Upgrade or get Headphones

yabbahooga · Aug 18, 2014

I have an Alienware x51 (yes, I made a mistake by buying this) and I am looking to spend my birthday money, which is about 500-1000$. I am definitely going to move the parts from the x51 into a mini-itx case and get a better power supply. While I'm at it, I might get some upgraded parts too. If I don't get upgraded parts, I will either get some good headphones or speakers, or a 3d printer. The specs for my computer are as follows.
i7 4770 (no k, I hate Alienware for that)
Nvidia 760 1.5gb (not 2gb, I hate Alienware for that too)
8gb RAM
1tb HDD
Some Alienware motherboard
That's all the important parts, if I missed any, just give me a comment.

If I upgraded my computer, I would get an i7 4790k, and either an nvidia 760, 770, or amd 280x. I'm not sure which psu I would get, but it shouldn't be that hard to figure out. I will probably get 16gb ram and have a small SSD and keep the 1tb HDD. I know that adds up to over my budget, but I am not upgrading it all at once. I would transfer my computer to a new case and upgrade the parts one by one, then sell the old parts over a month or 2 period. My parents are pretty strict about computers, so I am not allowed to sell my computer, but I am allowed to upgrade it. We'll anyways, that's enough about the computer. Now onto whether I should get better peripherals. I have a good keyboard and mouse that I absolutely love, corsair k70 and m65. Right now, my speakers are built into the monitor and they suck. I had Astro a40's, but IMO the surround sound was weak and not very surrounding sounding (lol dunno what I just said). I don't have a mic either, and I was wondering if I should get speakers or headphones. If so, which ones are the best? Now onto the 3d printer. I am hesitant to get this because the technology is advancing so fast, and the prices are going down so fast. This is a maybe to probably not. If any of you have a 3d printer, do you like it? Was it worth it?

This is a long post because I'm very indecisive. I will most likely upgrade the computer and get good headphones. Just give me your feedback on my choices and give me some recommendations on what I should do!

VincentP · Aug 18, 2014

There is nothing wrong with Alienware. The only real issue is that you will find it difficult to upgrade parts because of the non-standard case.
There is no such thing as a GTX 760 1.5GB, or any 1.5GB graphics card ever released that I know of.
The GTX 760 comes as 2GB or 4GB, and really the 2GB version is enough for this card.

All built in monitor speakers are rubbish.
If you want surround sound, don't expect much from stereo speakers.
Surround speakers are great, but you would have to position all the speakers correctly and that is rarely possible.
Headphones are a good compromise.
Some, use a single driver and software to emulate the surround sound.
Others use multiple drivers for surround, but of course these are small and the distance between the drivers isn't great.
Another major choice is between a USB headset, which has a built in audo device, or a head set that requires analog inout for each channel.
The third choice is between wired or wireless. Typically wireless are heavy and you have to deal with keeping them charged, but of course no cord is nice.
Have a look at Corsair, Logitech and Razer.
Consider the Corsair Vengeance 1500 (wired) or 2100 (wireless).

If looking at a 3D printer, the real question is what will you use it for, and is that worth the cost.

yabbahooga · Aug 18, 2014

Thanks for your reply, I didn't know there was a 1.5gb 760 either until I saw it on their website. It is an Alienware specific, so it's not very well known. I got the x51 because of it portability, but thats what's giving me problems, it is overheating and running really loud, so I'm putting it in a new case. That should get rid of the problem of stuff not fitting. I will look at the corsair headphones, I would rather have anything than my dumb old monitor speakers, and they would match my keyboard and mouse. Il check it out when I'm done at work.

VincentP · Aug 18, 2014

yabbahooga :

If you are going to look at upgrading some parts, don't worry about your CPU. It is more than you will need for some time.

For the graphics card, you would have to get at least an R9 290 or GTX 780 to make it a worthwhile upgrade.
Nvidia cards tend to be cooler and quieter, but AMD are faster for the same money at the moment.
The Nvidia 800 series cards aren't far away and I think you would be best to wait.

For a small case with plenty of space, have a look at the Silverstone TJ08-E.
For a power supply, I would recommend the Seasonic G 650. You can go up to the X series, but I don't think the difference is worth it. The XFX Pro 650 is a good quality cheaper option.

yabbahooga · Aug 18, 2014

Thanks for your reply, the sound of the computer doesn't bug me as long as it doesn't sound like a jet taking off. I don't have the money for a 780 or a 290, I was thinking of getting a 280x. Is that a good idea? Il take a look at your cases you said when I have a chance.

VincentP · Aug 18, 2014

yabbahooga :

The R9 280X is a good card, but it is only a fraction faster than the GTX 770. You won't notice enough difference to make this worthwhile.
In a few months you should be able to buy a GTX 870 instead.

VincentP · Aug 18, 2014

Sorry, you have a GTX 760. The R9 280X is around a 15% performance improvement over this.
The extra RAM will only help in a few situations (Skyrim with mods for instance).
I would still wait a few months for the next generation of cards.

yabbahooga · Aug 18, 2014

Okay. That's good to know that they are coming out soon. My birthday is right around when they are coming out, so it works out pretty well. If I could dig up enough money for a 780 or 290, would it be worth it to get it now or wait for the 870 to see how that is?

yabbahooga · Aug 18, 2014

Lol I hit send right after you did, didn't even see your answer. I guess that answered my last question.

yabbahooga · Aug 19, 2014

So I fixed my a40's, and my mom went off on my yesterday about being on the computer too much and buying too many games (I counted, I have 4, one of which I play). So, I am pretty sure that I'm not allowed to upgrade my computer, so I'm just gonna get a 3d printer. Do you have any recommendations? I would like it to be 1500$ under, print at less than 100 microns, and be well known and liked. I don't really care about print speed. The ultimaker v2 sounds perfect for me, but the price is a bit too steep. I was also looking at the makerbit replicator mini, but it only prints at 200 microns. The cube 3d was my third choice, but there is nearly no info online for it.

VincentP · Aug 19, 2014

I have no idea about 3D printers. I've never seen one.

yabbahooga · Sep 9, 2014

Now my birthday is even closer, and so is the NVidia 900 series! the performance of the 980 came out, and it is only slightly better than the 780ti. I will most likely get the 780ti because I think it will have a price drop once the 980 comes out. My only goal for my upgrade is to run 4k at high-ultra settings, and I think the 780ti will make that happen.

yabbahooga · Sep 9, 2014

Now my birthday is even closer, and so is the NVidia 900 series! the performance of the 980 came out, and it is only slightly better than the 780ti. I will most likely get the 780ti because I think it will have a price drop once the 980 comes out. My only goal for my upgrade is to run 4k at high-ultra settings, and I think the 780ti will make that happen.

VincentP · Sep 9, 2014

From the leaked benchmarks, the GTX 970 will have similar performance to the GTX 780 and the GTX 980 will have similar performance to the GTX 780 Ti.
You would expect them to introduce something above these with a hefty price tag attached.

No single card will run 4K at high to ultra settings.
The GTX 780 Ti and R9 290X manage less than 30 FPS in the most graphically demanding games:
http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/gtx-780-ti-sli-geforce-review,23.html

If you really want to go to 4K (3840x2160) you either need to significantly reduce video settings or go with SLI.
You won't get a 4K monitor for less than $2000 either.

QHD (2560x1440) is far more achievable. A GTX 780 Ti will give you a solid 60 FPS in just about anything at this resolution.
You can get some great monitors at this resolution too.
The Asus ROG PG278Q is a high quality TN panel with 2560x1440 resolution @ 144Hz.
The Dell U2713HM is a high quality IPS panel with 2560x1440 resolution @ 60Hz.
The Dell offers better viewing angles so that as you move the colours don't shift. I have this monitor and it is fantastic.
The Asus offers image quality that is almost as good but with less motion blur and input lag. It also offers g-sync if you go with an Nvidia card. These things together should make it a very smooth, responsive monitor.

yabbahooga · Sep 9, 2014

Thanks for your reply. with the cards similarity, i heard the same as you. i got confused with 4k and Qhd, i dont really need 4k, and at the moment it isnt the best with win 8 anyways. my surface runs qhd fine, so i would love to see how a gaming computer would handle it. those monitors look pretty good, much cheaper than 4k monitors. can you tell a difference with the refresh rates? also, do you think the price will drop for the 780ti? if so, how much?

VincentP · Sep 9, 2014

yabbahooga :

If the GTX 790 is faster than the GTX 780 Ti, I would expect the GTX 780 Ti to drop down to the price of a GTX 780 now while they are selling off existing stock, then it will disappear.

Some people say the difference in refresh rate is very important, some say not at all. If you play a lot of multiplayer FPS games that require you to react very quickly it is probably good. I'm happy with the 60 Hz Dell though. It is also worth pointing out that the PG278Q has one Displayport input only, no DVI, HDMI or VGA. That is fine for your gaming PC but you won't be able to connect most other devices. The Dell has Displayport, DVI, HDMI and VGA. Only Displayport and dual-link DVI can display the full 2560x1440 resolution though.

yabbahooga · Sep 9, 2014

All of this is good to know. I have one more question before I go to bed. I am looking at the AMD Radeon 295x2. This seems like an amazing bang for your buck, it is 1000$ and runs amazing. Could this run 4k at ultra settings, and do you think it worth the investment and is future proof? Sorry for all the questions, I am really indecisive. I second guess every second guess 10 times before I come to a conclusion on if I might get it.

Greybeard Croft · Sep 9, 2014

I wouldn't be spending absurd amounts of money on PC gear, when your Mum obviously dislikes you overusing it.
What I'm saying is, you don't want to fork out lots of $$ and then it all just sit there collecting dust because your mum doesn't want you on the PC.

VincentP · Sep 9, 2014

yabbahooga :

You can see R9 290X 2-way Crossfire at the top of this benchmarks, this is equivalent to the R9 295X2.
This is still only 40 FPS at this resolution.
You will also be looking at a much beefier power supply to run this card.
This card and a a 4K monitor really are a massive waste of money.

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