Posts by brightskipper40

Look, OT, I’ve had way too many moments where I knew exactly what was about to go down. Like, I’ll be thinking about something specific, and then just seconds later, it actually happens. Whether that actually means anything or not... who knows. But I can tell you it's happened to me more than 15 times now, all after the age of 20.

They described me perfectly, like a total jellyfish.

Here’s what I’m working with:
i5 4690k
hd7870
4GB Western Digital RAM
Intel Z97 gaming 5 Scythe Ashura Corsair GS600
Scythe Ashura
Corsair GS600

The issue is I'm getting zero beeps on startup and absolutely no signal on the monitor. If I remember correctly, the motherboard was stuck on code 15 when I was putting this together this morning... looking at the error codes now, it says "early north bridge initialization." All the fans are spinning up just fine, everything seems to be running, but there's no beep and no picture. Anyone have a clue what might be causing this?

Swapped out the thermal paste. Max temp during the stress test hit 70% with the fans at 53% speed. If anyone's dealing with similar cards, I’d definitely suggest a repaste...

I'm currently helping a buddy build a PC and I've got an AMD Radeon R9 280 X Dual-X from EVGA in there. It's idling at 45°C, but then it jumps up to 80°C... Is that actually normal?

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the help. Windows is booting up right now, so fingers crossed everything goes smoothly. I ended up pulling the trigger on the i7 3770 and that Thermaltake unit, plus I grabbed the SSD you guys recommended. Thanks again, cheers...

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Just give it a quick Google search; you'll find plenty of reviews specifically for that CPU.

http://www.pcgameware.co.uk/reviews/...cooler-review/
http://www.pureoverclock.com/Review-...-cpu-cooler/6/

The case is solid, though I did mention one drawback earlier. As long as you aren't planning on installing a high-end graphics card longer than 29 cm, you should be fine. That said, I'm assuming that by the next generation, you'll likely be looking at something in the ballpark of an R9 290 or a GTX 780 for a more reasonable price—it's just hard to predict exactly how long those cards will be.

In that case, I'll stick to that plan. Since I've decided against liquid cooling after all, I'll grab a better case like you suggested. I was checking this one out and it looks top-tier; if you've used it before, would you recommend it? http://www.futura-it.com/catalog/comp...tower/0150904/

crimsonstag84 said:Honestly, you're fine sticking with Ereboss. I guess low-end liquid cooling usually ends up being worse than a decent air cooler anyway. If it were me, I’d go with the Z5+ for the case, and maybe just grab 4GB of the cheapest RAM available instead of what you have there.

With that OC, I guess you shouldn't have to worry about any bottlenecks, even when you start looking at upcoming GPU generations.

I didn't realize that. So the Intel Core i7 3770k could actually hit 4.3 GHz with an Ereboss while keeping temps normal under full load? Also, I'm wondering what the difference is between the Z11 Plus and the Z12 Plus... I was watching some reviews on YouTube and those cases look pretty decent.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:That works. You could potentially grab some cheaper RAM (though prices aren't crazy right now), but keep in mind that if you pair them with your current sticks, they’ll just default to the slower speed anyway. Besides, raw speed doesn't really matter in practice unless you're relying on integrated graphics.
Also, I might reconsider the case. I'd suggest going with something standard-sized without those "slats" over the hard drive bays; that way, you'll actually have room to fit longer graphics cards down the road if you need to upgrade. Look into something like a Zalman Z3, Z5, or maybe a higher-end Corsair Carbide 200R or a Fractal 3000, where you can easily pop out the top drive cage if it gets in the way.

Regarding overclocking, you should be fine if you stick with Ivy Bridge. If you decide to go with a Haswell i7, pushing past 4.2 GHz might become a real headache with temperatures. I actually talked to someone using a 4770K paired with an Ereboss who said 4.2 was their absolute ceiling. It really comes down to the silicon lottery with each specific processor.

I wasn't planning on going with Haswell anyway, mostly because of all the overheating issues I read about online. Since I've never used liquid cooling before, is it smarter to switch to water or just stick with air? I built this whole setup thinking it would last me another 3 or 4 years without needing to swap parts. Once my GTX 7850 finally gives up the ghost, I'll pick up a new card, hoping this Intel won't bottleneck it.

Instead of starting a whole new thread, I'll just keep things going here. Basically, I've saved up some extra cash and spent some time browsing through Futura-IT, which seems like my best bet.
I've put together two different builds that'll mostly be used for gaming, Photoshop, and watching movies. I'd love some advice if I've missed anything or if there are better alternatives out there than what I've listed here 😁

Build 1:

CPU:
MOBO:
Case:
SSD:
RAM:
Cooler:

Build 2:

CPU:
MOBO:
Case:
SSD:
RAM:
Cooler:

For both setups, the SSD and RAM aren't strictly necessary since I already have an HDD and some RAM on hand. I only included them because they're significantly faster than what I'm currently running. Also, I'm wondering if it's even worth opting for liquid cooling, or if Ereboss will be enough to handle a stable overclock up to 4.3 GHz (or maybe higher??). Thanks in advance 😁

crimsonstag84 said:Did someone take a hammer to this thing or what? 😁

I don't really get how a case can look this beat up, unless maybe some LEDs are acting funky 🤣

My old rig's been running for almost five years now and I haven't even found a single scratch on it 🙂

It sounds worse than it actually is when I say it's not in great condition. 🙂 Everything looks fine once you film it, but there are some scratches and it’s a bit dirty—some shots are missing too, but nothing that can't be fixed. Honestly, I'm just being lazy about cleaning it up. 🤣 Once the new parts arrive, I might actually put some effort into tidying things up. 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$1020
This is how I’d do it. Last gen Intel Ivy Bridge. The gap between this and current Haswell isn't even worth mentioning, except that Haswell runs hotter than Ivy Bridge.

The setup is still solid. If you're missing front USB3, just slap an extra controller in there and call it a day.
http://www.bestbuy.com/front-panel-usb3-controller
1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB
1 x Samsung SSD 120 GB 840 evo Basic, 2.5"

$1235

Best Buy

Looks good. I'm just wondering if Ivy Bridge can be overclocked as well as the newer models? I'll definitely grab the SSD; I've been planning on it for a while, and even 120GB is plenty since I'll probably only use about 40GB for my OS and programs. Definitely worth it.🙂 I might also need a new case, since my current one is pretty old and beat up—it was a hand-me-down. Regarding the cooler, I’m currently running the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo on my CPU, so it should fit this Ivy Bridge build, right? But like graniteharbor85 said, who knows what prices will look like by summer...

graniteharbor85 said:Roughly speaking — his current AMD rival would be the FX 8320 / FX 8350.

Don't even sweat the bottlenecking part—especially if you decide to overclock it later on.

Anyway, just check back in when you're actually ready to pull the trigger. Prices and what's in stock change basically every single day, but the setup we suggested should give you a pretty solid ballpark idea of what to expect.

Cheers! I'll catch you later when the time comes.😁

graniteharbor85 said:Izvolis:

i5 4670K
Ereboss by RAIJINTEK
ASRock Z87 EXTREME3
Kingston 4GB 1600 MHz
Just picked up a Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic—honestly, if you haven't made the jump to an SSD yet, you're basically living in the stone age. It’s such a game changer for system snappiness.
ZALMAN Z3 plus WHITE ED. USB 3.0 MIDI ATX

That's $4k, shipping included.

What do you think of mine?
CPU: 450-$167
mbo: $50
For the GPU—I'd say aim for somewhere between $800 and $900. Honestly, if you can find one that still comes with a solid warranty, don't be afraid to push toward that higher end of the range.
case: $67

You’re all set on the RAM side for the long haul—don't sweat the 1600 MHz thing, since it'll just automatically throttle down to 1333 MHz anyway. Plus, you've got a way beefier processor that gives you the headroom to overclock past 4GHz (especially with a solid cooler keeping things chill), paired with that Z87 chipset which basically gives you the best possible foundation for overclocking.

So, you finally got an SSD? Man, that's a game changer—especially since you were stuck on an HDD before. It makes the whole system feel noticeably snappier compared to the old hard drive life.

I swapped out the case because yours is way too small to fit any decent cooler—and honestly, there’s no point grabbing an i7-4770K if you're just planning on doing tiny little overclocking bumps like that 300 MHz jump. So, I just went ahead and threw in the full package deal instead.

Plus, you're getting four fans, a potentiometer, dust filters—plus, the interior layout is way better designed. It’s quieter, cooling is definitely improved, you get that plexiglass side panel, and you're starting fresh with a new warranty too.

If you want, you could just hang onto that HD 7850 and overclock the hell out of it—honestly, it’s still a solid card—but if everything we talked about is already spoken for, you might be better off grabbing a new R9 280 or maybe even hunting down a used R9 280X. I know a few people selling them that are only about a year or two old for around $1.7k–$2k.

Since you didn't mention the HDD capacity—and if you're actually looking to pick one up—I'd honestly suggest going with something faster instead. SSHD So, you've got these hybrid SSD and HDD setups—basically a way to keep all that massive storage space but actually get some decent speed compared to a standard old-school hard drive—all without paying a single extra cent.

Thanks a lot for everything 😁

One more thing, could you tell me roughly what percentage stronger that i5 is compared to my current FX? Just so I have a ballpark idea. I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on this whole setup by summer, and maybe picking up a new GPU around Christmas, so I'm worried the i5 might bottleneck it.

graniteharbor85 said:Alright, let me know what you're running right now:
- CPU - exact model
- Motherboard - manufacturer/model
- RAM - brand - type (DDR2/DDR3) - speed
- HDD and DVD drive - give me the exact models and the interface: SATA or PATA
- GPU - manufacturer, model, amount of VRAM
- Case - manufacturer, model.

Once I have that, I can give you some solid advice on how to get the most bang for your buck.

- CPU: AMD FX 4170
- Motherboard: MSI MS-7641
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 Kingston 1333
- HDD is SATA, don't use a DVD drive
- GPU: Sapphire HD 7850 2GB
- Case: Antec 900

Kimberly Gomez34 said:What components do you actually need to get started?

I listed:
-Motherboard
-Processor
-Appropriate CPU cooler

Larry Ortiz5 said:What’s the absolute maximum you’d be willing to shell out for this?

Around 4k, assuming that isn't cutting it...

Hey everyone, I'm looking to upgrade my setup in about a month or two.
Basically, I want to make the jump from AMD over to Intel. I'm looking for a motherboard, an i5 or i7 processor, and a decent cooler to go with them. The motherboard doesn't need to be anything crazy, just something solid enough to handle a light overclock, maybe up to 300+... Same goes for the cooler; nothing overkill, just something that won't let everything melt 😛. In short, I need one of those two CPUs to be powerful enough to support at least one more generation of GPUs without hitting a bottleneck. My power supply is a GS600, so that should be fine.

If anyone could put together a good combo for me, I'd really appreciate it 😁

Edit: My budget is around $1333, paying cash. Also, it doesn't have to hit $4,000; I'd prefer to stay under that if possible.

Kyle Sanchez4 said:I went ahead and ordered this one

I'll let you know how it performs in a week or two...

14 ms?? Isn't that a little on the slow side?

dustyskipper77 said:I’d personally go with the Razer Ouroboros, but if you're dead set on finding something else, there are definitely other options out there...

RAZER OUROBOROS

👍