Building a new rig

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:51 am

So after a long while of trying to trick myself, I decided I just miss PC gaming too much. So I decided to build a rig that I thought would last about 2-3 years with generally high video settings in most games, and that also had some speed to it. ~$900 is about the price range I have budgeted for (after a few increases from the initial budget).

Does anyone see any compatibility issues? Do I need any more then the 2 140mm fans included in the case? Any suggestions welcomed and appreciated.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cc8zjX

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:40 am

Looks OK to me.

These days it seems like the vid card choices that make sense are driven by your native screen resolution. If your card can do 4k at 60fps, but you only have an HD screen -- that's overkill. Simplified example but valid point.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:52 am

Was thinking something similar to this for my screen: http://www.amazon.com/Acer-S220HQL-Abd- ... B005LJWJSG

Based on your example, do you think it would be more practical to go with this card?:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

What if I plan to add a second monitor someday?

Spinning Hat · Post by **Spinning Hat** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:17 am

I have the R9 270x and it's been great. Runs most games a high / max settings. If you get the 290, you would be very happy, IMO.

*Edit* After looking at your config, I would recommend going with 16Gb of RAM if you can swing it. Win 8 has used much more RAM than Win 7 in my experience, and more is always better.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:25 am

Well by saving some money and getting the 290 over the geforce, It shouldn't be an issue adding another 8gb of ram. I've read quite a few reviews about the 290 running on the hotter side, and also artifacting and/or screen tearing. The heat shouldn't be much of an issue I'd assume if I have the card well ventilated, but have you had any of those other issues?

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:38 pm

I would definitely NOT get that monitor, at least as a primary. I might be a little pickier in that respect than some, but I want a good mix of color gamut and accuracy, speed, and viewing angle. I think the bigger the monitor is, the more important the viewing angle is, too. And I don't want to pay a lot, either. See this article on monitor technology:

http://www.tnpanel.com/tn-vs-ips-va/

From what I can tell, that monitor is a TN panel. I would recommend an e- (or s-) IPS panel. Something like this one:

http://smile.amazon.com/Dell-293M3-IPS- ... onitor+ips

It costs a little more, but it's what I'm looking at most of the time. In this case I think it's worth it.

Disclaimer: Part of the reason I'm picky about the monitor is the photo processing I do. Trying to do that on a TN screen drives me nuts - you typically lose two bits of color depth AND if you're not looking at it straight-on, the colors are off. I bought a Dell eIPS monitor several years ago and I've been extremely pleased.

I'm a lot less picky about the graphics card. Either one that you listed should be OK. I will say that the RAM is probably a good choice.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Thu Feb 12, 2015 6:22 am

Thanks for the tips, and suggestion; Monitors are one thing I know next to nothing about.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:08 am

Hmm, if you're thinking about that 970, I found this today:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/02/n ... am-issues/

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:34 am

Uh Oh! It didn't take AMD long to advertise that radeon's "4gb means 4gb"

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:49 am

Grrr, couple of the pieces are out of stock. Waiting (im)patiently. If I was to just buy 8 gb RAM to start, it's as simple as buying the exact same type of RAM in another 8gb stick to drop in later right?

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:19 am

TLDR; Yup.

There is actually a little more to the story what with dual-channel, and it doesn't have to be the _exact_ same type, though that's best. But yes, it should be pretty transparent to you. I personally wouldn't have a problem doing that.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:01 am

Btw Gambit. Thanks for the good read on monitors, I decided to go with this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6824236288

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:54 pm

Great! I can't stand TN panels anymore since my IPS spoiled me.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:11 am

The parts that kept going out of stock as I tried to add them to the cart finally are in stock. Ordered everything this morning. Waiting eagerly for everything to arrive

. Thank you all for the help and suggestions!

XMEN Iceman · Post by **XMEN Iceman** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:20 pm

Let us know how it goes! Nice to see you still around!