PC Gaming Component Upgrades

[CerealKlr]

So, I wanna upgrade my system 4-5 year future-proof if possible, used primarily for gaming.

 

 

Intel CPU ...I don't wanna spend $500 but I will if its worth it. (I7-3930k?)

$200-$300 is closer to the CPU budget.

 

ASUS motherboard (maybe Gigabyte, unless you guys know something better.)

I don't want the game to lag from loud explosions, so I would liike the board to handle it well, or not at all and buy a separate sound card.

 

and whatever RAM works best with the above 2. (I'd like 64Gb, but 32Gb will probably be enough for the next 4 years).

 

 

I currently have a GEFORCE GTX 460 video card.

I also have 2 EVGA 8800 GTs I used to run in SLI before I got the 460, (I'd like to incorporate them into the setup if it would actually be beneficial.)

 

I'm not against dumping all the video cards and getting a new one, but it needs to be worth the money. (4 year future-proof)

 

 

I got it narrowed down pretty good, I'm trying to keep it as far under $1000 as I can (<------that part is in case the wife sees this post, I might spend more ),

 

I just don't want to upgrade to a system that glitches all the time. So if you guys have any advice, throw it out there.

[vlatkozelka]

so cpu for 300~500 + any decent vga witll be >500 to say the least so :

i don't think u can make a 4-5 years futureproof pc with 1000$ , i dont know if it is even possibe with any amount of money tbh , who knows what kind of graphics technologies might come out in the next few months

[CerealKlr]

Thanks, for the response.

 

I was actually looking for technical advice on what to buy and why it would be the better choice, money isnt my primary concern.

 

Do you have anything helpful to add?

[BillieJoe67]

From what I remember (from last year):

 

Intel currently has the top-end of the cpu market with the i5 and i7, I have an i5 2500 that does everything I throw at it, if you're considering overclocking you'll need the k version of the top-end cpu; if you're not overclocking then the non-k variant will be all you need, which is generally cheaper.

 

I think the most memory current motherboards can take is 32gb, but I find 8gb is plenty for my needs, although you could justify taking it to 16gb if you heavily multitask, or run memory intensive games; check that the frequencies, ddr2/3, etc will work on your motherboard

 

Also, I don't know if you've considered buying an ssd but most people say they speed up game loading times tenfold. From what I've seen, the general advice is to install the os only a hdd, then install games onto the ssd. Buying one can increase the price of your build fairly substantially though.

 

 

After a bit of googling, I found this page that you might find useful, the motherboard supports SLI:

http://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/august-2013s-600-1000-1500-budget-gaming-pc-builds/

 

I put the $1000 build into newegg, minus dvd drives, hdd, sdd, and graphics card and it came up to $680; obviously you'd be wise to check amazon, or whatever stores US people use, but that should give a price guideline.

 

Finally, I would suggest you take a look at some forums dedicated to pc components and builds, I use http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/31/homebuilt.html but most of the prices are in GBP; I assume there's something similar run by US people

[CerealKlr]

See now thats more like it.

 

I do have an SSD, that is going into it.

I'm not planning on Overclocking (it just leads to constant tweaking and monitoring...I did it for a year and got sick of it...amounts to maybe one more kill per game if everything is running right vs. constantly watching temperatures and memory spikes, cpu spikes.......blah blah blah...I just wanna play.)

 

I've been to Tomshardware and thats got me down to 3-4 CPU's

 

Intel I7 3930-k, 6 cores and a huge L3 Cache

Intel I7 3770-K

Intel I5 3570-K

I think they have a new I7-3820 but I dont know if its any better then the 3770K.

 

I guess I really need to know which socket type of motherboard is the best for future-proof gaming. Then,I can pick the CPU that fits it and my budget the best.

[Evo]

Save some money by downloading some RAM! I did this on a computer at my school and it got a nice blue screen when the next class restarted it!

http://www.downloadmoreram.com/

You save 199$! 4GB of Ram for free!

I also was able to download more hard drive space on another computer at my school and put it in disk recovery mode! It ended up freeing up 18GB!

http://www.brothersoft.com/widgets/hard-drive-space-177656.html

And I managed to download windows 8 and uninstall Novell network systems which holds all thre restrictions and log in information! I also managed to get an error message saying there was no stable operating system detected!

http://www.windows8download.co/

That's over 500$ in savings FREE!

[Volcom]

I personally use the i5 3570k and it works awesome for me.

[mckiller2000]

Save some money by downloading some RAM! I did this on a computer at my school and it got a nice blue screen when the next class restarted it!http://www.downloadmoreram.com/You save 199$! 4GB of Ram for free!I also was able to download more hard drive space on another computer at my school and put it in disk recovery mode! It ended up freeing up 18GB!http://www.brothersoft.com/widgets/hard-drive-space-177656.htmlAnd I managed to download windows 8 and uninstall Novell network systems which holds all thre restrictions and log in information! I also managed to get an error message saying there was no stable operating system detected!http://www.windows8download.co/That's over 500$ in savings FREE!

lol we have a fliter that blocks us from everything its user and pass is middle middle.... thought i would share how easy anyone can get into a school computer

[BillieJoe67]

I've been to Tomshardware and thats got me down to 3-4 CPU's

 

Intel I7 3930-k, 6 cores and a huge L3 Cache

Intel I7 3770-K

Intel I5 3570-K

I think they have a new I7-3820 but I dont know if its any better then the 3770K.

 

I guess I really need to know which socket type of motherboard is the best for future-proof gaming. Then,I can pick the CPU that fits it and my budget the best.

 

One thing to note about those cpus is that the 3930k uses an LGA2011 socket, whilst the other two use LGA1155 (ivy bridge); so you'd need to choose an appropriate motherboard. With regards to future-proofing CPU/motherboard, unless you go down the AMD route, you can't guarantee that your socket type will fit newer cpus as the technology is changing quite rapidly. Therefore you are better off investing in relatively high-end components now, which will do everything you need for the next 4/5 years, then upgrade both as/when you want/need (paraphrased)

 

Continuing with the 2011 vs 1155 sockets, a decent lga2011 motherboard will cost more than the equivalent lga1155 motherboard (quote from here); lga1155 cpus are also more efficient, so will use less power

 

I saw something recently that showed that the 3820 isn't any better than the 3770K, I'll try and find the link.

 

If you want to compare benchmarks of any components, I recommend this, you can choose the component type, model and benchmark (select Choose a category for all the benchmarks).

 

In short, it comes down to how you want to spend your money. I imagine that any of the three CPUs you listed will be fine for gaming needs in the next 4/5 years, but you can't tell how the industry will change (using more cores, etc). If you do/want to do any video editing/processing, code compilation or any other heavily multithreaded task, then the 3930k will probably be a good investment over the 3770k, but then the 3770k has a similar benefit over the 3570k. Remember that while the 3930k is hexacore, the other two are quad cores, but the 3770k uses hyperthreading to emulate 8 thread (wording could be wrong, I don't fully understand hyperthreading and the like).

 

Finally, I'm not sure if you're aware that newegg does combo deals, on a product page scroll down to shopping insight, then click browse more combos; these generally include all the components for a pc with up to ~$100 discounted (this combo with the i5 for example). I'm not suggesting you buy a combo by any means, but they should give an idea about what components go well together, etc.

 

Finally, I don't know what kind of case you have, or if you intend to buy a new one but I found that spending a little extra on a larger case very useful as I could use good cable management and a modular psu (the only wires in the case are connected to things, no space wasting) to get good airflow which keeps my pc cool, and I had room to upgrade to a newer, larger graphics card and I still have space for a water cooling system, if I decide to invest in one in the future.

[CerealKlr]

I think the 3930K sounds the best.

 

They are supposed to come out with 4930k, soon and at around the same price point. It doesn't have enough difference to wait on the new chip, but I was wondering will the 3930k drop a little more when it launches, I think I'll wait a couple of weeks and see.

 

On to the motherboards,

It looks like the ASUS Sabertooth X79 TUF edition, seems to be the best with 5 year warranty Thermal Armor, and the 8 DIMM slots. ITs pricey at $329

 but not too overwhelming.

 

Speak up if you know of a board as good, that will support 64gb ram, Its going in an Antec 900 case. Its got 6 fans in it but I want to go liquid cooling eventually.

 

As far as RAM, I think I want the lowest latency DDR3 1600 (that doesnt glitch with the above mentioned hardware.)

Any suggestions?

[Evo]

I was looking into upgrading JUST my Ram when I didn't know that much, basically I was told that you have no use for 64FGb, 32Gb should be enough, you're just paying extra for an extra 32Gb that won't really do much because it won't be used

[CerealKlr]

32 Gb for time being, but I want to be able to do 64Gb if I need to in the future.   Someone mentioned a RAM drive... not sure how that would work, but it sounds fast.

 

I think 64Gb will come into play once the PCI-E 3.0 Video cards come out, but right now Im just looking at 32Gb.

 

I'm not sure what quad channel memory means, but I think I have to have 4 sticks at a time. I also noticed the Gigabyte boards claiming to support Non ECC RAM, I think that means you don't have to have 4 sticks at a time, but not real sure on either one.

 

I guess more googling.

[BillieJoe67]

Quad channel doesn't mean that you have to have four sticks.

Essentially, it means that 4x 4gb sticks will run more quickly than 2x 8gb sticks. You'll have to balance this against future proofing; you say you may want to expand to 64gb in the future, but the board you linked to has 8 memory slots, so getting 4x 8gb sticks is fine; you'll have the benefit of quad channel, and room to expand to 64gb. Just remember to put the modules in the correct dimm slots, some motherboards have every other slot in the same band, some group the same band together.

 

ECC memory is memory with extra checking for memory errors as far as I can tell (link)

 

Getting 32gb isn't going to be cheap though but I recommend you go with a known/trusted brand (corsair/kingston, for example). I'm not up to speed with the specifics of ram latency, etc, so I'm not really in a position to recommend any specific models; since you're waiting to see if the cpu drops in price maybe you could make a post on tomshardware or something? 

[CerealKlr]

I just ordered 32GB of GSKill RipJaws DDR3 1600 i think the timings are 9-9-9-24. I think it was $219 with their coupon code.

I also got the ASUS 24" 3D monitor with 1ms and 144hz refresh rate. $219 Open Box at NEwegg (gonna get the nvidia 3d vision 2 kit, if the monitor is a keeper.)

 

The 3930k I was looking at is now out of stock at the $499 price I found. So I think I'm gonna go with the Quadcore 3820 instead of the six core, as much as I want those 2 extra cores, I just don't wanna spend more then $500 for a CPU.

 

I can get the 3820 for $219 and get the extended warranty, and overvolt the shit out of it when the 8 cores hit, and return my defective CPU for a gift card equvalent, to put towards the 8 core... WIN WIN.

 

I like the Intel DX79SI Extreme motherboard for $279 to go with it.

 

I've got a Geforce GTX 460 now, I can either buy 2 more used GTX 460's for $100 and run 3 way SLI, but Ill need to spend at least $150 more for a Power supply that can handle 3 cards, or spend the $250 on a new card.

 

Probably just gonna wait and get a new card....580 or something.

 

 

Anybody have any feedback on the hardware I've listed, please speak up.

[CerealKlr]

So after all was said and done.

 

32gb Gskill Ripjaws DDR3 1600  $219

I7 3820 Quad 2011 10mb cache  $219

Intel DX79Si Extreme    $279

Intel Liquid CPU Cooler  $49

ASUS VG248QE 1ms 144mhz 3d monitor $219

 

So right at $1000

I did buy a $30 monitor cable and $124 for Win7 pro....but I don't count them as they would put me over budget.

I'm gonna add Nvidia 3d vision 2 and see how that works out, before I upgrade my card. (Im hittin 500 constant fps in Ren maxxed at 1080p with my GTX 460.)

[pooponu]

i agree that i5 is probably all you need but if you want i7 then go for it, but for the graphics card i would get the Nvidia geforce gtx 700M

[mademan]

i agree that i5 is probably all you need but if you want i7 then go for it, but for the graphics card i would get the Nvidia geforce gtx 700M

He alredy got the components..

[DrSithis]

*BUMP*

 

In my opinion you add all that together you can buy the computer premade for less. Being honest.

[CerealKlr]

Really? Where? I pride myself on my cheapness......no way you can buy this premade cheaper, not in the LGA 2011 socket, with 32gb of RAM.

 

the GTX700M is  a mobile card, I thought. I was gonna get the 770 but Im getting 500+ FPS in game now, with my old GTX460. Cant really justify another $400 yet.

 

I probably couldve gotten cheaper in the IVY Bridge, but I dont think its gonna support the 8 core processors.

 

and and ......everything says INTEL EXTREME ......thats worth at least 100 bucks there.

[ehh]

well its cheaper if you build it yourself

[CerealKlr]

I did build it myself.....probably why it wont come out of sleep mode.

[DrSithis]

You do have a point. But keep in mind, you can buy something for less and it be slightly better than what you already had and then put in your upgrades. I've never really spent much money on building computers but when I did, it was well over $20k. I rather have the ultimate gaming/coding computer than some cheap ass computer you find that they say is "great." Look at Dell, they'll rip you off of parts; I bought an Alienware that had 16GB, turns out it really had 8GB of physical ram. Dell is just not one of those manufacting companies I'd recommend to anyone honestly.

[CerealKlr]

So after all was said and done.

 

32gb Gskill Ripjaws DDR3 1600  $219

I7 3820 Quad 2011 10mb cache  $219

Intel DX79Si Extreme    $279

Intel Liquid CPU Cooler  $49

ASUS VG248QE 1ms 144mhz 3d monitor $219

 

So right at $1000

I did buy a $30 monitor cable and $124 for Win7 pro....but I don't count them as they would put me over budget.

I'm gonna add Nvidia 3d vision 2 and see how that works out, before I upgrade my card. (Im hittin 500 constant fps in Ren maxxed at 1080p with my GTX 460.)

Upgraded to the GTX770 4Gb for $400 runs every game at max settings nice and smooth. BF4, Batman Arkham Origins, Metro Last Light.....all look fantastic.

 

I did have to send the Monitor back to ASUS, as it was an open-box, from newegg, and has a corrupt EDID....only works with the driver that came with the monitor, unfortunately, that driver, does not work with the new video card, so I'm waiting for a replacement.