Hello folks,
I've got an old rig that originally built 7+ years ago. The heart of it is a Q6600 running at stock and an ASUS P5Q mobo. I've updated RAM and graphics numerous times over the years to where it 8GB DDR2 and a Nvidia GTX560ti 1GB. It has performed admirably up until now, aided by the fact that I have a pretty low rez monitor - 1680x1050. But after looking at the specs needed to run Fallout 4, it looks like it is the end of the line for my current rig. I'm looking to upgrade, basically build a whole new rig that can last another 7 years. I'm torn with going all out or just being reasonable (but still with a long outlook). Before i get to my proposed build, here are some details as suggested from the build advice template:
Approximate Purchase Date: before Fallout 4 comes out (November 10th 2015)
Budget Range: $800 - $1200 USD (ideally). I can go higher if given a compelling reason.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Games, web surfing, media center (play movies, music, etc), video transcoding
Are you buying a monitor: NO
Parts to Upgrade: CPU, MOBO, RAM, Graphics Card, SSD
Do you need to buy OS: YES (but I have a separate budget for that)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NCIX.com
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Overclocking: NO
SLI or Crossfire: NO
Your Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050 and 1280x1024 (dual display). However I will only use 1680x1050 for gaming. I'm happy with my monitor setup (no real burning desire to go higher)
Additional Comments: it is not a priority that I play every game on High/Ultra graphics with all settings maxed out. I am just looking for an enjoyable gaming experience with good frame rates. I have no problems playing games on "medium" settings.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Mentioned in initial comment
So here is what I am eyeing and I can really use your feedback:
CPU: i5-4460 (or i5-4590). I've been going back and forth between an i7 and and i5. I know the benefits for an i7 is minimal for gaming right now. But what about down the road? But at the same time I don't want to pay for something now that I won't really use to it's full capacity. I do some video transcoding which I know than an i7 (HT) will help, but I don't really do it that much and I figure I can just run some batch jobs overnight so its not like time is critical. So really I am considering an i7 for "future-proof" reasons and I think that is not a good enough reason. Thoughts?
Motherboard: Asus H97-PLUS. I love ASUS mobos so that is why I am going with ASUS here. My confusion is if I should go with an H97 or Z97. I figure since I have no plans to overclock or SLI/Crossfire, there is no point to get a "Z" class, right?. I also have one PCI and one PCIe card I will reuse in my new rig so I need a mobo with each.
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600. Not much debate here. I'll get 16 GB. I'm indifferent to the brand and long as it is a decent brand
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB SSD. Not much debate here either. I have a Crucial 256 SSD in my current rig and like it. Just need more space.
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB. Ok, I am struggling here with this choice. I wish the GTX 980/970 was cheaper but right now the prices are a bit too high for me to swallow. I figure since I run a 1680x1050, I don't need a killer card to run at high settings. But I keep reading how the GTX 960 is a disappointing GPU. I considered a Radeon A9 380, which is a similar price for better performance but I don't like AMD/ATI for personal reasons. I also use a dual display outside gaming and I hear the AMD GPUs do not clock down to idle properly in those cases and there is no "Nvidia Inspector" tool that I use to control that like I can for Nvidia GPUs. But it any case, am I selling myself short here with the GTX 960? Should I just bit the bullet and spend another $150 (Canadian) and get a GTX 970 because of the VFM (value for money) and so I can be more "future-proof" in case I get a better monitor? Or is really a GTX 960 all I'll ever need for 1080p in the years to come?
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid-tower. I just want a decent ATX case that is not too huge. I don't need like 8 drive bays. This case looks solid.
That is mostly what I plan on buying. I will reuse my Antec 750W power supply, Sound Blaster Z, and Hitachi Deskstar 2TB HDD from my existing rig, and will use my two existing 1680x1050 and 1280x1024 LCDs along with my keyboard and mouse.
The above will take me to at least ~800 USD. If I go premium on the CPU (i7-4790) and GPU (Nvidia GTX 970), that will add another $250+ USD. I know 250 USD doesn't sound like a killer but I live in Canada and with our sinking dollar compared to the US, it has made everything in general more costly.
I'd love to be able to milk this new rig for as long as I did my existing one. Will my original $800 USD build make it or do I need the additional upgrades?
Thanks a bunch!
I've got an old rig that originally built 7+ years ago. The heart of it is a Q6600 running at stock and an ASUS P5Q mobo. I've updated RAM and graphics numerous times over the years to where it 8GB DDR2 and a Nvidia GTX560ti 1GB. It has performed admirably up until now, aided by the fact that I have a pretty low rez monitor - 1680x1050. But after looking at the specs needed to run Fallout 4, it looks like it is the end of the line for my current rig. I'm looking to upgrade, basically build a whole new rig that can last another 7 years. I'm torn with going all out or just being reasonable (but still with a long outlook). Before i get to my proposed build, here are some details as suggested from the build advice template:
Approximate Purchase Date: before Fallout 4 comes out (November 10th 2015)
Budget Range: $800 - $1200 USD (ideally). I can go higher if given a compelling reason.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Games, web surfing, media center (play movies, music, etc), video transcoding
Are you buying a monitor: NO
Parts to Upgrade: CPU, MOBO, RAM, Graphics Card, SSD
Do you need to buy OS: YES (but I have a separate budget for that)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NCIX.com
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Overclocking: NO
SLI or Crossfire: NO
Your Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050 and 1280x1024 (dual display). However I will only use 1680x1050 for gaming. I'm happy with my monitor setup (no real burning desire to go higher)
Additional Comments: it is not a priority that I play every game on High/Ultra graphics with all settings maxed out. I am just looking for an enjoyable gaming experience with good frame rates. I have no problems playing games on "medium" settings.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Mentioned in initial comment
So here is what I am eyeing and I can really use your feedback:
CPU: i5-4460 (or i5-4590). I've been going back and forth between an i7 and and i5. I know the benefits for an i7 is minimal for gaming right now. But what about down the road? But at the same time I don't want to pay for something now that I won't really use to it's full capacity. I do some video transcoding which I know than an i7 (HT) will help, but I don't really do it that much and I figure I can just run some batch jobs overnight so its not like time is critical. So really I am considering an i7 for "future-proof" reasons and I think that is not a good enough reason. Thoughts?
Motherboard: Asus H97-PLUS. I love ASUS mobos so that is why I am going with ASUS here. My confusion is if I should go with an H97 or Z97. I figure since I have no plans to overclock or SLI/Crossfire, there is no point to get a "Z" class, right?. I also have one PCI and one PCIe card I will reuse in my new rig so I need a mobo with each.
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600. Not much debate here. I'll get 16 GB. I'm indifferent to the brand and long as it is a decent brand
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB SSD. Not much debate here either. I have a Crucial 256 SSD in my current rig and like it. Just need more space.
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB. Ok, I am struggling here with this choice. I wish the GTX 980/970 was cheaper but right now the prices are a bit too high for me to swallow. I figure since I run a 1680x1050, I don't need a killer card to run at high settings. But I keep reading how the GTX 960 is a disappointing GPU. I considered a Radeon A9 380, which is a similar price for better performance but I don't like AMD/ATI for personal reasons. I also use a dual display outside gaming and I hear the AMD GPUs do not clock down to idle properly in those cases and there is no "Nvidia Inspector" tool that I use to control that like I can for Nvidia GPUs. But it any case, am I selling myself short here with the GTX 960? Should I just bit the bullet and spend another $150 (Canadian) and get a GTX 970 because of the VFM (value for money) and so I can be more "future-proof" in case I get a better monitor? Or is really a GTX 960 all I'll ever need for 1080p in the years to come?
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid-tower. I just want a decent ATX case that is not too huge. I don't need like 8 drive bays. This case looks solid.
That is mostly what I plan on buying. I will reuse my Antec 750W power supply, Sound Blaster Z, and Hitachi Deskstar 2TB HDD from my existing rig, and will use my two existing 1680x1050 and 1280x1024 LCDs along with my keyboard and mouse.
The above will take me to at least ~800 USD. If I go premium on the CPU (i7-4790) and GPU (Nvidia GTX 970), that will add another $250+ USD. I know 250 USD doesn't sound like a killer but I live in Canada and with our sinking dollar compared to the US, it has made everything in general more costly.
I'd love to be able to milk this new rig for as long as I did my existing one. Will my original $800 USD build make it or do I need the additional upgrades?
Thanks a bunch!
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