New computer build time? Or hold off?

[DeeBye]

I'm not in the loop like I used to be, so I don't know if now is a good time to build a new computer. I've done a bit of research on price/performance and I think I'd go with an i5-4590/H97 mobo/8GB DDR3 1600 build. Is LGA1150 still the hotness or is it about to be outdated by some other new hotness?

[Lissa]

Actually, right now there's very little performance gain going on. The big differences is the amount of power that CPUs are drawing now. Performancewise, an i5-45/6xx is only about 5% to 6% better than an i5-24/5xx series processor (3 generations in difference, but nearly the same performance, the difference is the 24/5xx is using 25% to 33% more power than the 45/6xx). If power draw isn't an issue, then stick with the old equipment for as long as possible on CPUs/MBs/Memory. The only things where you will see real performance increases right now is in GPUs and SSDs. So, spend your money on getting better GPUs and SSDs first.

[LavCat]

Myself, I got an iPad. Same number of cores as this computer, close to the same clock rate. Much higher screen resolution.

[DeeBye]

Myself, I got an iPad. Same number of cores as this computer, close to the same clock rate. Much higher screen resolution.

Well, I guess I should mention that I want to build a desktop gaming PC.

Also, I just bought my wife a tablet for Christmas. We are Android people, so I got her a 10" tablet with a 2560x1600 display and a 1.8 GHz quad core processor for less than half the price of an iPad air 2.

IOS versus Android. Oh yeah, I went there

[DeeBye]

If power draw isn't an issue, then stick with the old equipment for as long as possible on CPUs/MBs/Memory.

Right now I'm rocking an AMD A10-5700 cpu in an ASUS pre-built (I was low on funds when I had to do an emergency computer replacement - don't judge me!). I want to do a total rebuild. I already have a case, PSU, video card, and I suppose I could reuse the HDD/RAM from my current system for now.

[Taem]

If power draw isn't an issue, then stick with the old equipment for as long as possible on CPUs/MBs/Memory.

Right now I'm rocking an AMD A10-5700 cpu in an ASUS pre-built (I was low on funds when I had to do an emergency computer replacement - don't judge me!). I want to do a total rebuild. I already have a case, PSU, video card, and I suppose I could reuse the HDD/RAM from my current system for now.

Then all you need is mobo that has what you want (i.e. usb 3.0, pci-ex with sli or crossfire capability, and the processor type you plan on using), extra fans for the case and a good heat-sink for your new processor, and of course a good processor to go along with that, 16-gigs of DDR4+ memory (you should replace it all to the same brand and speed), and at least one video card with 2gb on board ram with good performance ratings - I prefer Nvidia and Intel combo for vid card/processor, but pure AMD combo isn't bad either. Are you sure your PSU has the necessary power outlets to power the newer gen video cards and all your sata devices? Most PSU's under 600w are woefully lacking fyi. Anyway, have fun with your build!

[Aahzmadius]

I recently had to re-build due to a lightning strike, but unfortunately some components died a month or so after the main part of the insurance claim was done. But I digress...

I'm at a point where, fortunately, cash isn't as much of a consideration as performance, so my recent parts tended towards higher-end. What I ended up with was an i7 4790k CPU, Asus Maximus VII Mobo, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, and GeForce GTX 970 vid card. (And a new 1000W power supply.)

I am very happy with my system at this point. (I guess I'm supposed to write "humble brag", or something, but I'm not very humble!)

[Taem]

Do you like the ssd? My sons hd crashed recently and he got a ssd for his windows partition, and two 1-tb satas set up as a Raid for storage. Im so jealous, but now he'll never have to worry about data loss from a hd crash.

[LennyLen]

Im so jealous, but now he'll never have to worry about data loss from a hd crash.

That's what I thought, until BOTH drives I had in a RAID died simultaneously, taking with them about 10 years worth of programming projects.

If you want to be sure about data security, also have off site back-ups.

[DeeBye]

Then all you need is mobo that has what you want (i.e. usb 3.0, pci-ex with sli or crossfire capability, and the processor type you plan on using), extra fans for the case and a good heat-sink for your new processor, and of course a good processor to go along with that, 16-gigs of DDR4+ memory (you should replace it all to the same brand and speed), and at least one video card with 2gb on board ram with good performance ratings

So many points to address here - I'll start with the mobo. I'm pretty sure I'll be going i5-4590 and not overclocking. I also don't need/want sli/crossfire. The guides I've read say that a H97 mobo is what I want. I'll also just use the retail heatsink, unless someone can suggest to me an aftermarket cooler that is just as easy to install and is a lot quieter.

As for memory - 16GB of DDR4? I'm pretty sure that's overkill, and incredibly way over my budget. 2 sticks of 4GB DDR3 is what I'm planning on getting.

Are you sure your PSU has the necessary power outlets to power the newer gen video cards and all your sata devices? Most PSU's under 600w are woefully lacking fyi. Anyway, have fun with your build!

I have a Corsair 600w modular PSU. I think that will suffice.

[Aahzmadius]

Do you like the ssd? My sons hd crashed recently and he got a ssd for his windows partition, and two 1-tb satas set up as a Raid for storage. Im so jealous, but now he'll never have to worry about data loss from a hd crash.

Absolutely love the SSD. This is my 2nd one (first got fried) and Samsung has added a utility you can run that will monitor its performance and move data if part of it becomes defective/corrupted. I went with 500 GB, but even if you only get entry level (128?) it is well worth the money for a gamer. Diablo 3 loads zones so much more quickly on SSD's (I notice this with other people I play with) and Skyrim hits the disk all the time, so I also appreciate the SSD with it. By the way, I need to give some props to Steam for allowing multiple location installs. I don't care if my son has to use a HDD for Plants vs. Zombies, but I absolutely want Skyrim on the SSD. Steam makes that simple.

I'll also echo the recommendation that you put data on an external backup. I use iDrive and it's about $50/year. In addition to the extra security, it makes recovering from a disaster (lightning strike) very convenient on a new system.

[Taem]

Then all you need is mobo that has what you want (i.e. usb 3.0, pci-ex with sli or crossfire capability, and the processor type you plan on using), extra fans for the case and a good heat-sink for your new processor, and of course a good processor to go along with that, 16-gigs of DDR4+ memory (you should replace it all to the same brand and speed), and at least one video card with 2gb on board ram with good performance ratings

So many points to address here - I'll start with the mobo. I'm pretty sure I'll be going i5-4590 and not overclocking. I also don't need/want sli/crossfire. The guides I've read say that a H97 mobo is what I want. I'll also just use the retail heatsink, unless someone can suggest to me an aftermarket cooler that is just as easy to install and is a lot quieter.

As for memory - 16GB of DDR4? I'm pretty sure that's overkill, and incredibly way over my budget. 2 sticks of 4GB DDR3 is what I'm planning on getting.

Are you sure your PSU has the necessary power outlets to power the newer gen video cards and all your sata devices? Most PSU's under 600w are woefully lacking fyi. Anyway, have fun with your build!

I have a Corsair 600w modular PSU. I think that will suffice.

Got it. It's true that most programs still run off the disk, but I'm hoping in the future programs will load off the drive entirely into memory making them even faster than ssds. I have 12gb of ram right now and really enjoy it for working on pics in photoshop, but for gaming, 4gb is still plenty given that most games still run off the disk, only put part of the program into memory, and do the rendering from the video card itself. So, a good vid card is key here. I wonder how much of a difference a ssd might make? My sons computer boots up so ridiculously fast, I wonder if that isn't the way to go with a gaming rig? Regarding the heatsink, most "quiet" but "good" ones are really big... Really big! I had get a new case just to fit mine. I've personally had a ton of trouble with stock heatsink fans dying on me, so that's usually my first upgrade, but that's been my own bad experiences with them.

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Do you like the ssd? My sons hd crashed recently and he got a ssd for his windows partition, and two 1-tb satas set up as a Raid for storage. Im so jealous, but now he'll never have to worry about data loss from a hd crash.

Absolutely love the SSD. This is my 2nd one (first got fried) and Samsung has added a utility you can run that will monitor its performance and move data if part of it becomes defective/corrupted. I went with 500 GB, but even if you only get entry level (128?) it is well worth the money for a gamer. Diablo 3 loads zones so much more quickly on SSD's (I notice this with other people I play with) and Skyrim hits the disk all the time, so I also appreciate the SSD with it. By the way, I need to give some props to Steam for allowing multiple location installs. I don't care if my son has to use a HDD for Plants vs. Zombies, but I absolutely want Skyrim on the SSD. Steam makes that simple.

I'll also echo the recommendation that you put data on an external backup. I use iDrive and it's about $50/year. In addition to the extra security, it makes recovering from a disaster (lightning strike) very convenient on a new system.

I never thought of an online drive. Does it do real-time syncing too? I have an external 500gb ide drive I upload all my data onto yearly, but this leaves me vulnerable the rest of the year, and with a crash, all I got is my data, no drive back-up or image or anything so fancy. I'll have to check out that iDrive program.

[LennyLen]

I never thought of an online drive. Does it do real-time syncing too?

Any cloud storage solution worth considering will auto-sync. I use Google drive myself, as I have multiple android devices that I want synced to my PC, and it gives you 15Gb for free. There are a few paid options if you want more storage than that. Dropbox will also auto-sync between devices for free as well.

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I'll also just use the retail heatsink, unless someone can suggest to me an aftermarket cooler that is just as easy to install and is a lot quieter.

Have you considered a hydro-cooling solution? I use a Corsair H100i, but even their lower end models will do a much better job than the stock coolers and are quieter. They can be tricky to install if the case isn't roomy however.

As for memory - 16GB of DDR4? I'm pretty sure that's overkill, and incredibly way over my budget.

Overkill depends on the usage. I've been running with 32Gb of RAM for a couple of years now, as I quite often have several VMs running simultaneously.

[gort615]

anyone know of a good website

[LennyLen]

anyone know of a good website

I can think of a lot of good websites. What did you want one for?

[Aahzmadius]

I never thought of an online drive. Does it do real-time syncing too? I have an external 500gb ide drive I upload all my data onto yearly, but this leaves me vulnerable the rest of the year, and with a crash, all I got is my data, no drive back-up or image or anything so fancy. I'll have to check out that iDrive program.

It appears that feature is available:

https://www.idrive.com/online-file-sync

I don't have any particular insight here; I'm sure Carbonite is good as well. But I've used iDrive for several years, gone through a couple of full data restores, and it's been very easy both times. Since 90% of our family pictures are now digital, I feel like it's important to have offsite and redundant storage.

Hmmm...I see this thread has drifted. Since this is the lounge, might as well drift some more. Regarding whether it is time to buy now or hold off, there's an argument to be made that the US dollar will continue to increase relative to other currencies in the next few years. Generally speaking, the higher it goes, the more computer you'll get for your money. But that kind of stuff is tough to time, of course.

[gort615]

anyone know of a good website for barebones build your own computers ? most of the sites i find seem to be outdated as gear seems to improve so quickly. thanks for the reply

[Aahzmadius]

Hmmm...barebones is tough. Most of the customizable sites tend toward higher-end machines. Honestly I'd just head out to Newegg and search on barebones combos or something like that. TigerDirect probably has something simililar.

For example: http://tinyurl.com/NewEggBB

[LavCat]

Hmmm...I see this thread has drifted. Since this is the lounge, might as well drift some more. Regarding whether it is time to buy now or hold off, there's an argument to be made that the US dollar will continue to increase relative to other currencies in the next few years. Generally speaking, the higher it goes, the more computer you'll get for your money. But that kind of stuff is tough to time, of course.

Wonder if DeeBye should emigrate?

[Taem]

I usually purchase a complete computer from Best Buys "refurbished " section, taking care it has the mobo and ram I desire. Then I scavenge what I can from old computers, and purchase what needs upgrading. All in all, this method will net me a powerful gaming rig for under $1,500 that would normally cost over $2,500+. I think its a fair trade for several hours of my time.

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Yes, I'd say 99% of our family pics and videos are digital now. It'd be s true tragedy to lose this data.