Mad Cow's Build a Killer Gaming Rig on a Budget Thread (3 Viewers)

[TheAristocrat]

Current Aristocratic Gaming Rig (not strictly on a budget)

Processor: AMD FX-9590 4.7 GHz 8 core
Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 240m Liquid Cooler
MoBo: ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB DDR3 2133
Video Card: EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB DDR5
Monitor: ASUS VW266H 25.5"
Case: Cooler Master Haf X
Power Supply: CORSAIR RM Series RM850 850W (Full Modular)
Some DVD R/W, doesn't matter
C Drive: SAMSUNG 840 Pro 128GB SSD
OS: Windows 7 64 bit
Game (and other stuff) Drive - Non-Steam: SAMSUNG 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Steam Drive: SAMSUNG 840 EVO 500GB SSD

Keyboard: Corsair Gaming K95 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Brown Switches
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse - Black
Headset: Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset
Speakers: Logitech Z623 200 W 2.1 Speaker System

Using 3DMark's Fire Strike 1.1 on the highest settings, it scored a 9086. And it runs pretty much silent.

Any of you nerds want to fight?

Oh I will happily post my soon to be specs for just my office rig. I would hate to make you feel bad by showing you my current home rig which will also be upgraded. 2 GTX 970's in SLi are the backbone though.

Nice! I've been considering this for a bit now. I'd like to see the builds, even if they'd dwarf my rig.

 

[Chaos Commish]

the case idea I'm modifying

http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/2757/1.jpg

 

[Mad Cow]

the case idea I'm modifying

http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/2757/1.jpg

Dust would be a mutha on that.

 

[The Tick]

Anyone finish a build with one of these new Skylake's yet?

I notice that they only have 2 ddr controllers, that seems low. Is that common for the consumer level processors? I usually work with the server class processors, and they almost always have 4 ddr controllers. Is this something to wait for on a future SKU of Skylake, or is that all on this generation?

 

[Zasada]

Anyone finish a build with one of these new Skylake's yet?

I notice that they only have 2 ddr controllers, that seems low. Is that common for the consumer level processors? I usually work with the server class processors, and they almost always have 4 ddr controllers. Is this something to wait for on a future SKU of Skylake, or is that all on this generation?

Haven't built with Skylake yet, but unless you plan to use server processors at home, the current i7 6700K will be the most robust/powerful consumer-level option until Skylake-E comes out (many months down the road). And since Skylake is the first non-enthusiast processor to go with quad-channel RAM, I'm not sure Skylake-E will be any better.

What are you doing at the consumer-level that is so RAM-speed intensive? There's very little these days where RAM speed makes a big enough difference in performance to warrant redirecting funds from other potential upgrades (like GPU or SSD).

Newegg and Microcenter still aren't stocking the i7 (the i5 has been out for a week or so), unfortunately. Which is the CPU I'm waiting for. Nice paper-launch, Intel.

 

[Mad Cow]

Soooo anyway, a couple of weeks ago, HP had this crazy deal. Their gaming Envy SFF line. I got the Skylake i7-6700k, 12 RAM, and a GT 970 4 GB video card for $900 shipped. When you add up all of the components that are in there, I could not have possible built it for that cheap, so I jumped on it for my office. I will let you know how it runs, but I almost feel bad as this is the first rig I will own that I did not build in a very long time. Like over 10 years. "bag:

 

[Mad Cow]

Reason #1 to remember to not ever buy big box desktops again - good luck adding hardware to the cases. They pack them such that it requires a dexterity of like 25 to get to the mobo and even then solder down spots to make it pretty much impossible. Barely got an SATA cable connected for adding a HDD and it took a long time.

Learned my lesson. Even if the hardware was less than I could have gotten it for outright.

 

[MaxThreshold]

Reason #1 to remember to not ever buy big box desktops again - good luck adding hardware to the cases. They pack them such that it requires a dexterity of like 25 to get to the mobo and even then solder down spots to make it pretty much impossible. Barely got an SATA cable connected for adding a HDD and it took a long time.

Learned my lesson. Even if the hardware was less than I could have gotten it for outright.

Yeah. I've been working on these types of boxes for the last 15 years being the family IT guy. They are such a pain in the ###.

 

[Mad Cow]

Reason #1 to remember to not ever buy big box desktops again - good luck adding hardware to the cases. They pack them such that it requires a dexterity of like 25 to get to the mobo and even then solder down spots to make it pretty much impossible. Barely got an SATA cable connected for adding a HDD and it took a long time.

Learned my lesson. Even if the hardware was less than I could have gotten it for outright.

Yeah. I've been working on these types of boxes for the last 15 years being the family IT guy. They are such a pain in the ###.

I had forgotten, been so long since I had one myself. Oh well, it is in and I should be good to go. Worst CASE scenario, I cannibalize the parts and put them in another case.

 

[Zasada]

While not a gaming rig (and thus somewhat OT) I just (re)built my home server.


Case: NCASE M1 V4
PSU: SilverStone 300W SFX 80+ Bronze (ST30SF)
CPU: Skylake Core i7-6700K
HSF: Noctua NH-U9S (Single Fan)
Case Fan: An old 92mm Zalman fan I had sitting around + old Zalman FanMate I had sitting around
Mobo: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB 2 x 8GB DDR4-2400
SSD: 1TB Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" SATA III
Optical: Archgon CB-5021-GB Slot-loading Internal Blu-ray Burner (Mat####aBD-MLT UJ265)
HDDs: 2x4TB Seagate 3.5" + 2x3TB Hitachi 3.5"
SATA Cables: HDDs - 4x20cm Transparent Silver Wire (2 Straight-Straight + 2 Straight-Angle), SSD - http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10226&cs_id=1022602&p_id=8786&seq=1&format=2 (Straight), Optical - Came with kit
Other cables: 6inch SATA Serial ATA Splitter Power Cable

The build went very smoothly. It was annoying to have to install Win8.1, upgrade to Win10, get the key, and then wipe/re-install Win10, but it worked fine. I also hear that Windows in the new builds is going to allow Win7/8/8.1 keys to work on Win10 fresh installs, so that will be nice.

Power consumption as measured by my Ubiquiti mPower mFi is 35W at long-idle. That's 3W more than my old Sandy-Bridge server (which used a 430W Corsair ATX PSU and a basic H67 mobo). Was hoping I could drop power-consumption a bit here given Skylake's better idle consumption and the 300W bronze PSU, but I imagine the fancy Z170 gaming mobo uses more power with all its additional features and overclocking capability.

Overall I'm very happy with the build. I haven't tested load temps but idle CPU temps are in the mid-20s (ambient in the high teens).

One thing I would change is to reverse the orientation of the PSU so that it sucked air in from the side, but the internal PSU cable would have to bend to a degree I wasn't comfortable with in order for that to work.

Now for pics (sorry about the potato camera):

http://i.imgur.com/PaTJP5wh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/98FPlm3h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mxUpQQph.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ptPsNDDh.jpg

 

[MaxThreshold]

While not a gaming rig (and thus someone OT) I just (re)built my home server.


Case: NCASE M1 V4
PSU: SilverStone 300W SFX 80+ Bronze (ST30SF)
CPU: Skylake Core i7-6700K
HSF: Noctua NH-U9S (Single Fan)
Case Fan: An old 92mm Zalman fan I had sitting around + old Zalman FanMate I had sitting around
Mobo: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB 2 x 8GB DDR4-2400
SSD: 1TB Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" SATA III
Optical: Archgon CB-5021-GB Slot-loading Internal Blu-ray Burner (Mat####aBD-MLT UJ265)
HDDs: 2x4TB Seagate 3.5" + 2x3TB Hitachi 3.5"
SATA Cables: HDDs - 4x20cm Transparent Silver Wire (2 Straight-Straight + 2 Straight-Angle), SSD - http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10226&cs_id=1022602&p_id=8786&seq=1&format=2 (Straight), Optical - Came with kit
Other cables: 6inch SATA Serial ATA Splitter Power Cable

The build went very smoothly. It was annoying to have to install Win8.1, upgrade to Win10, get the key, and then wipe/re-install Win10, but it worked fine. I also hear that Windows in the new builds is going to allow Win7/8/8.1 keys to work on Win10 fresh installs, so that will be nice.

Power consumption as measured by my Ubiquiti mPower mFi is 35W at long-idle. That's 3W more than my old Sandy-Bridge server (which used a 430W Corsair ATX PSU and a basic H67 mobo). Was hoping I could drop power-consumption a bit here given Skylake's better idle consumption and the 300W bronze PSU, but I imagine the fancy Z170 gaming mobo uses more power with all its additional features and overclocking capability.

Overall I'm very happy with the build. I haven't tested load temps but idle CPU temps are in the mid-20s (ambient in the high teens).

One thing I would change is to reverse the orientation of the PSU so that it sucked air in from the side, but the internal PSU cable would have to bend to a degree I wasn't comfortable with in order for that to work.

Now for pics (sorry about the potato camera):

http://i.imgur.com/PaTJP5wh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/98FPlm3h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mxUpQQph.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ptPsNDDh.jpg

ooooh....I like that M1 case. No room for dual GPU's though?

 

[Zasada]

ooooh....I like that M1 case. No room for dual GPU's though?

Nope. Optimized for mini-ITX single-gpu.

And even then my setup blocks the PCI-E slot. It's the only way to fit 4 HDDs in.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

While not a gaming rig (and thus somewhat OT) I just (re)built my home server.


Case: NCASE M1 V4
PSU: SilverStone 300W SFX 80+ Bronze (ST30SF)
CPU: Skylake Core i7-6700K
HSF: Noctua NH-U9S (Single Fan)
Case Fan: An old 92mm Zalman fan I had sitting around + old Zalman FanMate I had sitting around
Mobo: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB 2 x 8GB DDR4-2400
SSD: 1TB Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" SATA III
Optical: Archgon CB-5021-GB Slot-loading Internal Blu-ray Burner (Mat####aBD-MLT UJ265)
HDDs: 2x4TB Seagate 3.5" + 2x3TB Hitachi 3.5"
SATA Cables: HDDs - 4x20cm Transparent Silver Wire (2 Straight-Straight + 2 Straight-Angle), SSD - http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10226&cs_id=1022602&p_id=8786&seq=1&format=2 (Straight), Optical - Came with kit
Other cables: 6inch SATA Serial ATA Splitter Power Cable

The build went very smoothly. It was annoying to have to install Win8.1, upgrade to Win10, get the key, and then wipe/re-install Win10, but it worked fine. I also hear that Windows in the new builds is going to allow Win7/8/8.1 keys to work on Win10 fresh installs, so that will be nice.

Power consumption as measured by my Ubiquiti mPower mFi is 35W at long-idle. That's 3W more than my old Sandy-Bridge server (which used a 430W Corsair ATX PSU and a basic H67 mobo). Was hoping I could drop power-consumption a bit here given Skylake's better idle consumption and the 300W bronze PSU, but I imagine the fancy Z170 gaming mobo uses more power with all its additional features and overclocking capability.

Overall I'm very happy with the build. I haven't tested load temps but idle CPU temps are in the mid-20s (ambient in the high teens).

One thing I would change is to reverse the orientation of the PSU so that it sucked air in from the side, but the internal PSU cable would have to bend to a degree I wasn't comfortable with in order for that to work.

Now for pics (sorry about the potato camera):

http://i.imgur.com/PaTJP5wh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/98FPlm3h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mxUpQQph.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ptPsNDDh.jpg

What mobo would you recommend to bring down the power consumption?

 

[Zasada]

What mobo would you recommend to bring down the power consumption?

I have often wondered that myself. Generally, I would look for less feature-rich mobos as there are fewer things to power on them. Also, MSI mobos, in my experience, tend to have lower consumption at the same feature point.

MSI has an "ECO" line of mobos which are optimized for lower power consumption.

Overall though, you're probably only playing in the 5-10W range. Even for a server that's on 24/7 (like mine), that's only $5-$10/year in savings. So if you're giving-up features you want in order to get those small savings, it's probably not worth it.

The biggest savings is going to come by running integrated video and not a discrete GPU. That's at least 30W, right there. If not more.

So while I was hoping the power-consumption would drop as a result of a next-gen CPU, I can understand why it didn't. I have quadruple the RAM on this rig versus the old one, which in itself is going to consume a few extra watts, all other things equal.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

What mobo would you recommend to bring down the power consumption?

I have often wondered that myself. Generally, I would look for less feature-rich mobos as there are fewer things to power on them. Also, MSI mobos, in my experience, tend to have lower consumption at the same feature point.

MSI has an "ECO" line of mobos which are optimized for lower power consumption.

Overall though, you're probably only playing in the 5-10W range. Even for a server that's on 24/7 (like mine), that's only $5-$10/year in savings. So if you're giving-up features you want in order to get those small savings, it's probably not worth it.

The biggest savings is going to come by running integrated video and not a discrete GPU. That's at least 30W, right there. If not more.

So while I was hoping the power-consumption would drop as a result of a next-gen CPU, I can understand why it didn't. I have quadruple the RAM on this rig versus the old one, which in itself is going to consume a few extra watts, all other things equal.

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

 

[Zasada]

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

Hmmm. Case seems to be out of stock. Did you just pick it up or did you have it left over?

 

[Zasada]

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

Hmmm. Case seems to be out of stock. Did you just pick it up or did you have it left over?

They only do limited production runs every few quarters or so. I think the next one is scheduled for late Q4 orders, January delivery. You can find some on eBay, as well.

Because the case is basically just a couple of guys designing the ITX case they always wanted and then contracting Lian Li to build it (which is why it's so perfect), they don't keep any stock.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

Hmmm. Case seems to be out of stock. Did you just pick it up or did you have it left over?

They only do limited production runs every few quarters or so. I think the next one is scheduled for late Q4 orders, January delivery. You can find some on eBay, as well.

Because the case is basically just a couple of guys designing the ITX case they always wanted and then contracting Lian Li to build it (which is why it's so perfect), they don't keep any stock.

Is that site you linked the best place to keep track of the schedule?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Thanks. I'm totally ripping off this build. I'm stocking my new egg cart as we speak.

Hmmm. Case seems to be out of stock. Did you just pick it up or did you have it left over?

They only do limited production runs every few quarters or so. I think the next one is scheduled for late Q4 orders, January delivery. You can find some on eBay, as well.

Because the case is basically just a couple of guys designing the ITX case they always wanted and then contracting Lian Li to build it (which is why it's so perfect), they don't keep any stock.

Is that site you linked the best place to keep track of the schedule?

Never mind. I actually read it! Thanks.

 

[Zasada]

Hmmm. Case seems to be out of stock. Did you just pick it up or did you have it left over?

They only do limited production runs every few quarters or so. I think the next one is scheduled for late Q4 orders, January delivery. You can find some on eBay, as well.

Because the case is basically just a couple of guys designing the ITX case they always wanted and then contracting Lian Li to build it (which is why it's so perfect), they don't keep any stock.

Is that site you linked the best place to keep track of the schedule?

Sign-up for their mailing list and you'll get a notification when preorders open for the next batch. Also there's a pretty meaty thread at HardOCP where the OP provides updates in the first post. Plus you can read how the case was taken from idea to construction (if that geeks you out like me).

 

[Zasada]

I should also point-out that if you're going to install more than 2 3.5" HDDs, you'll need to order a second HDD cage. The case comes with just one by default.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I should also point-out that if you're going to install more than 2 3.5" HDDs, you'll need to order a second HDD cage. The case comes with just one by default.

So it just went back up for preorder. There are a TON of available accessories. Is the drive cage the only one you needed for your build?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I should also point-out that if you're going to install more than 2 3.5" HDDs, you'll need to order a second HDD cage. The case comes with just one by default.

So it just went back up for preorder. There are a TON of available accessories. Is the drive cage the only one you needed for your build?

Sorry, once again I posted without fully reading the site. Looks like that is all that I'll need.

 

[Zasada]

I should also point-out that if you're going to install more than 2 3.5" HDDs, you'll need to order a second HDD cage. The case comes with just one by default.

So it just went back up for preorder. There are a TON of available accessories. Is the drive cage the only one you needed for your build?

Sorry, once again I posted without fully reading the site. Looks like that is all that I'll need.

Yup, that's all I needed. Be sure to order the right top cover (ODD slot vs none), too.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I should also point-out that if you're going to install more than 2 3.5" HDDs, you'll need to order a second HDD cage. The case comes with just one by default.

So it just went back up for preorder. There are a TON of available accessories. Is the drive cage the only one you needed for your build?

Sorry, once again I posted without fully reading the site. Looks like that is all that I'll need.

Yup, that's all I needed. Be sure to order the right top cover (ODD slot vs none), too.

Yeah that appears to be an option on the main order screen. I think I'm getting a silver and a black for a server and a new game rig. It doesn't ship until January which is kind of a bummer. Nice looking case though!

 

[Mad Cow]

Now I know why I should never have bought a freaking HP. Plugged in a USB cord and it fried the mobo. The mobo was fried by plugging in a usb cord. Ridiculous. Put in a new PSU thinking that was it, and nothing. F U HP. Gonna return this and build my own. Lesson learned.

 

[Sand]

This is obviously more of a desktop thread, but we need a laptop in the house. I wanted to get something that had:

IPS screen, 14" or so (13.3 is fine, 15+ is getting a bit big). 1080p.

Reasonable processor - Skylake i5 or something in that range

Better than Intel 5500 GPU - something like GTX 960m or maybe 940m

HDD - don't care too much whether SSD or not.

What should I be looking at? Anything important I may be missing? I'm going to be waiting to pounce on a deal, but knowing what's out there will help me identify.

 

[Mad Cow]

This is obviously more of a desktop thread, but we need a laptop in the house. I wanted to get something that had:

IPS screen, 14" or so (13.3 is fine, 15+ is getting a bit big). 1080p.

Reasonable processor - Skylake i5 or something in that range

Better than Intel 5500 GPU - something like GTX 960m or maybe 940m

HDD - don't care too much whether SSD or not.

What should I be looking at? Anything important I may be missing? I'm going to be waiting to pounce on a deal, but knowing what's out there will help me identify.

MSI will be releasing its Phantom GS40 this month. Looks to be a pretty sweet set up. Skylake, GTX 970, 14" screen.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/msis-new-gs40-phantom-is-a-super-powered-14-inch-gaming-laptop/

http://www.pcgamer.com/msi-calls-gs40-phantom-the-thinnest-gaming-laptop-in-the-world/

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Other than price, any reason to NOT put a 1TB SSD in as a C drive? Although expensive, the samsung drive has been on sale off and on and is pretty damn cheap. My last build was my first SSD and I was constantly working against the capacity when running updates, peripheral backups, etc.

 

[Mad Cow]

Other than price, any reason to NOT put a 1TB SSD in as a C drive? Although expensive, the samsung drive has been on sale off and on and is pretty damn cheap. My last build was my first SSD and I was constantly working against the capacity when running updates, peripheral backups, etc.

Nope. Cost.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Other than price, any reason to NOT put a 1TB SSD in as a C drive? Although expensive, the samsung drive has been on sale off and on and is pretty damn cheap. My last build was my first SSD and I was constantly working against the capacity when running updates, peripheral backups, etc.

Nope. Cost.

Sold!

 

[matuski]

This is obviously more of a desktop thread, but we need a laptop in the house. I wanted to get something that had:

IPS screen, 14" or so (13.3 is fine, 15+ is getting a bit big). 1080p.

Reasonable processor - Skylake i5 or something in that range

Better than Intel 5500 GPU - something like GTX 960m or maybe 940m

HDD - don't care too much whether SSD or not.

What should I be looking at? Anything important I may be missing? I'm going to be waiting to pounce on a deal, but knowing what's out there will help me identify.

MSI will be releasing its Phantom GS40 this month. Looks to be a pretty sweet set up. Skylake, GTX 970, 14" screen.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/msis-new-gs40-phantom-is-a-super-powered-14-inch-gaming-laptop/

http://www.pcgamer.com/msi-calls-gs40-phantom-the-thinnest-gaming-laptop-in-the-world/

Speaking from experience, if you ever purchase an MSI product.. pray to your own personal baby jesus you dont need repairs/support.

Worst experience with customer service from any company ive ever dealt with regarding any product/service in my life.

 

[Sand]

This is obviously more of a desktop thread, but we need a laptop in the house. I wanted to get something that had:

IPS screen, 14" or so (13.3 is fine, 15+ is getting a bit big). 1080p.

Reasonable processor - Skylake i5 or something in that range

Better than Intel 5500 GPU - something like GTX 960m or maybe 940m

HDD - don't care too much whether SSD or not.

What should I be looking at? Anything important I may be missing? I'm going to be waiting to pounce on a deal, but knowing what's out there will help me identify.

MSI will be releasing its Phantom GS40 this month. Looks to be a pretty sweet set up. Skylake, GTX 970, 14" screen.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/msis-new-gs40-phantom-is-a-super-powered-14-inch-gaming-laptop/

http://www.pcgamer.com/msi-calls-gs40-phantom-the-thinnest-gaming-laptop-in-the-world/

Speaking from experience, if you ever purchase an MSI product.. pray to your own personal baby jesus you dont need repairs/support.

Worst experience with customer service from any company ive ever dealt with regarding any product/service in my life.

That and that thing is starting at $1700. I was thinking under 1k. Looks like a killer machine, though.

 

[Mad Cow]

Considering doing a mobo/RAM/CPU upgrade on my home system with new case. It looks like there is a lot of success with people plugging and playing with SATA drives and Windows 10. I would do a clean, except I just did one last December and it is still running fairly well. The motherboard has a couple of faulty USB connectors and the case is bugging me. Plus my wife gives me crap if she has to install all of her stuff again, and heaven help me if she can't find her files again.

Any experience doing this lately?

 

[Mad Cow]

This will be the mobo I grab. Love it for what it offers:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012NH1SK8?colid=27422S8TFE5MD&coliid=I2O3L1X2CN68YS&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Since I have some time before the cases ship in January, I'll be bargain shopping components. Has anyone ever done a PCIe SSD? There are a few 400GB models that are currently about the same price as the 1TB Sata SSD I'm currently thinking about.

 

[Zasada]

Considering doing a mobo/RAM/CPU upgrade on my home system with new case. It looks like there is a lot of success with people plugging and playing with SATA drives and Windows 10. I would do a clean, except I just did one last December and it is still running fairly well. The motherboard has a couple of faulty USB connectors and the case is bugging me. Plus my wife gives me crap if she has to install all of her stuff again, and heaven help me if she can't find her files again.

Any experience doing this lately?

Maybe I'm old school but swapping mobos and not doing a fresh install feels problematic. But if people are having success, it could be worth a try. You could always revert to the clean install if you find the "upgrade" isn't stable.

Of note is that if you plan to do the Win10 upgrade, do it after you change the mobo. The Win10 upgrade key ties to your mobo so if you upgrade and then change mobos you could have problems. Then again, changing mobos on Win7/8.1 could have problem in itself.

May the force be with you.

 

[Zasada]

Since I have some time before the cases ship in January, I'll be bargain shopping components. Has anyone ever done a PCIe SSD? There are a few 400GB models that are currently about the same price as the 1TB Sata SSD I'm currently thinking about.

I would just go with the 1TB drive. PCI-E is faster but SSDs are so fast to begin with you probably won't notice the difference. And 1TB gets you more game installs.

 

[Mad Cow]

Considering doing a mobo/RAM/CPU upgrade on my home system with new case. It looks like there is a lot of success with people plugging and playing with SATA drives and Windows 10. I would do a clean, except I just did one last December and it is still running fairly well. The motherboard has a couple of faulty USB connectors and the case is bugging me. Plus my wife gives me crap if she has to install all of her stuff again, and heaven help me if she can't find her files again.

Any experience doing this lately?

Maybe I'm old school but swapping mobos and not doing a fresh install feels problematic. But if people are having success, it could be worth a try. You could always revert to the clean install if you find the "upgrade" isn't stable.

Of note is that if you plan to do the Win10 upgrade, do it after you change the mobo. The Win10 upgrade key ties to your mobo so if you upgrade and then change mobos you could have problems. Then again, changing mobos on Win7/8.1 could have problem in itself.

May the force be with you.

I hear ya. You can also do a SysPrep to make it even better. Still, it is all about finding time to do those things in my life. :(

 

[Sand]

This is obviously more of a desktop thread, but we need a laptop in the house. I wanted to get something that had:

IPS screen, 14" or so (13.3 is fine, 15+ is getting a bit big). 1080p.

Reasonable processor - Skylake i5 or something in that range

Better than Intel 5500 GPU - something like GTX 960m or maybe 940m

HDD - don't care too much whether SSD or not.

What should I be looking at? Anything important I may be missing? I'm going to be waiting to pounce on a deal, but knowing what's out there will help me identify.

MSI will be releasing its Phantom GS40 this month. Looks to be a pretty sweet set up. Skylake, GTX 970, 14" screen.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/msis-new-gs40-phantom-is-a-super-powered-14-inch-gaming-laptop/

http://www.pcgamer.com/msi-calls-gs40-phantom-the-thinnest-gaming-laptop-in-the-world/

Speaking from experience, if you ever purchase an MSI product.. pray to your own personal baby jesus you dont need repairs/support.

Worst experience with customer service from any company ive ever dealt with regarding any product/service in my life.

That and that thing is starting at $1700. I was thinking under 1k. Looks like a killer machine, though.

After futzing around a lot wife and I decided $500 was about the limit. Found this for $509 - decent processor, lots of memory, 1080P screen, and 4GB 940M, which is at least a decent step up from Intel integrated stuff. Looks like a reasonable purchase? They have a model with just 2GB 940M for $489, I assume the $30 for more memory is worthwhile?

As a note I didn't find anything else with a 4GB 940M in anywhere close to this price range. Most were much higher.

 

[Mad Cow]

Looking at cases to settle with now. Looking hard at the HAF X, Vengeance C70, Level 10 GT and Corsair 600T.

 

[Zasada]

Looking at cases to settle with now. Looking hard at the HAF X, Vengeance C70, Level 10 GT and Corsair 600T.

I have the 600T for my gaming rig. Super-easy to work in. Side panels are extremely easy to open/close. Great build quality.

But now that I'm overly-obsessed with mini-ITX systems, the 600T just seems so... huge. Heavy. Space-consuming.

My Lan Party rig is in a Sugo SG05 and it is so easy to transport. Hard to work in, but that's the trade one makes. I just rebuilt my server in an NCASE M1 and have my eyes keenly trained on the Dan A4-SFX (not yet released).

So if you've decided on the size my only regret about the 600T is that I got it in black and not stormtrooper white. The latter has really grown on me.

What I'm starting to think about is going custom water-cooling on my gaming rig. Not because it's better at cooling (because it really isn't), but because it's cool and I need a new PC project to obsess over.

 

[Zasada]

Oh and RAM prices are ridiculously low right now. Kicking around the idea of going X99 with 64GB and partition 48GB of that for a RAM drive...

 

[Zasada]

After futzing around a lot wife and I decided $500 was about the limit. Found this for $509 - decent processor, lots of memory, 1080P screen, and 4GB 940M, which is at least a decent step up from Intel integrated stuff. Looks like a reasonable purchase? They have a model with just 2GB 940M for $489, I assume the $30 for more memory is worthwhile?

As a note I didn't find anything else with a 4GB 940M in anywhere close to this price range. Most were much higher.

That's a pretty good price for the components. If you're stuck at $500, it would be hard to do better. You can't upgrade the VRAM later so I would spend the extra $30 now. The new Assassin's Creed requires 3GB to run at 1080p.

Try to convince the wife to let you swap-out the HDD with an SSD if you can (and spend a little more). Platters are awful as an OS drive. I won't build one that way for anyone these days.

 

[Mad Cow]

Looking at cases to settle with now. Looking hard at the HAF X, Vengeance C70, Level 10 GT and Corsair 600T.

I have the 600T for my gaming rig. Super-easy to work in. Side panels are extremely easy to open/close. Great build quality.

But now that I'm overly-obsessed with mini-ITX systems, the 600T just seems so... huge. Heavy. Space-consuming.

My Lan Party rig is in a Sugo SG05 and it is so easy to transport. Hard to work in, but that's the trade one makes. I just rebuilt my server in an NCASE M1 and have my eyes keenly trained on the Dan A4-SFX (not yet released).

So if you've decided on the size my only regret about the 600T is that I got it in black and not stormtrooper white. The latter has really grown on me.

What I'm starting to think about is going custom water-cooling on my gaming rig. Not because it's better at cooling (because it really isn't), but because it's cool and I need a new PC project to obsess over.

Portability isn't really a concern for me. I've built LAN boxes and while fun, at the end of the day I want to put stuff in the case. I'll be going with SLI GTX 970s.

 

[Sand]

After futzing around a lot wife and I decided $500 was about the limit. Found this for $509 - decent processor, lots of memory, 1080P screen, and 4GB 940M, which is at least a decent step up from Intel integrated stuff. Looks like a reasonable purchase? They have a model with just 2GB 940M for $489, I assume the $30 for more memory is worthwhile?

As a note I didn't find anything else with a 4GB 940M in anywhere close to this price range. Most were much higher.

That's a pretty good price for the components. If you're stuck at $500, it would be hard to do better. You can't upgrade the VRAM later so I would spend the extra $30 now. The new Assassin's Creed requires 3GB to run at 1080p.

Try to convince the wife to let you swap-out the HDD with an SSD if you can (and spend a little more). Platters are awful as an OS drive. I won't build one that way for anyone these days.

Agreed on the platter, but I am taken by the relatively high level GPU in this (for the price). It has an extra port (I think) and I may be able to get a cheap SSD to run the OS off of there and use the platter for storage.

Edit: Grabbed it and another 8GB stick to get to 16GB RAM. Will be on the lookout for a steal on a 128GB SSD as you can put a second drive in the optical bay.

 

[Mad Cow]

So, I not have all of my parts for my not on a budget rig to go at my home.

16 GB Corsair DDR4

This Corsair Vengeance case is badass

Love this ROG Maximus mobo

i5-6600k is awesome value

Great air cooler cuz Skylake don't need no stinkin' water

500 GB Samsung EVO SSD

2 TB Black HDD

Media Reader

850w modular Corsair PSU

Also got a BR drive because you just need one now and then

Adding in a 3 TB black HDD I already have and my dual SLI MSI GTX 970's and you have a very nice rig.

 

[Zasada]

So, I not have all of my parts for my not on a budget rig to go at my home.

16 GB Corsair DDR4

This Corsair Vengeance case is badass

Love this ROG Maximus mobo

i5-6600k is awesome value

Great air cooler cuz Skylake don't need no stinkin' water

500 GB Samsung EVO SSD

2 TB Black HDD

Media Reader

850w modular Corsair PSU

Also got a BR drive because you just need one now and then

Adding in a 3 TB black HDD I already have and my dual SLI MSI GTX 970's and you have a very nice rig.

Very nice.

 

[MaxThreshold]

So, I not have all of my parts for my not on a budget rig to go at my home.

16 GB Corsair DDR4

This Corsair Vengeance case is badass

Love this ROG Maximus mobo

i5-6600k is awesome value

Great air cooler cuz Skylake don't need no stinkin' water

500 GB Samsung EVO SSD

2 TB Black HDD

Media Reader

850w modular Corsair PSU

Also got a BR drive because you just need one now and then

Adding in a 3 TB black HDD I already have and my dual SLI MSI GTX 970's and you have a very nice rig.

Looks awesome. I especially love that mobo. Can't wait to see your 3dMark scores!