Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:11 pm**

Thinking of building a new machine. Thus far:

CPU
Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz

RAM
Mushkin 994098 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600MHz PC3L-12800 Silverline 11-11

Mobo
Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H

Power supply
Corsair Professional Series AX 760W

Vid
GeForce GTX 770

Display
Dell 23" Full HD LED Monitor, 1920 x 1080

Storage
Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB 7200 RPM

Case , 3 contenders
Tech Station Open Air Computer Case or
Aerocool Syclone II-Bk Jet Design Mid Tower Case (if everything fits comfortably in a mid) or
NZXT Phantom Full tower

Thoughts, suggestions?

Edited By Malcolm on 1393365500

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:25 pm**

Well i can tell you that i have the i5-3570k 3.4 Ghz, the z77 mobo, with 8GB of RAM and a GTX 660 and i'm very happy with it. This is a very similar setup just updated from when i bought mine about 18 months ago.

As far as a case i chose this one, i liked it cause its white and reminded me of a Stormtrooper

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica....Id=1509

Edited By Stranger on 1393363571

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:33 pm**

Only comment would be that GeForce is just now releasing their Maxwell chips (like the 750), and 770 is about a year old, may be obsolete soon. And, you can apparently mine LTC with it.

Otherwise, a nice solid build.

Edited By TheCatt on 1393364191

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:56 pm**

In other news, this should be in the tech forum.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:00 pm**

TheCatt wrote:Only comment would be that GeForce is just now releasing their Maxwell chips (like the 750), and 770 is about a year old, may be obsolete soon. And, you can apparently mine LTC with it.

Otherwise, a nice solid build.

The graphics card is always the thing I go back and forth on the most. What kind would you recommend? Don't want to go hugely overboard. Radeons seem pricy at the moment.

EDIT: Hmm, GeForce GTX 750 Ti looks like the blue light special of the Maxwell chipsets. It's also about half the cost of the GTX 770 I looked at. What gives?

Edited By Malcolm on 1393365866

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:44 pm**

Malcolm wrote:The graphics card is always the thing I go back and forth on the most. What kind would you recommend? Don't want to go hugely overboard. Radeons seem pricy at the moment.

Been over a year since I priced anything, but having built about 6 custom systems over the last decade I can tell you the video card is the 1st or 2nd most expensive thing in the case. Spend at least $300 on that.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:12 pm**

That card is a good card, and all ATI products will be insanely priced still due to LTC mining, so stick with GeForce/nVidia.

I'm just saying: Make sure it's not obsolete at that same price within the next couple of months. But perhaps they were just working on the low-end, and they don't have a new midrange+ card coming out.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:26 pm**

Here are some benchmarks.
That 780 Ti is tempting but it's $700. There's nothing in the top 10 in the $300-400 except the 770 and 780. Both released May of '13.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:36 pm**

TheCatt wrote:That card is a good card, and all ATI products will be insanely priced still due to LTC mining, so stick with GeForce/nVidia.

I'm just saying: Make sure it's not obsolete at that same price within the next couple of months. But perhaps they were just working on the low-end, and they don't have a new midrange+ card coming out.

Word is the 800 series is coming out in June. I'm not spending the cash for the 780 Ti or the $1K plus for the Titan. The 790's due out in March and is probably also a grand. Can't find any info about other 700 series Maxwell cards.

Edited By Malcolm on 1393375416

Posted: **Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:04 am**

Thinking Intel Core i7-4770K for a CPU now.

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:16 pm**

Anyone got a favourite site to buy hardware from? Places that aren't NewEgg or Amazon, I already know about them.

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:40 pm**

There's a place other than newegg to buy computer hardware? Why would you?

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:54 pm**

I usually hit up google shopping, but usually still end up going with NewEgg or Tiger Direct anyway.

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:54 pm**

GORDON wrote:There's a place other than newegg to buy computer hardware? Why would you?

I haven't build a desktop in over a decade. For perspective, I wasn't yet at my first uni for undergrad. Place I used to order from doesn't exist anymore.

Edited By Malcolm on 1393642533

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:56 pm**

In my state newegg is still tax free, and offers free shipping more often than tiger direct.

I see a lot of different shops out there with comparable prices, but I don't trust anything with a Bronx address. For example.

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:42 pm**

TPRJones wrote:I usually hit up google shopping, but usually still end up going with NewEgg or Tiger Direct anyway.

Place I work has some deal where you earn points for newegg purchases. You can turn around and buy shit from newegg with the points, except for various categories of things including all Apple products. Because Apple says fuck you. PCs parts are fair game. Because those manufacturers like their customers because they don't have enough cult members for blind support.

EDIT: Well, sumbitch. Looks like they have a 240GB SSD for sale for $120 with no shipping.

EDIT x2: Starting to think just fuck it and spring for a quality CPU and GPU.

Edited By Malcolm on 1393645923

Posted: **Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:30 pm**

SSD bought. The upgrade begins. Will see how many points I get from it.

Edited By Malcolm on 1393648221

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:15 pm**

Been a long time now. SSD arrived this week. Waiting for those goddamn points to show up so I can estimate how much I can knock of the vid card when that purchase rolls around. I'll probably get everything except the CPU and vid card then.

Posted: **Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:31 pm**

Hmm. Work bonus came around just the right time this year. Might spring for the 780 ti.

Posted: **Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:10 am**

Fucking Christ on a crutch. I'd be ordering this shit by now, except the extra shitty work employee discount program still hasn't gotten around to giving me my goddamned points, which could be worth like $200.

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