PCPartPicker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2nJF4D
Approximate Purchase Date: some time within the next month
Budget Range: not a concern, but I do want a good performance-per-dollar. A $2000 system should be fine, I'd expect.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, internet
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: New build, though I am reusing some old parts from a build back in 2008. You can see in the PCPartPicker link which are already purchased. I am open to upgrading some parts instead of reusing, should there be a good reason to do so. I'll list the parts I'm reusing here for convenience:
- Antec 900 case (note GPU size limitations!)
- Acer 23" G235H
- PC P&C Silencer Mk III 750W ATX Power Supply
- Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
All other parts are being "upgraded"
Do you need to buy OS: Yes
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I've only ever used newegg. To keep it simple, I'd like to use the same site for hardware that may need to be returned. I do like the 30-day return policy.
Location: Clearwater, FL
Parts Preferences: Been out of the market for a while, but from talking to friends on Steam that make computers, I'm strongly leaning toward an Intel CPU and Asus Motherboard. Also, based on this May 2014 TH review on GPUs, I'm leaning toward a Radeon for performance-per dollar, with an eye toward upgrading later.
Overclocking: NO
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, if I find a good deal later on an identical card before it's retired and it's a better option than upgrading to a different 1-GPU config.
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: I don't care how it looks - the blander the better (if I could get rid of this Antec 900 window, I would). I'd like it quiet, if possible. Definitely not a vacuum cleaner
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: The top PCI-e slot in my old EVGA 780i board is fried. I've tried a couple ebay parts, with no success. Just want to start over now.
My own comments:
My goal is to make a PC that will last with GPU upgrades for several years. Please see the PCPartPicker link here.
While I have no intent of overclocking, I don't mind paying extra for an OC mobo if it has something you think I should want in the next several years.
I'm really stuck on the motherboard... there are so many options! I know I'm limited to LGA 1150 with the CPU, but beyond that there are multiple chipsets - Z77, Z87, Z97. No clue what makes them different. And even if I pick a chipset, multiple options still lie beyond. I feel like this decision was much easier back in 2008, because now I see fewer slots on mobos and I'm not sure if I'll miss them later.
- What are the primary benefits to choosing chipset Z97 over Z87, or Z87 over Z77?
- I've looked at some Asus charts, hoping to narrow my options. All it did was confuse me more. Please look at these two links: Asus Z87 Specs and Asus Z97 Specs. Can someone narrow down what I need to concern myself with?
- Bear in mind the last time I looked at mobos was 2008. I'm not even sure what kind of slot the nVidia 8800 used back when I was running it. What are all the different PCI slots? What are they primarily used for? (well I guess the long ones are for GPUs, but the rest?) What should I look for in a mobo?
- I guess AGP is totally dead now... think it was on its dying breath back in '08.
- I've noticed some slots will say x16 (x8 dual) or something similar. Can someone explain that?
- I'm not sure what kind of new technology is being whispered about. I've heard something about Thunderbolt? Should I be concerned with how many PCI slots my motherboard has for things like this in the future?
- SATA 3.0G/s vs 6.0G/s... am I missing something? I don't see the point. What kind of drive puts out those speeds to begin with? I didn't even think SSD was that fast.
I figure the motherboard is a big decision, so I'm looking for as much advice as possible. I'd rather not have to change it in the future.
Regarding the other parts...
- CPU: Figured I'd grab the i7-4770K since I'm not too worried about budgetary concerns. Does anyone feel it's a waste? Maybe just grab the i5-4570? I'm looking at this TH CPU breakdown.
- RAM: I see people saying I don't need more than 8GB. I'm thinking about just grabbing 16GB and forgetting about it for a while. Better than worrying about compatibility later. Thoughts?
- RAM: What about RAM speed? Is there a significant difference? I vaguely recall matching RAM speed to the mobo's native speed back in 2008... is that a concern?
- GPU: the 290X won't fit in my Antec 900, I presume. A whopping 16 inches?! I thought when I got the Antec 900 several years back I'd be using it still in a decade (sigh). But the 290 should fit, I'll just have to remove a fan from one of the hard drive bays. I'd appreciate any feedback from Antec 900 users about this.
- GPU: I had to RMA two nVidia cards from my older computer. Turns out the second one fried the mobo's PCIE slot. I'm trying to avoid nVidia this go-around, unless someone really convinces me. Could have just been EVGA though, I dunno.
- CPU cooler: think it'll be good enough? 5yo Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro.
- And any other recommendations, I'm open to discuss.
Approximate Purchase Date: some time within the next month
Budget Range: not a concern, but I do want a good performance-per-dollar. A $2000 system should be fine, I'd expect.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, internet
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: New build, though I am reusing some old parts from a build back in 2008. You can see in the PCPartPicker link which are already purchased. I am open to upgrading some parts instead of reusing, should there be a good reason to do so. I'll list the parts I'm reusing here for convenience:
- Antec 900 case (note GPU size limitations!)
- Acer 23" G235H
- PC P&C Silencer Mk III 750W ATX Power Supply
- Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
All other parts are being "upgraded"
Do you need to buy OS: Yes
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I've only ever used newegg. To keep it simple, I'd like to use the same site for hardware that may need to be returned. I do like the 30-day return policy.
Location: Clearwater, FL
Parts Preferences: Been out of the market for a while, but from talking to friends on Steam that make computers, I'm strongly leaning toward an Intel CPU and Asus Motherboard. Also, based on this May 2014 TH review on GPUs, I'm leaning toward a Radeon for performance-per dollar, with an eye toward upgrading later.
Overclocking: NO
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, if I find a good deal later on an identical card before it's retired and it's a better option than upgrading to a different 1-GPU config.
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: I don't care how it looks - the blander the better (if I could get rid of this Antec 900 window, I would). I'd like it quiet, if possible. Definitely not a vacuum cleaner
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: The top PCI-e slot in my old EVGA 780i board is fried. I've tried a couple ebay parts, with no success. Just want to start over now.
My own comments:
My goal is to make a PC that will last with GPU upgrades for several years. Please see the PCPartPicker link here.
While I have no intent of overclocking, I don't mind paying extra for an OC mobo if it has something you think I should want in the next several years.
I'm really stuck on the motherboard... there are so many options! I know I'm limited to LGA 1150 with the CPU, but beyond that there are multiple chipsets - Z77, Z87, Z97. No clue what makes them different. And even if I pick a chipset, multiple options still lie beyond. I feel like this decision was much easier back in 2008, because now I see fewer slots on mobos and I'm not sure if I'll miss them later.
- What are the primary benefits to choosing chipset Z97 over Z87, or Z87 over Z77?
- I've looked at some Asus charts, hoping to narrow my options. All it did was confuse me more. Please look at these two links: Asus Z87 Specs and Asus Z97 Specs. Can someone narrow down what I need to concern myself with?
- Bear in mind the last time I looked at mobos was 2008. I'm not even sure what kind of slot the nVidia 8800 used back when I was running it. What are all the different PCI slots? What are they primarily used for? (well I guess the long ones are for GPUs, but the rest?) What should I look for in a mobo?
- I guess AGP is totally dead now... think it was on its dying breath back in '08.
- I've noticed some slots will say x16 (x8 dual) or something similar. Can someone explain that?
- I'm not sure what kind of new technology is being whispered about. I've heard something about Thunderbolt? Should I be concerned with how many PCI slots my motherboard has for things like this in the future?
- SATA 3.0G/s vs 6.0G/s... am I missing something? I don't see the point. What kind of drive puts out those speeds to begin with? I didn't even think SSD was that fast.
I figure the motherboard is a big decision, so I'm looking for as much advice as possible. I'd rather not have to change it in the future.
Regarding the other parts...
- CPU: Figured I'd grab the i7-4770K since I'm not too worried about budgetary concerns. Does anyone feel it's a waste? Maybe just grab the i5-4570? I'm looking at this TH CPU breakdown.
- RAM: I see people saying I don't need more than 8GB. I'm thinking about just grabbing 16GB and forgetting about it for a while. Better than worrying about compatibility later. Thoughts?
- RAM: What about RAM speed? Is there a significant difference? I vaguely recall matching RAM speed to the mobo's native speed back in 2008... is that a concern?
- GPU: the 290X won't fit in my Antec 900, I presume. A whopping 16 inches?! I thought when I got the Antec 900 several years back I'd be using it still in a decade (sigh). But the 290 should fit, I'll just have to remove a fan from one of the hard drive bays. I'd appreciate any feedback from Antec 900 users about this.
- GPU: I had to RMA two nVidia cards from my older computer. Turns out the second one fried the mobo's PCIE slot. I'm trying to avoid nVidia this go-around, unless someone really convinces me. Could have just been EVGA though, I dunno.
- CPU cooler: think it'll be good enough? 5yo Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro.
- And any other recommendations, I'm open to discuss.
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