Is it actually worth picking up a Z170 motherboard just to flash the BIOS and attempt BCLK overclocking on this i5 6400—trying to push it toward the 4.2–4.5 GHz range? I’m looking at maybe a 10–15 FPS bump in GTA V, but I’m also weighing the "future-proofing" aspect.
The total cost for the build would go up by about $85–$110—that covers the board and the cooler.
If you think it's a move worth making, will the Cooler Master Hyper 212 be enough to handle that kind of overclock, or should I just bite the bullet and grab a Cooler Master Hyper 212 instead?
Timothy Kim60 said:A buddy of mine got an NVIDIA GeForce GTX delivered yesterday from overseas. Haven't caught up with him yet—no clue if he's even had a chance to fire it up. works the same way freesync didn't want the GTX 1060
Do me a favor and let me know what your friend thinks of the XFX 🙂 once you touch base with him. Is it the Black Edition or just the standard model?
We'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out—I suspect the EVGA card might actually be a solid contender, even if there isn't much review coverage out there yet. Time will tell. 😁
So, if you were picking out a custom RX 480, which one would be your top choice and why?
I’m leaning toward the Alienware Aurora 8GB—it runs a bit warmer than some others, sure, but the reviews say it's remarkably quiet. For me, that silence alone makes it worth it, not to mention the solid boost clock. The XFX BE GTR is also on my radar, mostly just because I dig the black aesthetic. 😁
I'd love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
PS: I'm skipping the RTX 3060 entirely since I'm picking up a G-Sync monitor (Samsung Odyssey).
I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking at here—but if I had the cash, I’d probably take the risk on 😁 . EDIT: There's also a GTX 1060 available for about $260 EDIT2: The Gigabyte one is gone; now there's just these
Interesting point about the 21:9 aspect ratio—it wouldn't look as pixelated as it does on a 27" 1080p monitor, right? It might actually be a better move since I spend most of my time watching movies and series, making UW much more ideal.
And what could I potentially trim from this build? It’s not a huge deal since it's coming in at around $1,150 anyway, but just for curiosity's sake.
I'm planning to pick up a new rig this October 😁, so I've started diving into the hardware scene to get my bearings. Based on some discussions here on the forum, I’ve put together a build list at a local shop near me—I'd appreciate any thoughts, advice, or suggested tweaks you might have. I'll be keeping an eye on market trends and pricing as we go.
The primary focus is gaming, though since I'm an CS major, I'll also be running some light coding environments like Java, C++, and SQL—nothing massive, but that's why I'm leaning toward a larger monitor.
Here is the spec list: 1x Corsair Carbide 100R Midi Tower 1x MSI H110M Pro-VH USB3.1/VGA/HDMI mATX 1x Intel Core i5-6400 4 x2 1x Palit GeForce GTX 1060 JetStream 6GB GDDR5 1x 8GB (1x8GB) HyperX Fury schwarz DDR4-2133 CL14 RAM 1x Kingston SSDNow UV400 240GB TLC 2.5zoll SATA600 1x SATA600 1 x XFX Pro Series full Wired edition 450 w ATX 2.3 (There is also an xfx xt 500 w option, but I suspect this one is the better choice?) 1x Scythe Lüfter Ultra Kaze 120x120x38mm 3000rpm
Totaling roughly $840 $2.00
To avoid starting a whole new thread: I am looking at a 27" 1080p monitor, something like the LG 29 UM58-P LED, AH-IPS, 5ms, 75 hz. Does anyone have experience using a 27" screen at 1080p? Is it actually as pixelated as people say, or is it fine for reading code and gaming if you sit a bit further back? Or should I just stick to a 24"? 1440p seems a bit out of my budget right now—and perhaps a bit too demanding for the GTX 1060 anyway.
So, you're suggesting the RX 480 might actually be a better call than the 1060? I'm curious about how that pairing would hold up—an i5 6400 paired with an RX 480—when running DirectX 12 or Vulkan. If I decide to skip those newer APIs entirely, would the GTX 1060 be the smarter play in that case?
Thanks, guys 🙂 I have a few more questions—I'll drop them here if you don't mind.
Regarding these new motherboards: do they come with built-in WiFi, or am I going to need to buy separate hardware? (Trying to avoid running cables through my walls.)
And what's the deal with RAM—DDR3 versus DDR4? Does a higher capacity always mean better performance? 😬
I’m currently using an older LG 1080p monitor (1920x1080). Should I upgrade to an LED model, or is the difference negligible?
One last thing: I read somewhere that the RX 480 might be the smarter long-term play. Apparently, it'll outperform the GTX 1060 once DirectX 12 becomes the standard? Is there any truth to that?
Good day, everyone. I’m planning on picking up a new PC in about two months, so I've been doing some light digging into current tech trends. 😁 Could someone clarify the actual difference between these two cards?
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1060 ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1060 There is an $85 price gap here—is it really the same card?
One more thing: is it actually safe to buy components through Amazon? I'm currently studying in Chicago, so ordering via Amazon seems like the most cost-effective route for me.