Spring 2014 Build

[Drakul]

Ok folks I've been doing some research these past weeks and here goes! Keep in mind I most likely won't upgrade until March/April so this will be an ongoing discussion and I welcome all opinions

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming (Witcher 3, FPS, Point n Clicks, WoW, possible Win98 emulation), light video editing (I have Vegas Pro and would like to work on a few projects but realistically I've edited only a few times in the past 5 years), browsing (usually Chrome with 5-10 tabs and some extensions), anime watching and PS3 Media Server and other inconsequential activities.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
~$1,500

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Houston, TX

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, MB, GPU, PSU, HDD, RAM, Blu-ray burner, HS, Fans, Tower, possibly monitor

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Not much, speakers, keyboard, mouse, maybe HS and fans and monitor

6) Will you be overclocking?
No (or very little). I usually buy already OCed GPU and never touch it.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Current monitor is 22" at 1680x1050 but looking to upgrade to 24" at 1920x1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
right now

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Not sure honestly. Maybe RAID, eSATA, USB 3.0, maybe a nice onboard sound chip.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Vista 64bits but UGH!, thinking about getting 8.1.

 

[Drakul]

Now I haven't been idle and done some research these past few weeks and here's some of what I had in mind.

- CPU
Not set on this. Still debating between Ivy Bridge and Haswell but thinking around $200 maybe 3570 or 4670.
Not looking to OC but a bit concerned about heat issues with Haswell.

- Heatsink
Noctua NH-U14S or NH-U12S or Scythe Mugen 4 (not sure if my current HS could be recycled

- MB
Haven't done research on this yet and will depend on CPU.

- GPU
Thinking about a GeForce GTX 760 but not sure on brand yet (Gigabyte or MSI maybe)

- PSU
Seasonic X-850 SS-850KM3 Active PFC F3. Might be overkill and would get the X-750 or X-650 instead to save a bit.

- RAM
2x8GB DDR3 1600 or 1866. Not entirely sure on brand, I want a low profile heatsink and was thinking either Corsair Vengeance, Kingston HyperX or G.skill Ares series

- HDD
Definitely want an SSD and the consensus seems to be Samsung 840 Evo 256GB

- Blu-ray Burner
Pioneer BDR-209DBK seems good and I like the no white branding on front.

- Monitor
Would like a 24" (it need to have a max height of 18") and am leaning towards either the ASUS PA248Q Black or the BenQ BL2411PT

- Tower
Corsair Graphite Series 230T (as long as it's compatible with my MB and HS)

- OS
Like I said I was thinking about getting 8.1 but last time I built a my rig and decided to get Vista since XP was getting really old, even though Vista wasn't very popular and it was the first Windows version I bought (shh)....only to find out months later that MS announced a much better Windows 7 to come out soon to erase Vista from memory.
And I'm 'worried' Threshold could come out soonish and make my purchase of 8.1 again obsolete.


That's about it for now. Like I said I welcome all recommendations and discussions.

 

[Dangman]

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In about 2-4 months

You're planning/researching way too early man. Due to the rather volatile pricing and availability of computer hardware, a build that's good this month may not be a good build next month. Hell we've had a few situations where a build was totally outdated after a few days. So if you want an up-to-date build list, you're better off just waiting until you're 1-3 weeks away from buying the parts to ask for advice/plan your build then.

With that said, if you have any general questions, feel free to ask them in this thread.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Houston, TX

How long is the drive to this Microcenter for you?:
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/houston.aspx

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Vista 64bits but UGH!, thinking about getting 8.1 but news of Threshold coming "soon" makes me wonder.

Not particularly a big fan of Windows 8.1 but I would definitely recommend getting Windows 8.1 to replace Vista. As for "Threshold", it's not due out for another year and a half (at the least and assuming that it doesn't get delayed). We'll know more in in early April but waiting basically a year from April with Vista? Forget that. Especially considering that Windows 8.1 has some really awesome and generous licensing terms.

 

[Drakul]

You're planning/researching way too early man. Due to the rather volatile pricing and availability of computer hardware, a build that's good this month may not be a good build next month. Hell we've had a few situations where a build was totally outdated after a few days. So if you want an up-to-date build list, you're better off just waiting until you're 1-3 weeks away from buying the parts to ask for advice/plan your build then.

With that said, if you have any general questions, feel free to ask them in this thread.

I'm a bit OCD about doing research on stuff for weeks in advance and I'm not looking for top of the line, more like good perf for not too pricey kind of thing (isn't everyone? I know).
Some stuff may change but at least it's a good outline and since I hadn't looked at hardware in 5 years it's helping get back into the pool

How long is the drive to this Microcenter for you?:
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/houston.aspx

I live in NW Houston so not far (about 30mins). Is it a good store? I've never been there and usually buy stuff on Newegg.

Not particularly a big fan of Windows 8.1 but I would definitely recommend getting Windows 8.1 to replace Vista. As for "Threshold", it's not due out for another year and a half (at the least and assuming that it doesn't get delayed). We'll know more in in early April but waiting basically a year from April with Vista? Forget that. Especially considering that Windows 8.1 has some really awesome and generous licensing terms.

I've been living with Vista for way too long but I was biting my bullet until my next upgrade. I pretty much agree with you on Threshold so i'm most likely going to get 8.1.
Is the Pro version of any use?

 

[Dangman]

I'm a bit OCD about doing research on stuff for weeks in advance and I'm not looking for top of the line, more like good perf for not too pricey kind of thing (isn't everyone? I know).

Yeah but what I said earlier still applies to lower-end hardware and such. So it's still in your best interest to wait.

I live in NW Houston so not far (about 30mins). Is it a good store? I've never been there and usually buy stuff on Newegg.

It's a very good store mainly due to their CPU + mobo combo deals. Since you're only 30 minutes away, it's totally worth the drive to pick up the CPU and motherboard from there.

I've been living with Vista for way too long but I was biting my bullet until my next upgrade. I pretty much agree with you on Threshold so i'm most likely going to get 8.1.
Is the Pro version of any use?

You more than likely won't need the Pro version.

- CPU
Not set on this. Still debating between Ivy Bridge and Haswell but thinking around $200 maybe 3570 or 4670.
Not looking to OC but a bit concerned about heat issues with Haswell.

The heat issues are only a concern when you overclock Haswell CPUs. Since you're not overclocking, shouldn't be a big concern.

- GPU
Thinking about a GeForce GTX 760 but not sure on brand yet (Gigabyte or MSI maybe)

As noted earlier, computer hardware pricing is pretty volatile. So this may not be a good choice once AMD GPU pricing comes down.

- PSU
Seasonic X-850 SS-850KM3 Active PFC F3. Might be overkill and would get the X-750 or X-650 instead to save a bit.

Total overkill. You would be fine with a solid 550W PSU.

- RAM
2x8GB DDR3 1600 or 1866. Not entirely sure on brand, I want a low profile heatsink and was thinking either Corsair Vengeance, Kingston HyperX or G.skill Ares series

It's going to come down to price really. The performance difference as well as quality differnece between the three RAM you've mentioned aren't that great to give one brand or another a real edge.

- HDD
Definitely want an SSD and the consensus seems to be Samsung 840 Evo 256GB

It's the Samsung 840 Evo 840 250GB. To get 256GB, you'll have to spend a lot more for the Samsung 840 Pro.

 

[Drakul]

Yeah but what I said earlier still applies to lower-end hardware and such. So it's still in your best interest to wait.

But you knwo how it goes also, I might get the itch and end up upgrading early Feb because I can't take my 6 year old rig no more
My big issue right now is RAM, I run Chrome (skype and sidebar) and am using 65-70% of my 4GB so as soon as I launch something like WoW I get crazy popups that memory is low and it drives me crazy (especially since it's a new thing and I never had that problem before)

It's a very good store mainly due to their CPU + mobo combo deals. Since you're only 30 minutes away, it's totally worth the drive to pick up the CPU and motherboard from there.

That's good to know, thanks!

The heat issues are only a concern when you overclock Haswell CPUs. Since you're not overclocking, shouldn't be a big concern.

Yeah that's what I read but then since I'm not OCing does that mean I should definitely skip Ivy Bridge for Haswell?

As noted earlier, computer hardware pricing is pretty volatile. So this may not be a good choice once AMD GPU pricing comes down.

Well for sure but I'm not sure if I want an AMD GPU or not. I currently have one and I'm happy with it but everything I've read shows that GeForce is on top except maybe for the very top of the line cards. But there's no way I'm spending more than $250-300 on a GPU and I don't see these cards dropping $200+ value in a few months.

Total overkill. You would be fine with a solid 550W PSU.

You think? I currently have a Corsair 620W So does that mean I shouldn't even bother upgrading the PSU?

It's going to come down to price really. The performance difference as well as quality difference between the three RAM you've mentioned aren't that great to give one brand or another a real edge.

Yeah price for sure but I was also considering reliability. I've read some posts that the Corsair RAM can have some issues.

It's the Samsung 840 Evo 840 250GB. To get 256GB, you'll have to spend a lot more for the Samsung 840 Pro.

Oh right. Trying to erase 15 years of 64->128->256->512...
Is the 840 Pro of any interest?


PS: Thanks for the help!

 

[Drakul]

Changed my decision for my tower. I'm now going to get the Obsidian 550D.
I'd love a silent case and since I don't OC it shouldn't be a problem. I'll just put Noctuas (or other) on front, back and bottom and let'er rip.

 

[Dangman]

But you knwo how it goes also, I might get the itch and end up upgrading early Feb because I can't take my 6 year old rig no more

Yes I do know how it goes. But I've also seen the reverse as well in others. I've seen people who are ready to buy but at the last minute cancel the purchase plans due to cold feet or unfortunate events happening. So still best to wait.

My big issue right now is RAM, I run Chrome (skype and sidebar) and am using 65-70% of my 4GB so as soon as I launch something like WoW I get crazy popups that memory is low and it drives me crazy (especially since it's a new thing and I never had that problem before)

Yeah, that's why I upgraded to 8GB of DDR2 RAM with my Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 when DDR2 RAM was cheap as hell. Hell even with 16GB of RAM I sometimes run out...

Yeah that's what I read but then since I'm not OCing does that mean I should definitely skip Ivy Bridge for Haswell?

Yes unless the Ivy Bridge setup is significantly cheaper (by at least $50 IMO)

Well for sure but I'm not sure if I want an AMD GPU or not. I currently have one and I'm happy with it but everything I've read shows that GeForce is on top except maybe for the very top of the line cards. But there's no way I'm spending more than $250-300 on a GPU and I don't see these cards dropping $200+ value in a few months.

You should read a bit more: Below the $200 or so mark, AMD still holds solid ground over Nvidia. It's only when you go above $200 and factor in the current price gouging where Nvidia starts looking good.

You think? I currently have a Corsair 620W So does that mean I shouldn't even bother upgrading the PSU?

You technically would be fine with that COrsair HX620 but I would err on the side of caution and replace the PSU anyway since the HX620 is a bit old. It was released in 2006.

Yeah price for sure but I was also considering reliability. I've read some posts that the Corsair RAM can have some issues.

Every RAM manufacturer has issues.

Oh right. Trying to erase 15 years of 64->128->256->512...
Is the 840 Pro of any interest?

The 840 Pro is really only worthwhile if it's on sale or if cost is not a huge issue.

Changed my decision for my tower. I'm now going to get the Obsidian 550D.
I'd love a silent case and since I don't OC it shouldn't be a problem. I'll just put Noctuas (or other) on front, back and bottom and let'er rip.

Great case. Only complaint I have about it is that it doesn't haven as much room in the back to hide PSU cables. So a modular PSU + thin cables is really needed for that case.

 

[Drakul]

You technically would be fine with that COrsair HX620 but I would err on the side of caution and replace the PSU anyway since the HX620 is a bit old. It was released in 2006.

Yeah my thoughts as well

Every RAM manufacturer has issues.

Hey now, I'm the French one here so pessimism is me not you

Great case. Only complaint I have about it is that it doesn't haven as much room in the back to hide PSU cables. So a modular PSU + thin cables is really needed for that case.

Which adds to my needing to change my PSU and getting a Seasonic 650W

 

[Dangman]

Hey now, I'm the French one here so pessimism is me not you

LOL! Do note that apparently Kingston RAM does seem to have a better track record when it comes to reliability.

Which adds to my needing to change my PSU and getting a Seasonic 650W

Yup.

EDIT: Oh Fans wise, I recommend reading this article:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Fan_Roundup_7

 

[Drakul]

LOL! Do note that apparently Kingston RAM does seem to have a better track record when it comes to reliability.

Yup.

EDIT: Oh Fans wise, I recommend reading this article:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Fan_Roundup_7

I did browse that article last week but sadly they don't have Noctua fans in this roundup which is a shame.
I think though from what I've read that I want PWM fans but which MBs have this feature is not always evident and I've even seen reports that the ones that tout the feature are not really PWM anyway... kinda confusing

 

[Dangman]

I think though from what I've read that I want PWM fans but which MBs have this feature is not always evident and I've even seen reports that the ones that tout the feature are not really PWM anyway... kinda confusing

If it's a 4Pin fan connector, that's a PWM fanSo if the motherboard has a 4Pin fan connector, then it has PWM.

 

[Drakul]

I've focused a lot on display research these past few weeks because it's the part I'm having the most trouble making a decision on.

I'm pretty sure I want 24" 16:10 and that already limits the options.
Gloss, it seems the rage is semi-gloss or very thin matte. I certainly don't want glossy and I was concerned about matte being too dull until I realized my current Samsung T220 is matte and I like it fine. That said I'd much prefer a thin matte vs a thick one.

VA or IPS, for my use I was thinking that better contrast would be better than great color accuracy but it seems VA monitors are much harder to find, have cone of vision problems...
IPS on the other hand all seem to have some kind of corner glow which I think would drive me crazy. PWM I have no idea if it would affect me or not...
This reminds me of when I was looking for Plasma vs LED and plasmas were better dark but not as bright and vice versa (I went Plasma).
I don't like faded blacks at all and I don't like dark environments in games were the contrast is too muted and you have to crank brightness to see anything.

I feel like VA would be better but the consensus here weighs heavily in favor of IPS.

IPS I've noted are

BenQ BL2411PT - Gets great feedback, A bit of a pain to get, concerned slightly about height and maybe a bit too matte?
Eizo EV2336W - good reviews, great height but 23" and 16:9 (spending that kinda of money to get from 22" to 23"....)
NEC EA244WMi - Good all arounder, good height, good price but some people report flickering
ASUS PA248Q - seems average so I may skip that one, the PB248Q is not readily available and too pricey.

 

[Dangman]

Your best bet for help with displays would be the Displays subforum.

 

[Drakul]

alright it's been a month and I'm back and like planned I'm upgrading now. I just installed Secret World and I can barely run the menu (f dat!).

Not much has changed since I first started brainstorming honestly so here's the lowdown:

CPU Haswell i7 4770k
GPU GeForce GTX 760 still not sur on which brand though
PSU Seasonic X-650 (I might get the 750 since it's just $10 on the egg)
RAM 2x8GB DDR3 1600 G.skill Ares
HDD Samsung 840 Evo 250GB
Blu-ray Burner Pioneer BDR-209DBK
Tower Corsair Obsidian 550D
OS Windows 8.1 (Pro useless right? should I get the OEM?)

The monitor I'm pretty set the BenQ BL2411PT but I think I'll get it later as I don't have a ton of money right now and I need perf boost asap.

The only thing I'm still debating is the MB. I was thinking either ASUS Sabretooth Z87 or the P8Z77-V but the ASrock Fatality 'recently' reviewed seems nice.

Seems good to you guys?

 

[rastaban]

Are you set on Asus or ASRock for the board? You can do pretty good with the MSI Z87 G45 Gaming for a lot less than the Sabertooth.

Don't bump the PSU to the X750, the extra wattage room will make your system less efficient.

 

[Drakul]

Are you set on Asus or ASRock for the board? You can do pretty good with the MSI Z87 G45 Gaming for a lot less than the Sabertooth.

Don't bump the PSU to the X750, the extra wattage room will make your system less efficient.

Not really set on either brand, I currently have a gigabyte MB and am happy with it. They just seemed to be better reviewed and the MSI less so.

How so for the PSU?

 

[rastaban]

Generally, the lower your operating wattage relative to the PSU's rated output, the lower your efficiency will be from the wall. Your build will have a hard time hitting even 500W with a heavy overclock and at full load, so there's no reason to raise 650W to 750W.

How so for the MSI? are there any glaring features the Sabertooth has that the MSI lacks? (gimmick thermal armor doesn't count) Since you stated that overclocking will be minimal, it will be less of an issue. I'd say the MSI is well worth the savings.

 

[Dangman]

For the video card brand, I trust Asus, MSI, eVGA, and Gigabyte. But 2-4 months is still a tad too early to lock in the video card choice.

As for the PSU, the X-750 is a great deal. Overkill for your needs but a great deal. However, the X650 occasionally down to $100. Same for the even higher quality Seasonic X660 PSU. So same deal as the GPU. As for the efficiency "issue", more on that later.

You don't need Pro. OEM is fine.

As for the motherboard, the P8Z77-V is for an entirely different CPU socket (LGA 1155) than the Core i7 4770K (LGA 1150). So that's out. AS for the Sabertooth, IMO, it's not worth the money since you're not overclocking. The ASRock Z87 KILLER is a solid motherboard for the most part. With that said, the main problem with the AsRock Z87 Killer is that it's not available from Microcenter as far as I can tell from the website as of this post. This is important since MC will knock off $30 off the motherboard if you buy it in combination with the CPU:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/f09f9daf#/f09f9daf/33

As noted earlier, yes MC is worth the 30 minute drive in your situation since you can get the 4770K for $70 less than online. Then add in the $30 motherboard discount and you're potentially saving around $100 (minus gas and sales taxes). Plus it's an awesome store to visit. As for which motherboard to get, if you were buying TODAY, the Asus H87M-PLus/CSM mATX is a good choice since you're not overclocking. If you do plan on overclocking, again if you were buying TODAY, I'd probably recommend the MSI Z87-GD45 GAMING.

However, if the ASRock Z87 KILLER or the Asus Z87-A (apparently, currently out of stock at your local MC but plenty in-stock at the MC near me here in CA) are available at your Houston Microcenter when you buy, I would get those mobos over the MSI since they're going to be cheaper than the MSI and of equal, if not better, quality. Personally, out of those three, I'd go with the Asus Z87-A. In fact, I did .

Don't bump the PSU to the X750, the extra wattage room will make your system less efficient.

It's honestly not much of a loss in efficiency. Probably like 1 to 2% at most.

 

[rastaban]

It's honestly not much of a loss in efficiency. Probably like 1 to 2% at most.

haha, but a loss is a loss!

 

[Dangman]

haha, but a loss is a loss!

Meh.

 

[Drakul]

Generally, the lower your operating wattage relative to the PSU's rated output, the lower your efficiency will be from the wall. Your build will have a hard time hitting even 500W with a heavy overclock and at full load, so there's no reason to raise 650W to 750W.

How so for the MSI? are there any glaring features the Sabertooth has that the MSI lacks? (gimmick thermal armor doesn't count) Since you stated that overclocking will be minimal, it will be less of an issue. I'd say the MSI is well worth the savings.

From what I recall from the test the MSI had some software and driver install issues so that's why I didn't put it on my list.

For the video card brand, I trust Asus, MSI, eVGA, and Gigabyte. But 2-4 months is still a tad too early to lock in the video card choice.

As for the PSU, the X-750 is a great deal. Overkill for your needs but a great deal. However, the X650 occasionally down to $100. Same for the even higher quality Seasonic X660 PSU. So same deal as the GPU. As for the efficiency "issue", more on that later.

You don't need Pro. OEM is fine.

As for the motherboard, the P8Z77-V is for an entirely different CPU socket (LGA 1155) than the Core i7 4770K (LGA 1150). So that's out. AS for the Sabertooth, IMO, it's not worth the money since you're not overclocking. The ASRock Z87 KILLER is a solid motherboard for the most part. With that said, the main problem with the AsRock Z87 Killer is that it's not available from Microcenter as far as I can tell from the website as of this post. This is important since MC will knock off $30 off the motherboard if you buy it in combination with the CPU:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/f09f9daf#/f09f9daf/33

As noted earlier, yes MC is worth the 30 minute drive in your situation since you can get the 4770K for $70 less than online. Then add in the $30 motherboard discount and you're potentially saving around $100 (minus gas and sales taxes). Plus it's an awesome store to visit. As for which motherboard to get, if you were buying TODAY, the Asus H87M-PLus/CSM mATX is a good choice since you're not overclocking. If you do plan on overclocking, again if you were buying TODAY, I'd probably recommend the MSI Z87-GD45 GAMING.

However, if the ASRock Z87 KILLER or the Asus Z87-A (apparently, currently out of stock at your local MC but plenty in-stock at the MC near me here in CA) are available at your Houston Microcenter when you buy, I would get those mobos over the MSI since they're going to be cheaper than the MSI and of equal, if not better, quality. Personally, out of those three, I'd go with the Asus Z87-A. In fact, I did .


It's honestly not much of a loss in efficiency. Probably like 1 to 2% at most.

Sorry for the confusion I'm actually upgrading now, the '2 months' was from when I did the OP.

I won't touch eVGA, I bought one once and had it crap at on me so not touching them again. What would you reco as of today?

For the MB I think the other Asus in case I got an Ivy Bridge so you're right it's out.
I'm definitely buying my bundle at MC but I'm confused about the compatible combos because you mention the AsRock killer as not available but then you mention the Asus H87M but I don't see that one on the MC bundle page.
So is the bundle actually for all combos or just the 4-5 ones showing on the main page?
Also one consideration is I'd like to get a PWM fan MB.

Also I'm noticing MC has some open box deals... that might be interesting to look at.

haha, but a loss is a loss!

haha indeed, and since I don't need the 750W i might as well save the $10 and gain the 1-2%.

 

[Dangman]

Sorry for the confusion I'm actually upgrading now, the '2 months' was from when I did the OP.

Ahh. Then the GTX 760 is fine.

I won't touch eVGA, I bought one once and had it crap at on me so not touching them again. What would you reco as of today?

Whatever is the cheapest Asus DirectCu II, MSI TwinFrozr, or Gigabyte Windforce GTX 760 card you can find.

For the MB I think the other Asus in case I got an Ivy Bridge so you're right it's out.

Even if you were going Ivy Bridge, that mobo still would not ahve been a good choice since you're not overclocking.

I'm definitely buying my bundle at MC but I'm confused about the compatible combos because you mention the AsRock killer as not available but then you mention the Asus H87M but I don't see that one on the MC bundle page.
So is the bundle actually for all combos or just the 4-5 ones showing on the main page?

No. The discount is for ANY LGA 1150 motherboard available at Microcenter and only if you buy the motherboard with the CPU in the same purchase.

haha indeed, and since I don't need the 750W i might as well save the $10 and gain the 1-2%.

On Amazon.com right now, they have the Seasoni SS-660XP2 for $150 shipped (one in stock apparently). THat's what I would go with:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009VV56U8/?tag=extension-kb-20

Here's why I would go with that 660XP2 PSU over the similar priced Seasonic X-650:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013...num660_660w_power_supply_review/#.Ux_5S_ldVWw
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/08/19/seasonic_xseries_x650_power_supply_review/9#.Ux_5cvldVWw

 

[Drakul]

The Gigabyte is out due to the 3 fans and the fact that it's noisy. I think I'll go with the MSI since despite the small flaw with the connector it seems to be better built and has a little higher clock than the ASUS on newegg right now. Plus I currently have an MSI and I'm happy with it.

Good catch about the PSU I forgot that even though the X-850 was gold the 650 version wasn't so yeah probably 660XP2.

Now for the MB would you recommend I wait for them to restock the Z87-A? It could just take a few days or a week.

 

[Dangman]

The Gigabyte is out due to the 3 fans and the fact that it's noisy.

Noisy? Where did you read that? From personal experience, the Gigabyte Windforce is just as quiet as the MSI TwinFrozr and Asus Direct CU II cards.

Now for the MB would you recommend I wait for them to restock the Z87-A? It could just take a few days or a week.

Wait a week at most.

 

[Drakul]

Noisy? Where did you read that? From personal experience, the Gigabyte Windforce is just as quiet as the MSI TwinFrozr and Asus Direct CU II cards.

The [H] test mentioned it could get noisy so that's why I made that decision. But like you said they're pretty much all the same card to a degree. BTW are all/any of these PWM fan ready?

 

[Dangman]

The [H] test mentioned it could get noisy so that's why I made that decision. But like you said they're pretty much all the same card to a degree. BTW are all/any of these PWM fan ready?

Ummm... huh? If you're asking whether or not you could dial down the GPU's fans to whatever you want, the answer is yes. If you're asking if the GPU's fans will automatically scale with the GPU load you're pushing on it, the answer is yes. If you're asking if you can connect the GPU's fan to a fan controller, the answer is a no, kinda.

 

[Drakul]

Ummm... huh? If you're asking whether or not you could dial down the GPU's fans to whatever you want, the answer is yes. If you're asking if the GPU's fans will automatically scale with the GPU load you're pushing on it, the answer is yes. If you're asking if you can connect the GPU's fan to a fan controller, the answer is a no, kinda.

Sorry I was talking about the Mobos... got mixed up.

 

[Dangman]

Sorry I was talking about the Mobos... got mixed up.

All of the motherboards have at least one 4Pin fan connector. All of the fan connectors on the MSI Z87-G45 GAMING and the Asus Z87-A are the 4Pin fan connectors. Only two out of the five fan connectors on the AsRock Z87 Killer, only two are the 4Pin and one of those 4Pins is for the CPU.

With that said, I wouldn't get too hung up on the PWM aspect considering that there are some PWM fans are significantly more noisier than regular 3Pin fans. Not to mention that one of the best quiet fans on the market is the 3Pin Scythe Gentle Typhoon:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Fan_-_1850_RPM_D1225C12B5AP-15_Hot_Item_.html

 

[Drakul]

All of the motherboards have at least one 4Pin fan connector. All of the fan connectors on the MSI Z87-G45 GAMING and the Asus Z87-A are the 4Pin fan connectors. Only two out of the five fan connectors on the AsRock Z87 Killer, only two are the 4Pin and one of those 4Pins is for the CPU.

With that said, I wouldn't get too hung up on the PWM aspect considering that there are some PWM fans are significantly more noisier than regular 3Pin fans. Not to mention that one of the best quiet fans on the market is the 3Pin Scythe Gentle Typhoon:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Fan_-_1850_RPM_D1225C12B5AP-15_Hot_Item_.html

I was thinking about getting the Noctuas since they seem to be getting great reviews most everywhere, albeit they are a bit pricey.

 

[Drakul]

Did a bit of research on the MSI Z87-G45 GAMING today and thanks for pointing it out cause I like it and I may get that one. What can I say I like MSI

 

[Dangman]

Did a bit of research on the MSI Z87-G45 GAMING today and thanks for pointing it out cause I like it and I may get that one. What can I say I like MSI

IMO, still overkill for your needs since you're not overclocking.

 

[Drakul]

IMO, still overkill for your needs since you're not overclocking.

True but there are a few features I appreciate on it like the better LAN and Audio chipset, the 4-pin fan connectors...
And with the rebate and MC discount it 'only' costs $119 which really isn't bad.

 

[tenub]

True but there are a few features I appreciate on it like the better LAN and Audio chipset, the 4-pin fan connectors...
And with the rebate and MC discount it 'only' costs $119 which really isn't bad.

My EVGA 780 Ti 'only' cost me $669.99.

But seriously, it seems only the more premium boards, ie. Z87s, come with good chipsets and controllers.

 

[rastaban]

I don't know what you MicroCenter's price on it is, but you can step down to the G43 Gaming which is identical to the G45 but with a few less power phases which were superfluous to you anyway.

 

[Dangman]

True but there are a few features I appreciate on it like the better LAN and Audio chipset, the 4-pin fan connectors...
And with the rebate and MC discount it 'only' costs $119 which really isn't bad.

IMO, I'd rather have a Realtek over a KillerNIC. I don't trust the KillerNIC due to past issues with configuration. If NIC actually mattered to you, then you should be looking at a mobo with an Intel NIC. Intel NICs are generally superior to most 3rd party NICs out there.

 

[Drakul]

I don't know what you MicroCenter's price on it is, but you can step down to the G43 Gaming which is identical to the G45 but with a few less power phases which were superfluous to you anyway.

MC doesn't seem to carry the G43, only the G45 or the G41. Not sure how the G41 is but MC has it for $70 after rebate.

IMO, I'd rather have a Realtek over a KillerNIC. I don't trust the KillerNIC due to past issues with configuration. If NIC actually mattered to you, then you should be looking at a mobo with an Intel NIC. Intel NICs are generally superior to most 3rd party NICs out there.

Ah didn't know that. you keep making me go back and forth!
I'm set on everything but the MB and it's arguably the most important part of the machine.

 

[rastaban]

The G41 lacks some features the Gaming series has. It has 3x PWM fan headers and 2x 3-pin headers vs 5x PWM on the Gaming series. It loses the ALC1150 audio codec for a cheaper ALC887 (I don't use onboard audio so can't comment on the difference). It also has a Realtek NIC and 6 phases to the CPU.

My current machine is the first time I'm using a Killer NIC (same E2200/E2205 NIC in all the upper-middle and high end mobos this gen). I don't see anything wrong with it honestly. It's owned by Qualcomm/Atheros now so it's possible that drivers are better now.

In any case, since you won't be overclocking, I think the G41 at $70 is a terrific price.

 

[Dangman]

MC doesn't seem to carry the G43, only the G45 or the G41. Not sure how the G41 is but MC has it for $70 after rebate.

In any case, since you won't be overclocking, I think the G41 at $70 is a terrific price.

The Newegg reviews for the G41 haven't been too favourable. My own recent experiences with the G41 has kinda confirmed that as well. Hence why I stopped recommending the G41 awhile back.

My current machine is the first time I'm using a Killer NIC (same E2200/E2205 NIC in all the upper-middle and high end mobos this gen). I don't see anything wrong with it honestly. It's owned by Qualcomm/Atheros now so it's possible that drivers are better now.

There is that possibility. Though the whole "prioritizing gaming traffic" kinda bugs me.

 

[rastaban]

Ah, what kind of issues did you see with the G41?

I think the "prioritizing gaming traffic" part is silly. From the Killer control panel, you can select network priority for every program. I believe games default to "high" priority while normal programs are "normal" or "low." Nothing special really.