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Geek Culture / Good God I want this laptop...

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Phaelax
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 19:03
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Quote: "I'm not going to spend $30 more for a PSU that has 100 less watts, either, that just seems silly."

If that's your logic, then why not buy a 1000w PSU for $40? It's about quality, less "dirty" power, and seasonics run dead silent.

Quote: "And yes, the drive does not write BluRays, but I really don't need that right now and I could always buy one at a later date. I just want the ability to play them for the moment"

Just in case you were wondering, VLC will indeed playback blurays.


Quote: "[SSD...]as you can't just cut/paste over to a new drive like you can with HDDs"

Umm, what? I do that all the time.


Quote: "and the Corsair Hydro H100i liquid CPU cooler"

I use the Corsair H50 (or was it H55?). I didn't notice any temperature change over the stock... until I overclocked. I had a thread about it somewhere. It's very quiet, you won't even notice it's there.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 19:15
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Quote: "why not buy a 1000w PSU for $40? It's about quality, less "dirty" power, and seasonics run dead silent."


It was the fact that it was listed as a 650W PSU, and not 750W, and I believe if I want to SLI two 770s (which I fully plan on doing by the end of year, if I can) I will need at least a 700W PSU (although some places say to go to 800W, so I may have to do that). So to me it seemed like a bad idea to spend $30 for something that would give me less than I needed! However I did not explain that part of my plan yet, so I do apologize for that little misunderstanding!

If VLC will play BluRays do I even need a BluRay drive, or can I just get away with a DVD drive? Probably a silly question but it sounds like that's what you mean?

Also, how many of you guys are familiar with Gigabyte products? I found some less expensive mobos that they make with the same specifications as higher-priced models, and they have favorable reviews as well.


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MrValentine
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 19:32
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I prefer MSI boards, but only in the last few years...

I too want to know if he means the stupidly complex way to play bluray or if he means stick it in and play...

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Phaelax
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 19:43
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Well you still need the hardware to read the disc! But yea just stick it in and play. You'll need some kind of software to decode the bluray encryption, and vlc does it.


It's been years since I've used Gigabyte boards. I've used them for both AMD and Intel, and there's a reason I no longer buy their products. While the boards work for the most part, every one always seems to have some quirk. Like either I can't use all ram slots at once(ram was on their compatibility list), or the usb ports stop working, or the caps on the board blow and cause random issues.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 20:11 Edited at: 2nd Sep 2014 20:11
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I figured as much about the hardware, but thought I'd double-check.

I found a potentially fatal flaw with that ASUS mobo I had picked out - it only had 1 PCI-E 1.0 slot, which is what the wireless card I had picked out needed, and it was RIGHT inbetween the 2 PCI-E 2.0x16 slots which obviously would not have allowed me to SLI two 770s.

Seriously, who designs these boards sometimes?! How do they expect anybody to safely fit a wireless card in-between 2 GPUs?

So I found an MSI board that actually has a PCI-E 1.0 slot ABOVE the first 2.0x16 slot, which would allow me to plug the wifi card in without any issues! Also it's $6 cheaper and doesn't have two useless 2.0x4 slots that I would never be able to use. Which means plenty of room for rocking dual GPUs!

Now with the increased PSU power and guaranteed dual-GPU capabilities, my total is back up to $1423.89 - A little over $75 under my original target of $1500!


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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 20:39
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Quote: "it only had 1 PCI-E 1.0 slot, which is what the wireless card I had picked out needed"


Quote: "doesn't have two useless 2.0x4 slots that I would never be able to use."


Quote: "The lane count is automatically negotiated during device initialization, and can be restricted by either endpoint. For example, a single-lane PCIe (×1) card can be inserted into a multi-lane slot (×4, ×8, etc.), and the initialization cycle auto-negotiates the highest mutually supported lane count."


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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 20:50 Edited at: 2nd Sep 2014 21:31
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Does that mean I can essentially plug a 1.0 card into a 2.0 slot...?

Cool, but seems impractical. I'd rather just stick with the MSI board I found which has the dedicated 1.0 slot above the 2.0x16 slots. However, I assume that DOES mean a GPU could be plugged into a x4 slot without too much trouble? Although I can't imagine it would be a good idea, you'd lose so much of the overall performance.

Also I saved another $30 by switching to the Thermaltake Chaser A71, which in my opinion is a better case than the core V71 due to the less obnoxious lights. Also it's still better than the Corsair in terms of air flow, it has a nice fan on the side to help cool things down. It's also apparently a little quieter!

Total is now $1398.89!

EDIT: Ugh, so many typos - I think the batteries in my keyboard must be dying, I've had to edit nearly every post since yesterday due to typos and incomplete words.

EDIT: So I checked out the best recommended mobos for AMD processors, and a lot of top sources say to get the ASUS ROG Crosshair V Formula Z, because of the massive SLI support, great heat dispersion, and build quality. It also has USB3.0 support, unlike the last two I looked at.

I did use an ASUS ROG mobo in my last build, and I loved it. It did exactly what it said it would and I think it's worth the extra money to ensure a great mobo. People say it's also the best one to go with the 8350.

So, my total is back up to $1508.89. Apparently, this is as close to the goal that I can get.

If I go back to a different case I might be able to get it under $1500, but I'm starting to doubt it as I can't find a decent one under $109.99.


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Dar13
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Posted: 2nd Sep 2014 22:42
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Why did you go back to the Samsung SSD?

And you are using a Blue instead of a Black edition WD HDD?

And you're still going with the water cooling?

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Phaelax
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 04:05
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Quote: "How do they expect anybody to safely fit a wireless card in-between 2 GPUs?"


Who uses wireless on a desktop? That's just silly!

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Clonkex
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 04:18
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Quote: "Also, how many of you guys are familiar with Gigabyte products?"


We've had several Gigabyte products and found them to be reliable and good. No problems with that.

Quote: "Why did you go back to the Samsung SSD?"


Why not? The 840 Evo (if indeed that's what he's getting) is a very, very good SSD.

Quote: "Who uses wireless on a desktop? That's just silly!"


Yeah! Unless you're going to LAN parties or something... Wired connections are so much better and more reliable than wireless (yes, even today), and a desktop doesn't normally move around, so why use wireless?


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Dar13
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 04:22
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Quote: " Why not? The 840 Evo (if indeed that's what he's getting) is a very, very good SSD."

~$60 more for an SSD that's only 10GB larger and has the same or very similar memory controller as the PNY I found earlier.

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Clonkex
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 04:43
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Quote: "~$60 more for an SSD that's only 10GB larger and has the same or very similar memory controller as the PNY I found earlier."


No, it's not about the size, it's about the quality and controller. It's better than just about all other SSDs on the market right now. Aside from the controller being better than the PNY, the TurboWrite and the RAPID mode software (optional, but really worth using) make this just about the fastest and most reliable SSDs you can buy.


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Dar13
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 05:04
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The EVO is on par with the PNY Optima or XLR8. You're thinking the Pro. They are radically different.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 05:09
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The only reason I was thinking of WiFi was because I won't have access to a cable for a while... however, I suppose I will figure out a way to route one around so I can have that secure connection!

I went to the Samsung EVO because it's much better quality, and is much cheaper than a lot of other SSDs I saw on the market as well.

Water cooling because the FX-8350 appears to get hot fairly easily so I want the extra insurance of liquid cooling. Look at the reviews for the 8350 and you'll see a bunch of people talking about how they need a water cooler (of course, a lot of them may not have decent airflow, so that could be it).


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Indicium
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 05:30
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Look into PowerLine if you have no WiFi.
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Dar13
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 05:42
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Quote: "Water cooling because the FX-8350 appears to get hot fairly easily so I want the extra insurance of liquid cooling. Look at the reviews for the 8350 and you'll see a bunch of people talking about how they need a water cooler (of course, a lot of them may not have decent airflow, so that could be it)."

If you say so. A good air cooler will be quieter than any water cooling solution you can get short of a custom loop though.

Also, I was wrong about the EVO. I thought it was a bit more gimped than it is though it does use a slightly lower quality flash (TLC instead of MLC).

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MrValentine
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 05:54
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Power Socket based Ethernet does not work if floors are on different breakers...



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Clonkex
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 15:38 Edited at: 3rd Sep 2014 15:40
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Quote: "The EVO is on par with the PNY Optima or XLR8. You're thinking the Pro."


I'm really not.

Quote: "I thought it was a bit more gimped than it is though it does use a slightly lower quality flash (TLC instead of MLC)."


Now that's a matter of opinion. TLC isn't necessarily lower quality than MLC. Ok, so the lifespan is technically a fair bit shorter, but it's still pretty much guaranteed >5 years and will probably last 10 or more. The 840 Evo has a fairly small area (~20GB) reserved for TurboWrite that uses some of the drive as MLC anyway, so in effect it's as fast as MLC with greater capacity for a lower price point. Add that to the RAPID mode software and you have a spectacularly fast and reliable SSD for a good price.

Quote: "The only reason I was thinking of WiFi was because I won't have access to a cable for a while... however, I suppose I will figure out a way to route one around so I can have that secure connection!"


When you say "cable", do you mean cable internet or ethernet cable? Cuz if you've got a wireless connection, surely you've got a router, and if you've got a router you can pop down to your computer shop (I say that assuming you're in town) and buy a length of ethernet cable to get a wired connection.


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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 17:21
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@Clonkex:
Ethernet cable, and while I certainly can do exactly as you've said, the length that I would need would probably be at least 50ft, thanks to the fact that our router is in our downstairs office because that's where we could put it.

I asked my brother to help me figure out how to run a length of wire up to where my new room will be, and he's already got a couple ideas, so we should be able to get something sorted out.

@Dar13:

I think I will just stick with the Cooler Master heatsink/fan I found earlier, I can't find many other places that say the 8350 NEEDS a water cooler, I think the reviewers on Newegg might not have had the best airflow and were overclocking like crazy (whereas I'll probably only overclock if I absolutely HAVE to), just because it's an unlocked processor. With the Thermaltake Core V71 case, airflow will NOT be a problem!

And I think I trust someone on these forums about cooling a CPU better than Newegg reviews.


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Dar13
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 19:46
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@Clonkex
I said you were right, stop attacking me, eh?

By the way, TLC is demonstrably lesser quality than MLC there is no if ands or buts around it. The EVO handles it better than most, but it is indeed lesser quality flash.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 3rd Sep 2014 22:20
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Quote: "The only reason I was thinking of WiFi was because I won't have access to a cable for a while... "


If you do need wireless, I'd just get an inexpensive USB dongle and call it a day.

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 02:40 Edited at: 4th Sep 2014 02:41
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Quote: "Ethernet cable, and while I certainly can do exactly as you've said, the length that I would need would probably be at least 50ft, thanks to the fact that our router is in our downstairs office because that's where we could put it."
I'm in the same position. When I used to have my (now defunct) desktop in my bedroom, it was totally too far from the office, where the router is, for an Ethernet cable. The cable would also need to be routed through two rooms and a hallway, and that just wouldn't work so well.

I always used a USB dongle to get my wireless, and that worked well. When my desktop died, I installed Windows 7 on my laptop so that I could use it as a desktop replacement (it had Windows 8 before), and that wiped the drivers for the laptop's internal wireless card. I have been too busy to get those drivers, so I have just been using that same USB dongle for internet. Sadly, that one is a horridly cheap NetGear, and it's having some pretty bad issues these days.

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Clonkex
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 03:58
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Quote: "Ethernet cable, and while I certainly can do exactly as you've said, the length that I would need would probably be at least 50ft, thanks to the fact that our router is in our downstairs office because that's where we could put it."


In terms of distance, Ethernet isn't expensive and can be run for ages. We currently run our ethernet cable at least 15m (about 50ft) under a thin layer of dirt (and in some places in the open air) out to our bus from the far side of the house. I'd say it's about 20m and it works perfectly.

Quote: "I said you were right, stop attacking me, eh?"


I'm not attacking you. I was just pointing out that TLC didn't make the 840 Evo a bad SSD. I'm sorry that I came across that way

Quote: "By the way, TLC is demonstrably lesser quality than MLC there is no if ands or buts around it. The EVO handles it better than most, but it is indeed lesser quality flash."


Ok, yeah TLC is actually lower quality. All I meant was that it doesn't adversely affect the 840 because it has TLC.

Quote: "it was totally too far from the office, where the router is, for an Ethernet cable"


How far it too far? We run our cable 20m.

If distance isn't the main issue, and routing is, all I can say is we just run ours underneath our house (just lying in the dirt), but if you're in a multi-storey building.... bags not being the one to run the cable


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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 04:04
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@Dar13:

I don't think Clonkex meant to sound like he was attacking! Don't you guys start a fight because of my thread now!

I think I will look at different drives, see what all is out there and try to make the best decision. I'll look at more reviews and see what I find!

@Phaelax:

Indeed, that does look like a better solution should I not be able to route a proper cable to my room!


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Phaelax
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 15:36
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If you're not already familiar with monoprice.com, check their for ethernet cable, dirt cheap! Ethernet will extend farther than wireless (unless you have repeaters). But yea running it for long distances in some areas can be a pain. (like in a warehouse with 50ft ceilings) I've used Trendnet USB before and it's worked pretty well for me. They typically cost $50 or less.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 19:24
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I'm going to drop the SSD. I've read some things about them and they still seem a little iffy, plus if I drop it I can afford to splurge a bit more on higher-res monitor!

That MSI GPU shot back up to $400+ and it seems I found a better EVGA one anyway, despite it having only 2GB VRAM. I'm still shopping to see if I can find one that's got 3GB in the sub-$380 market but am not having luck. However, this EVGA one is SuperClocked so its performance should at least be on par with the MSI card.

I am looking at the Radeon R9 cards, a lot of them do have higher performance specs for $300 or less, which I must admit is very tempting. However, a lot of people say that coil whine seems to occur with most of the AMD GPUs on Newegg, so I may look around a bit.

Right now, after dropping the SSD and substituting the EVGA card for the MSI one, my total is only $1282.91 I can't believe how much I've gotten this thing down!


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MrValentine
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 19:45
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Have you tried Amazon? found a jetstream 4GB GTX 760 for £200 less than $380 and an EVGA one for $396~ £240~

Unless you have reasons not to shop there then I understand...



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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 20:12 Edited at: 4th Sep 2014 20:13
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Amazon can be pretty good, however I did want to try to get everything from one place so that I can have everything arrive on the same day and hopefully all under the same warranties so as not to confuse myself.

Just for grins I went with a Sapphire R9 280X, it's $289.99 with 3GB of VRAM, 1GHz clock and it has pretty high ratings, definitely beats out the 760 but is pretty much exactly the same as a 770, with the 770 coming out a bit ahead thanks to advanced physx.

Doing that, my total is now $1,187.91. That's also because I dropped the Crosshair V mobo and went back to the Sabertooth one, amazing how much of a difference this has made and how much power I can still get.


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MrValentine
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 20:16
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Just remember to cross reference your Memory Voltages with the board and the bus speeds if we still call it that

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 20:29
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Do you mean to make sure my RAM is compatible?

I'm pretty sure it is. This is the RAM, here's the Mobo.

I added a monitor and keyboard to my order. With shipping, my grand total is $1513.37. Crazy! If only I had that in my account and could click "buy" hahahaha


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MrValentine
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 21:25
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Your board supports DDR3 1866/1600/1333/1066 so you should probably look for enthusiast 1866 Memory

4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 1866/1600/1333/1066 Hz ECC, Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel Memory Architecture

Here is the memory support link PDF http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM3+/SABERTOOTH_990FX/Sabertooth_990FX_DRAM_QVL.zip

Found here http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_990FX/HelpDesk_QVL/

Check the chart for highest Voltage RAM sticks with highest speed support so your memory is never a bottle neck

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MrValentine
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Posted: 4th Sep 2014 21:26 Edited at: 4th Sep 2014 21:31
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You can find the manual download links there too, suggest you download one and have a read through for installation quirks

EDIT

For example those PCI slots look fishy, maybe they are like that because some are for SLI and some for Crossfire

You want to read up on that before committing to this...

EDIT

Also make sure the timings are right!

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Dar13
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Posted: 5th Sep 2014 00:08
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@MrValentine
The ASUS Sabertooth 990FX motherboard is one of the best enthusiast motherboards around for AMD CPUs. It supports 3 PCIe 2.0 slots, 1 PCIe 1.0 slot, and one PCI slot. I don't see how they are fishy?

@YodamanJer
I strongly suggest you either upgrade your primary hard drive to a WD Black (or equivalent) or grab that SSD again. Right now your biggest bottleneck is HDD read/write speed and that will hit you on everything you try to use the computer for.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 5th Sep 2014 04:47
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Oh yeah, I am going to upgrade to the WD Black at least, I just forgot to update that earlier. I would grab the SSD but it adds too much to the total cost with everything else. Like I said, I will definitely grab one at some point in the future for the OS!

@MrValentine:

I'm not sure what you mean by fishy looking? Almost every motherboard I've looked at look exactly the same. If you mean the two different colors, I believe it's because 2 are 2.0x16 and the other are 2.0x4...


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Dar13
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Posted: 5th Sep 2014 05:19
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Quote: " I'm not sure what you mean by fishy looking? Almost every motherboard I've looked at look exactly the same. If you mean the two different colors, I believe it's because 2 are 2.0x16 and the other are 2.0x4..."

Well, this motherboard actually has 3 PCIe 2.0 that have two possible configurations.

Configuration #1: Dual x16 slots with the third unused.
Configuration #2: One x16 slot with two x8 slots.

Of course, this is just from a cursory look at the product manual, I might be wrong.

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Seditious
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Posted: 5th Sep 2014 06:07
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To paraphrase what has already been said, it makes no sense to build a high-spec computer and not give it an SSD. You don't need a particularly large one since its main benefit comes from using the OS and regular software (not games) on it. You'd be fine with 32GB, which doesn't cost much at all.
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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 00:18
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I'd like to have plenty of storage space for other applications too, I'd love to see how fast Unreal/Unity would load off an SSD.

I'm not NEVER going to get one, I'm just not going to include it in the initial build because it adds too much to my total. Besides, I may order it from another place if it ends up being cheaper than Newegg's.

Speaking of which, I was going to order all of the on-sale items today, because I had $650 towards it already. As soon as I went to go transfer the funds into my checking account, the bank website crashed and I can't get in...

So I will probably have to wait til tomorrow to order the on-sale items (the GPU, CPU, PSU and Fan/Heatsink were on sale and I can get them for $644.91), hopefully they'll come soon!

Then I'll order everything else as soon as I can, I should be able to get everything by the end of October! Maybe other sales will happen before then too and I can get this monster built with better parts!


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bitJericho
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 00:51
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I dunno about that, you don't have a modern spec PC without an SSD on for the OS. A 120/128gb Corsair is plenty for the OS and a couple of your more favorite load-intensive games/tools.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 02:00
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Woohoo! I ordered the first half, all for $644.96. I should get it on the 10th and by then, I plan to have placed the second order which will consist of the case, motherboard, hard drive, optical drive, and the final part of the order will be the monitor and keyboard which I will get by week 3.

I probably saved close to $200 by ordering all of the on-sale items now, instead of waiting until I could get it all at once. Plus, this way, I can be sure the parts arrive alright and send them back if something's wrong without having to worry about sorting through all of it at one time.

I went with the Gigabyte R9 280X WindForce GPU, FX 8350 CPU, EVGA SuperNOVA 850W PSU, and Cooler Master Hyper 212 fan/heatsink combo.

Plus, I'll save even more money because the a few of the items have mail-in rebates, which will help me save an additional $50! Woo!

I'm so excited!

Oh, and bitJericho, I'm going to take a look around my local shops to see if I can find SSDs there for better prices. Chances are slim, but I'll see what I can do!


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bitJericho
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 02:17
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Just don't get a kingston, I know the prices are tempting but it will be your downfall

Have fun!

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MrValentine
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 02:26
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Did you check Amazon before ordering the items?

As you went back on your initial idea of ordering in one go...

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 02:34
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Quote: "...you went back on your initial idea of ordering in one go..."


I realized that was kind of a bad idea for one reason: If no one was home to answer the door, I didn't want $1500+ worth of computer parts being left outside for someone else to grab!
IIRC, Newegg will just leave packages out instead of taking them to the Post Office. That happened last time and I was not too happy about it... however, the estimated delivery date (Wednesday the 10th), people WILL be home and will be able to answer the door, so I don't have to worry about that!

And yes, I did check Amazon and prices were identical to the ones from Newegg. So I went with Newegg because I've used them in the past and trust them pretty well! Not to mention they have free 3 business-day shipping, so my total truly only was $644.96. And that was the expensive stuff!

This will give me time to look for better deals on things like the HDD, case, RAM and save money on those items. I will also try to find better monitors for less than $200 like the ASUS one on Newegg. Also a keyboard for $130 is a little extremem, despite it looking REALLY cool it's in no way cost effective so I can probably shave off $80 that way, too.

All in all, I expect to have spent no more than $1380 after all of the rebates have been mailed in and such like. You may be wondering where the OS price factors in to this. Let's just say I have a friend at work who is willing to help me obtain a licensed copy of Win7 that will get me by until Windows 9 launches.


Meh game development blaugh!
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MrValentine
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 02:41
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I hope they find a new name for the later release after 9, would hate to be saying On Windows 10 and....

Yeah Windows X!!! That would totally rock!

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 03:04
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Ahahahaha, I can see it now: Windows OS Version X! Yet more proof Microsoft steals from Apple! (Just kidding of course )

So, with EVERYTHING, including a monitor from Acer, a case from Thermaltake, a great keyboard with rave reviews from Cooler Master, my GRAND total of EVERYTHING for this build?

Well, my first order consisted of $644.96. The next order's total will be $633.94.

644.96+633.94 = $1278.92!!!!

I achieved this by dropping down to a less expensive case ($109.99 instead of $149.99), a $129.99 monitor from ACER (1080p, 21.5" which should provide a nice pixel density and will also fit next to my iMac with no issues), a $30 keyboard+mouse combo, and I opted to go with a Gigabyte mobo instead of the ASUS Sabertooth. Same features, better pricing, and the Gigabyte mobo had better reviews anyway.

I can't believe it guys, I managed to build a better PC than my last one that cost me almost $1400 back in '12! I owe a lot of thanks to you guys on this forum, you helped guide me to find better deals, better parts, and have helped me gain a much better understanding of the art of computer building!

This obviously also means I should be able to find an SSD with no trouble whatsoever!

Oh, and there will be more rebates I can mail in from the monitor and mobo! I feel like they're practically a steal, the monitor will only cost $119.99 after that, which is $80 less than the one I bought back in '12 that only had a res of 1600x900.

My, how the times change, eh?


Meh game development blaugh!
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Clonkex
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 06:45
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Quote: "To paraphrase what has already been said, it makes no sense to build a high-spec computer and not give it an SSD."


On what planet?? An SSD is not a necessity! BF4 is the only game I've ever seen where an SSD is required to play smoothly, and that's just because it's published by EA so DICE can't fix crap. An SSD is a nice bonus, but the computer will still run very quickly without it.

Also, I just realised I've been saying I have the 770 and my brother has the 780.... well I was silly. I meant I have the 760 and my brother has the 770. D'oh.

I just saw you got the R9 280X. Well, if you're going to go for AMD, that's a good card to get. Virtually identical in-game performance to the 770. Good buy!


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Clonkex
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 06:53
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Oh, and I recommend 250GB for your SSD. 120/128GB is too small, and you sacrifice performance, lifespan and (obviously) storage.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Samsung 840 Evo 250GB.


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MrValentine
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 06:59
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Actually two SSDs in RAID cannot be beaten other than more SSDs in RAID

3+ SSDs in RAID5 or better is undeniably insane performance!

Actually, get 4 HDDs and RAID 5 them!

Maybe 4 or 6 x 500GB!!! which will give you a lot of space with both redundancy and read write performance!

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MrValentine
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 07:05 Edited at: 6th Sep 2014 07:07
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Four of these they even have 1TB cheap! and it will be like $200~ and you never need to worry about storage space ^^

Which case did you get and how many HDD Bays has it got? if you have few HDD Bays, get 2.5" Laptop style HDDs instead as you can get a Two bay holder for each 3.5" bay meaning if you only have 4 3.5" bay holders you can fit up to 8 2.5" HDDs! or use 2 x 3.5" HDDs at 7,200 RPM for your OS in RAID and 4 x 2.5" HDDs in RAID for data storage and redundancy!

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 07:16
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I think I'll stick to my plan and buy an SSD at a later date (probably when Windows 9 becomes available and I'll do fresh install). It'd just be too expensive to try and add it to my order right now.

You have to admit, $1278.90 is a pretty damn good price for what I'm putting into it.

@Clonkex:

I specifically got the Gigabyte R9 280x, I watched so many youtube videos on it and almost everybody recommended it over any other brand, even the Sapphire Toxic. I did want to stick with NVidia initially, but the cost of the 770 was too much and the R9 280X is pretty close to it for about $100 less. Cost effective, indeed!

I saw BF4 on Ultra run with it and it's glorious. I don't know if the BF4 footage I saw was recorded on an SSD but even if it wasn't it was still ultra-smooth. No tearing of any kind so that's good.


Meh game development blaugh!
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Clonkex
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Posted: 6th Sep 2014 09:25 Edited at: 6th Sep 2014 09:26
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Quote: "I saw BF4 on Ultra run with it and it's glorious."


Should run just fine on Ultra; I run BF4 on Ultra on my 760. As much as I dislike AMD, I think you'll love your new PC and it'll run pretty much anything on high-ultra

Quote: "No tearing of any kind so that's good."


No, you won't get tearing without an SSD, but you will (probably - an empty or less-than-half-full HDD may work fine) get stuttering and big lag spikes. Again, as I say, BF4 is designed to run on an HDD, it's just that loading takes 5+ minutes and if your HDD is less than optimal you'll get stuttering.


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