My new build (retiring my big red)

[Chadwokie]

Hey guys

1st off sorry in advance that this will get a little cluttered and long winded (im going to blame toms videos for encouraging me) at the start but in a weeks time ill re edit to make it a proper build log (and my 1st)

Spoiler

Iv been racking my tiny mind thinking about a gfx card upgrade but after talking to my aunt and giving her some advice (ie dont buy a pc from a hi street shop if she wants good value for money that may cause some disagreement but shes a smart lass and her boy will be wanting a decent gaming machine probably in a year or 2 and rather than waste money now she could spend it more wisely for later if that makes sense)

So it got me thinking what could i do if i stretched my budget ...and i went from r9 290 to a gtx 780ti..... possibly water cooled :S ssd upgrade and if i could find a cheap white pc case at the tip doing a very heavy modded tower to put my old rig in.

so i mention this to my gran (after my mum passed last year we have become very close and she loves me talking shop about what ever im customising) ...then she mentions shes thinking of getting a pc :O (i litterly got her a mobile last month as her phone line went down n i was worried about the what ifs).....so i said well nps she could have my old pc would do her more than fine and out of the blue she goes she would buy me a new pc for my birthday (grown man getting excited about pressys from his gran)

After discussing the pros and cons of a pc to her i kind of talked her out of a pc her words "what on earth do i want a pc for" so i thought that was done and done (didnt give it any more thought) well today she phones me up and basicly said how much would a rolls Royce pc cost?.... my jaw droped thinking £6000 monster beast and how stupid that would be taking from my dear gran so i tried in very laymens terms to explain theres kind of price brackets so to speak in bang for your buck.... and basicly she said £500-600 (which i was more than grateful for) im also pretty sure she will buy my aunt/grandson there 1st "decent" pc hense why i want the money be spent wisely

so to sum up..... budget for build has increased

my current rig 4 years old

• Case -haf 932 (painted pinky/red and gold/yellow dont ask seemed like a good idea at the time)
• Mobo -gigabyte x58a-ud3r
• Cpu -i7 930 2.8ghz
• Gfx - Hd 5970
• Ram -6gb
• Ssd -240gb
• Hdd -1tb samsung echo drive
• Cooling - 360 rad 120 rad on cpu and gfx card
• Psu - Corsair 850

(ill add some pics in the day light be warned dust!)

I havent over clocked this but i think i will have a little play whilst i decide on the upgrade

So the upgrade/rebuild

• Case - Either silverstone ft04 or corsair 750d or keep the haf 932...
• Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-G1.SNIPER Z87 (tho really dont like the green might spring extra £40 for msi
• Cpu - Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz (possibly go to i7 even tho i wont need it)
• Gfx - Gtx 780ti/780 or r9 290 (id want to water cool it)
• Ram - 2x 8gb Corsair Vengeance (probably only need 8 but want 16gb)
• Psu - will use the old one

(please feel free to give any thoughts on the upgrades im looking especially my choice on cpu/mobo havent looked into amd alternatives)

So some questions iv been asking my self

Do i need to upgrade?... probably not but will do sooner rather than later (i like to run my games on high)
Will it just be a gaming rig?...no i aim to be streaming off it in the future or have the original stream and this purely for gaming not sure yet (havent looked into it tbh)
Am i getting the most bang for my buck? ... probably not
Am i willing to spend a bit more to get a bit more? in the case of 8 or 16gb yes or a 290 or a 780ti..... i dont know
Will i overclock this? depending on how the overclock goes on the old rig i think so
Am i willing to wait for x.... probably only till the end of jan unless something amazing is due very shortly after

So there we have it again sorry for the long winded post

 

[NeverBackDown]

You could use your current PC and just upgrade to a 290/290x and watercool and still get amazing performance and spend just a tad more than a 780ti air cooled.

But i would aim for this:

Case: Corsair 750D, NZXT Switch 810/Phantom 630, Fractal Design Arc XL, Corsair Air 540(limited watercooling but doable), and lastly a Fractal Design Arc Midi R2(will do 2 thick rads both at 240mm, will be snug throughout tho).

Mobo/1150 socket: MSI GD65 gaming or any of the gaming boards for that matter, Asus Maximus VI Hero(little pricey IMO), Gigabyte UD3H or UD4H

CPU: If you decide you will 100% be streaming then a 4770k, if you choose you will but not often then go for a 4670k(would be my choice)

GFX: Can go with a 290 watercooled for cheaper than a 780ti or go with a 290x watercooled and save money vs a 780ti+waterblock. Me personally a 290x watercooled is what i would get.

Ram: any 2x8GB stick that looks good to you and performs at 1600mhz. In all honesty 8GB is still enough.

PSU: Which corsair 850? The HX? Make sure it supports Haswell. The older versions do not and since your PSU is 4 years old then you may end up having to get a new one.

 

[Chadwokie]

Thanks fella as i say the original plan was just to get a 290 bump it in and upgrade other parts slowly over the year. I think tho if i can work my budget enough id really enjoy doing a new build at the moment.

The main reason im looking at silverstone ft04 is that it will be sitting next to a wall on the left side and so traditional cases window will be useless. making the ft04 as far as i see the only viable choice (really dont like the rv04 door) if it was a tradition case then it comes down to what offers the best cooling looks can go out the window so to speak ....and this time i want it to look pretty and perform well .

No point dating a super model if your going to bang her with the lights off

rather like the look of the Gigabyte UD3H may go for a black n blue theme

im still very much undecided on the card tbh but im thinking 290 with block will be the best choice as ill probably consider getting a 2nd in the future

*correction* my hx850 does support haswell tho if i want to run two pcs i think ill have to get another psu any way

 

[Chadwokie]

:S thought id share big red before hes put into pasture so to speak .....if you have dust allergy's look away now.

so in hindsight there is plenty of things i didnt do very well and lots of things that i dont like.

Such as not painting the fans.....(i originally planed to same scheme red body yellow fan blades) but rl gets in the way and i needed to use it sooner than i had planed.

The ugly drive bay, no dust filters, the front er metal sticker? i kind of ruined taking it off in my haste and i think i should of just painted the void yellow.

The window panel........ERHHHHHH ugly

Tho im pretty happy with the water cooling (i removed a 120 fan from the 120 rad some time ago as well as some stupid ram cooler set just to cut down noise the 120 wasnt quite) i love how quite the system is i have all the fans running on low and ok my cpu temps i think avg 50ish im happy with not hearing it

i also had a issue with the orginal "yellow"

more like neon green! (which effected the build and my moral for it quite a lot)

 

[NeverBackDown]

No offense but it looks like someone vomited everywhere and that became the color scheme of the PC with that "yellow".

a single 290 will be a very big upgrade and in the future adding another will set you up for a very long time.

With the Ft04 you just need to plan everything out carefully and you should be ok.

 

[Xenomorphical]

No offense but it looks like someone vomited everywhere and that became the color scheme of the PC with that "yellow".

Yeah i also think better choices could have been made color wise.
Right now there is just to much in it to make it look thought out / nice.
I mean there's:
- red
- orange (these first two do not go together well at all)
- yellow
- black
- brown (fans)
- blue (mobo / PSU)

If i'd bought that case in the green/yellow state i would just have put all black parts in it and be done with it.
But yeah something tells me the cooling fluid changed color over time?

Also, that PSU looks pretty old to me but i'm no Corsair PSU expert really.
I'd advice to replace that at least if it turns out to be pretty old.
To get back on topic tho, my g/f runs my old Core 2 duo rig, and a badass GPU made it perform TONS better while the rest is old tech.
All i can say is spent your money wisely ^_^

 

[Chadwokie]

Yeh as i say i wasnt very happy with the outcome and as much as id of like to have gone back and redone it iv just never really had the motivation tbh.

The original scheme was ment to be yellow with red (at the time tbh i didnt even think of getting a matching mobo it was more about getting the most out of the budget and that was what ticked the boxs so to speak)

the coolant defo has become... discoloured shall we say (looks like some one has peed in it lol)
But onwards and upwards

 

[Chadwokie]

so i think im much closer to a final shopping list let me know what you guys think.

Case - silverstone ft04 - Really want a right windowed case tho waiting to see toms review if it doesnt tick my boxs will be 750d or a shinobi xl

Cpu - i7 4770k

Mobo - msi z87 g45 cutting a little here to allow more in other areas either this or the sniper in the same price range

Ram - 16gb (2x8) corsair vengeance would rather spend a little more here and leave my self room for upgrade later

Gfx - r9 290... will most likely be water cooled

Psu - Corsair RM 850W slight cut here as i was going to get ax

couple of things id not budgeted for (little stupidity) but i needed to add in a cpu block and fans for rads so 3/6 sp120s (again budget dependant id like to run the rad push pull)

As for cpu block iv not looked at it yet tbh (lol didnt sleep last night was busy watching videos and looking at specs)

 

[Conchubair]

lol didnt sleep last night was busy watching videos and looking at specs)

I must be doing something wrong, isnt that a normal night for anyone else?

 

[Xenomorphical]

"let me know what you guys think."

Case - silverstone ft04
Cpu - i7 4770k

Mobo - msi z87 g45 >>> i assume the color scheme is red and black for the new build then?

Ram - 16gb (2x8) corsair vengeance >>> like some have hinted you before, 16 gigs is pointless and a waste of money that you can use to get better versions of the other components.
8 gigs is all you need m8

Gfx - r9 290... will most likely be water cooled >>> have you listed a custom loop and a H100 price against eachother for urself yet?
Compare that with the performence of both and i think you will end up with just getting a H100i with sp120 fans on it
Check out Tom's vids to see if its worth the trouble and money or not.
Again, getting a r9 290 with a good aftermarket cooler might save you custom loop money and work just fine as well.

Psu - Corsair RM 850W >>> if you stick with ur original plan, the red sticker on the AX series will match the red and black of ur motherboard.
Small detail but it helps make it match and look thought out.
I mean, you want your rig to like this eventually right?:

(lol didnt sleep last night was busy watching videos and looking at specs)
Yeah and on top of that now you know Tom made so many vids you HAVE to watch them all hehe :rollinglaugh:

 

[Chadwokie]

I must be doing something wrong, isnt that a normal night for anyone else?

i like my beauty sleep tho i probably need a beauty coma to do any good

Xenomorphical the best and worst thing to about toms vids is they are so detailed at 2am i was just about to head to bed....then i saw "overclocking guide" hour later im like well lets have a look at this and this

In all honesty i dont want to go for a black and red scheme (i tend to prefer not to do what ever one else does for aesthetics maybe thats why i ended up with a vomit tower) the only other two choices i could see was the snipers green and black and i dont like green or gold and black which i actually like alot but it seemed more money (around £40 more) for less tho please correct me if im wrong on this or if its worth the £40 extra (msi and asus bords)

my lack of knowledge i think is hampering my choice tbh for mobo i mean i rather like the look of the mpro or the asus z87 a

as for the ram i agree i dont need it but i dont want to be in the situation i am now where i have 6gb of 3x2 and have no room for expansion. it might just be for piece of mind but id rather spend more now on 2x8 sticks and have the option later to buy more if i need it than having to buy alot more later if i need it if that makes sense?

as for paying £50 more just for a sticker id rather spend that else where (im pretty sure i can come up with a creative solution to make a stick match even if its just peel the fecker off)

as for the cooling i have the option of using my old cooling loop (as i kept the cpu cooler and gfx cooler from big red) and using it in this build. i think if i was in a rush or being lazy id go for a h100i....but then again if i was being lazy or in a rush id just buy a pre built system so even tho its going to be more effort and work ultimately i think i will get more satisfaction from doing my own loop.

i mean in all honesty i dont need to upgrade now and even then i could just wake in a 290 and have a big improvement or just a cpu.

I WANT to build my self a new system i just wish i hadnt gotten so rusty on all the tech

ps.... as i write this im already thinking of changing the mobo for a gold and black and the ram to match........ now to go try n decide which mobo is best and if i feel its worth the money :S

shakes fist at Xenomorphical damn you sir!

 

[NeverBackDown]

As long as you get a proper watercooling case i see no problems with your setup except one thing.

Skip push/pull and go for a thicker rad in pull. Two reasons why: saves money on having to buy another set of fans vs the small money increase for a thick rad, and second it will perform the same/look better.

 

[Xenomorphical]

ps.... as i write this im already thinking of changing the mobo for a gold and black and the ram to match........ now to go try n decide which mobo is best and if i feel its worth the money :S

shakes fist at Xenomorphical damn you sir!

Lol well then here;s another one for ya.
Have you seen Asrock motherboards allready?
This is mine:

 

[Chadwokie]

NeverBackDown have 360 60 mill rad in red id planed on using plus a thinner 120

and id briefly seen the asrocks tho havent hurd anything about them

 

[NeverBackDown]

120 rads are worthless. Need at least a 360 and 240 or 2x240 rads.. all 60mm thick if possible.

 

[Xenomorphical]

NeverBackDown have 360 60 mill rad in red id planed on using plus a thinner 120

and id briefly seen the asrocks tho havent hurd anything about them

Yeah TTL never has done a Asrock product review so far i think.
I just picked this mobo because it looked dark and kinda neutral since i wasnt looking into doing color schemes.
But for you if you added some gold ram sticks you could come a long way to where you wanted?
My point being, the mobo is very neutral so you can go any color direction at any point

 

[Conchubair]

Yeah, maybe soon

 

[Chadwokie]

im rather liking the asus black and gold line and i rather like the msi mpower mobo but am i willing to spend £40 just for looks? i dont know (it would also mean i would just "have" to force my self to go for a 780 lightning lol)

So Parts finally ordered wallet going on the lean menu now decided to ditch going gold and black colour scheme (tho still going to have a yellow and black psu)

what iv finally gone for

Cpu: 4770k (h100i cooler)
Mobo: msi gaming
Gfx:windforce 290
Ram: 16gb vengeance
Case:750d corsair

Pics to come when everything arrives so excited... i cant hide it... and i think ill go to sleep soon lol

 

[Conchubair]

Nice, g'luck..

 

[Chadwokie]

:S ok so everything installed and im having some "issues"

i transplanted my old ssd and hdd from my previous pc into this one and have reinstalled windows 8 and updated to 8.1 the drivers for the gfx card and working my way threw the mobo

how ever all the way threw this iv been getting the odd blue screen sad face with 0xa000001 error and now twice iv had this....

iv removed the hdd and currently updating the last drivers for the mobo atm any ideas what is going on? (im thinking its graphics related due to my pretty new wallpaper iv gotten but any idea if its hardware or driver based?)