-500W. Anything more is overkill (750W is  unless you're heavily OCing) and wasted money that could be better spent elsewhere. Something like this is good:Corsair 500W $65. I wouldn't spend much under $65 for a PSU for any serious desktop rig unless you're aiming specifically for low-wattage everything. |
|
Cry once buy once. This guys builds fast gaming/pc computers. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181355293248?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT |
|
Quoted:
Only other piddly thing I'd look at is Black vs Blue for the HD.
Just all around better drive...get one with 64mb cache if you can. Quoted:
Quoted:
I'd at least get 8gb RAM and I would get a better graphics card.AMD cards are power hungry. I suggest an Nvidia GTX 700 series card. Only other piddly thing I'd look at is Black vs Blue for the HD.
Just all around better drive...get one with 64mb cache if you can. Only real difference is the warranty. My 1TB Blue has 64MB of Cache. |
|
Quoted:
Cry once buy once. This guys builds fast gaming/pc computers. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181355293248?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Just spend the 40-50 minutes yourself to assemble it. Doubt he can be cheaper than Amazon/newegg while having the same part selection. |
|
Quoted:
Just spend the 40-50 minutes yourself to assemble it. Doubt he can be cheaper than Amazon/newegg while having the same part selection. Quoted:
Quoted:
Cry once buy once. This guys builds fast gaming/pc computers. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181355293248?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Just spend the 40-50 minutes yourself to assemble it. Doubt he can be cheaper than Amazon/newegg while having the same part selection. Hey bro, my time is more valuable than to spend it putting together 6 parts! 
|
|
Get an SSD and a standard drive. Use the SSD for your OS and a couple of your favorite games. Store everything else on the standard. It will speed you up immensely.
Upgrade the power supply. Get a modular one. I have a Corsair 850W. More RAM. Razer makes nice peripherals for gaming. I use a Blackshark headset, Taipan mouse and Blackwidow keyboard. Logitech head sets aren't bad, either. |
|
For audio: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-update-10-15-2014-beyerdynamic-t51i-added Just get a standalone mic. They're fine. I've got a $70 set of headphones and a $5 stand mic. You don't need a headset with crappy drivers. The only one I'd consider would be one with a proper 3D positional processing tech built in, like Razer, but you might as well just get a good pair of audiophile headphones and an independent Sound Blaster card for that. 850W... what's next 1000W for a mid-range gaming rig? I have 500W max-load (430W generally), and it's more than sufficient for a similar PC, has been for years. More isn't necessary unless you: 1) overclock heavily 2) SLI/crossfire 3) have high-wattage everything 4) run a ton of extras |
|
Quoted:
Is this a decent start for a gaming pc? (1) Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 ($197) (2) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ($93) (3) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X OC 2GB ($180 - $15 rebate) (4) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB ($36) (5) Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($57) (6) Case: Rosewill Challenger ($50) (7) Power Supply: EVGA 500B ($40) (8) Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD Burner ($19) (9) Operating System: Windows 8.1 ($92) People buy windows 8????? |
|
Might want to check where you read that the difference between 4 and 8 GB is negligible. 8 and 16 for gaming you might not be able to tell, but I could definitely tell when I went from 4 to 8 GB. I couldn't see much of a difference from 8 to 16, though.
I highly recommend a SSD for your operating system, too. You missed out on the huge deals on amazon for those, but they will still probably be on sale all the way through new years. |
|
Quoted:
Get a better power supply. This is the minimum I would go with: $25 more than your current choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&cm_re=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-028-_-Product Corsair makes excellent supplies; they cost more, but you get that back in quality. I've been running a 750 watt Corsair since 2011 and it has been flawless. My only regret is not getting the modular version, and that will be rectified when I replace the supply, whenever that may be... Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've read 4gb of ram is the bare minimum to run some things, 8gb is better. I upgraded from 4 to 8 on an older pc and the change was very noticeable. ETA. You can open a program to see what amount of ram you are using now, iirc I used hover around 4GB or more while gaming. I'll just buy more RAM then, is the rest sound? Get a better power supply. This is the minimum I would go with: $25 more than your current choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&cm_re=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-028-_-Product Corsair makes excellent supplies; they cost more, but you get that back in quality. I've been running a 750 watt Corsair since 2011 and it has been flawless. My only regret is not getting the modular version, and that will be rectified when I replace the supply, whenever that may be... Couldn't agree more. I've had the same one (non modular) for about as long on a pc that's on 24/7. It's the oldest single component in the only pc I can afford, and I suspect it'll be powering my pc for (hardware) generations to come. |
|
(1) Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K($250-300) (2) Motherboard: Asus z97-AR($100~ with processor combo) (3) Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB ($230 after 20$ rebate) (4) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB ($70) (5) Hard Drive: 240gb SSD Drive, pick a decent brand ($100~) (6) Case: Cooler Master HAF evo xb ($100) (7) Power Supply: EVGA 750B ($75) (8) Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD Burner ($19) (9) Operating System: Windows 8.1 ($92) That is my system I just rebuilt. I reused a few parts, not many. Reutilized my operating system with the new setup so I saved a few bucks there. But its a decent computer, great for games, and should last a long while. Check out the package deals out there, plus you may see some good offers after the 1st of the year to get rid of inventory. |
|
While you may "get by" with what you are starting with. You will be upgrading in the near future if it is a gaming PC. Start small = upgrading every year if not more often Start big = buy once, cry once and enjoy the show for the next 5+ years. I have never heard anyone complain about their computer being to big and powerful. |
|
so you are looking at around 750 and everyone here has a suggestion on how you need to improve, so by the time you decide to buy once cry once 850 and then tax and shipping etc, so you are looking at a grand.
or you could get a gaming console and not have to worry about it being obsolete and not playing the next game next week. just sayin... |
|
Quoted: The only thing you need is more ram, bigger power supply, and Win7. Try to get at least 16gig. It will last you for at least 5 years. Upgrade will be CPU, Ram, Video Card, and Motherboard. Windows 8.1 is the tits for a gaming computer. It's a bit faster than windows 7. Windows 8.1 on my Samsung 840 Pro SSD loads in seconds when I boot.
|
|
Quoted: No reason not to get an SSD for the primary HD on a gaming machine these days. That and an extra 4 gig of ram over what was posted in the OP and it will play anything with most things on ultra. I'm inclined to tell you that this post is.... diagreeable. First, an SSD will not improve your performance in games. An SSD will lower your loading times sure, but you do not get increased performance. Second, I agree with EBR and msot others, 8gb of memory is really the sweet spot, and you most likely don't need 16gb. You can measure your memory usage by opening task manager and clicking on "performance". Lastly, the 270 video will not play most, or even many, games on ultra. I certainly can't fault you to having a budget and sticking with it, but if you are looking for an "ultra" experience in gaming, you'll need to upgrade the video card. I'm just upgrading from my 280, and it was a great card. Very capable for the $$. |
|
Quoted: I'm inclined to tell you that this post is.... diagreeable. First, an SSD will not improve your performance in games. An SSD will lower your loading times sure, but you do not get increased performance. Second, I agree with EBR and msot others, 8gb of memory is really the sweet spot, and you most likely don't need 16gb. You can measure your memory usage by opening task manager and clicking on "performance". Lastly, the 270 video will not play most, or even many, games on ultra. I certainly can't fault you to having a budget and sticking with it, but if you are looking for an "ultra" experience in gaming, you'll need to upgrade the video card. I'm just upgrading from my 280, and it was a great card. Very capable for the $$. Quoted: Quoted: No reason not to get an SSD for the primary HD on a gaming machine these days. That and an extra 4 gig of ram over what was posted in the OP and it will play anything with most things on ultra. I'm inclined to tell you that this post is.... diagreeable. First, an SSD will not improve your performance in games. An SSD will lower your loading times sure, but you do not get increased performance. Second, I agree with EBR and msot others, 8gb of memory is really the sweet spot, and you most likely don't need 16gb. You can measure your memory usage by opening task manager and clicking on "performance". Lastly, the 270 video will not play most, or even many, games on ultra. I certainly can't fault you to having a budget and sticking with it, but if you are looking for an "ultra" experience in gaming, you'll need to upgrade the video card. I'm just upgrading from my 280, and it was a great card. Very capable for the $$. The whole point of the SSD is faster load times.... |
|
Your original build is fine. With a single GPU and a non-OC'd CPU, 500W is more than enough. I'd personally see if there are any AMD R9 280's or 280X's on sale though, a lot of time they can be had for the same prices as the 270X.
280X for $20 more than the 270X R9 280 for $180 before a MIR |
|
Quoted:
(1) Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K($250-300) (2) Motherboard: Asus z97-AR($100~ with processor combo) (3) Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB ($230 after 20$ rebate) (4) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB ($70) (5) Hard Drive: 240gb SSD Drive, pick a decent brand ($100~) (6) Case: Cooler Master HAF evo xb ($100) (7) Power Supply: EVGA 750B ($75) (8) Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD Burner ($19) (9) Operating System: Windows 8.1 ($92) That is my system I just rebuilt. I reused a few parts, not many. Reutilized my operating system with the new setup so I saved a few bucks there. But its a decent computer, great for games, and should last a long while. Check out the package deals out there, plus you may see some good offers after the 1st of the year to get rid of inventory. That is a better system. I like the I7 for gaming. |