PC upgrading

[M.Steiner]

Those of you who got your PCs around the same time as me will no doubt be experiencing the same with gaming now. ~ No longer being able to run the big new releases at ultra 1080p whilst maintaining a decent frame rate and having to turn settings down in order to meet a nice medium between the two. Then you have the ports which weren't particularly well optimized to begin with which cause our systems even more stress, forcing us to turn those settings down even further so as to not have them run like ass. Hello Watch Dogs. (This is unless you've already done some mini upgrades to your system since then).

With a capable system, the desktop is able to out perform all of the consoles quite easily and so when it comes to multi-platform titles the PC has always been my platform of choice, no question. My PC ain't rocking ultra 1080/60 anymore though and if I'm having to turn shit down with every new release then my reason for picking PC is gone for the most part. Anyway.. I've decided it's time to start looking at upgrading, getting back to teh master race and playing these PC games at their best

I was planning to do my upgrade in Jan or early Feb in time for The Witcher 3 as I have no intentions of playing that on anything but the highest settings. <censored> that right?. Since the new motherboards are already out though and supporting DDR4 and all that stuff I've been thinking about doing the upgrade before the end of this year instead.


So!. What does this mock-up build look like to those of you who know your stuff?

• Intel Core i7 5930K
• ASUS X99 Deluxe Mobo
• 16GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM
• 3GB GeForce GTX 780 Ti
• Plextor M6e M.2 PCI-E 256GB SSD
• 2TB WD HDD
• Corsair 850W PSU
• Corsair Hydro H60 CPU Cooler
• Blu-ray Drive
• Coolermaster CM Storm Trooper case

**See below revised spec**

· Do I go with onboard sound again or get a sound card this time around? I've never had one before but do they offer that much of an improvement in sound quality? (Obviously it will depend on the speakers you're pumping stuff through but my sound system is up to scratch).
· Will 16GB of RAM be enough or should I up it to 32?. I don't want to be having to add more to it anytime soon but I don't want to go crazy either.
· How about the speed of the RAM? 2133, 2400, 2666 or 3000?. The logical increments site seems to list 2133mhz? should I go for that? or maybe 2400?. Obviously there's a price jump between each as well but I'm guessing 2666/3000mhz would be overkill and a waste of money for my needs?
· The new 900 series cards from Nvidia will be out soon but looking at the numbers from a chart BD linked on IRC yesterday (here) there only appears to be a very slight improvement from the 780 Ti to the 980. As such I'll probably be looking at the 780 Ti instead since it'll be cheaper as well. No use paying more for such little gain.

4K gaming is something I'd be interested in too but I can upgrade my card and monitor down the road and revisit that one then, assuming the rest of my system would be fine ofc!

I may still wait until Jan/Feb like I originally planned, just wanting to get an idea of what I'd be looking at getting and for my brother too who may upgrade in the next month or so.
Anyway, does this seem like a decent build that will last me a good while?


[Edit: My revised planned spec after speaking to BD]

• Intel Core i7 5930K
• ASUS X99-S
• 16GB DDR4 2133MHz RAM
• 8GB GeForce GTX 980
• Plextor M6e M.2 PCI-E 256GB SSD
• 2TB WD HDD
• Corsair 850W PSU
• Corsair Hydro H60 CPU Cooler
• Blu-ray Drive
• Coolermaster CM Storm Trooper case

(Swapped the ASUS deluxe mobo to the one below, leaving the RAM at 16gig but 2133mhz instead of 2400 & switching the 3gig 780 Ti for an 8GB 980
Will keep my eye on the 980 line in the coming weeks and see if AMD have anything new in store too)

[enlightened]

Haha MS that just sounds powerful! Unfortunately I have no technical expertise so I can't be of much help in that department. I myself will follow your lead and make a post like this once I'm ready to replace my water-damaged computer and finally buy a new one

[Anubis]

Feel I should post this here for the benefit of those who weren't in IRC earlier and are interested in this

[18:07] <BlackDove> Ehh MS
[18:07] <BlackDove> There are a looooot of problems with that build.
[18:08] <BlackDove> Not sure which is the main, giving 580 bucks + for a CPU you'll likely never use.
[18:08] <BlackDove> Or the fact that the CPU does not get 40 lanes from the mobo (only the 999 version does IIRC)
[18:09] <BlackDove> By never use, I mean in games there is an absolute 0% increase in that CPU over the one you have.
[18:09] <BlackDove> And I doubt you're gonna be compiling a lot of shit any time soon, as well as edit videos in 4k.
[18:10] <BlackDove> So getting that CPU is uhh... overkill. Waste of money. Could get two GPU's or put it into m.2's for that money.
[18:10] <BlackDove> Plextor m.2 is likely to be shit tier.
[18:11] <BlackDove> The only ones to look at now are Samsung's and Intel's I believe, as they make their own.
[18:11] <BlackDove> The 3GB Geforce is already outdated.
[18:11] <BlackDove> Remember, you need a minimum of 5.
[18:11] <BlackDove> At 3gb, you would still get stutter from Watch Dogs on ultra. It needs 4gb
[18:11] <BlackDove> Because the PS4 has 5 it can directly use.
[18:12] <BlackDove> Any GPU I buy that would have a large price on it would need at leat 6gb of VRAM like the Titan. The 980 line will come in 4 and 8gb variants.
[18:12] <BlackDove> That 8gb one isn't accidental.
[18:13] <BlackDove> I use Dolby Digital Pro Logic II speakers.
[18:13] <BlackDove> Digital inser.
[18:13] <BlackDove> t*
[18:13] <BlackDove> To the mobo directly.
[18:13] <BlackDove> The sound is out of this world. I do not see it getting better with a soundcard.
[18:13] <BlackDove> 16gb of DDR4 is enough, doubt we'll need more for quite a while.
[18:14] <BlackDove> Lowest rated sticks will do the trick. The speed does nothing for gaming.
[18:14] <BlackDove> The 1333 lowest ones perform at about 2 fps lower than current highest clocks.
[18:14] <BlackDove> 1066 I mean
[18:15] <BlackDove> That's about it.
[18:18] <BlackDove> Oh I just saw Asus deluxe
[18:18] <BlackDove> lolno
[18:20] <BlackDove> I mean if you're going to go full retard into dream mode, at least dream big.
[18:20] <BlackDove> (Link: http://images.anandtech.com/doci/8501/6 ... 60-SC0.png)http://images.anandtech.com/doci/8501/6 ... 60-SC0.png
[18:22] <M-Steiner> Well, this is why I was asking heh. I'd rather go full upgrade between Oct-Feb rather than spending money on upgrading this thing and THEN doing a full upgrade later sometime.
[18:23] <BlackDove> I totally understand that.
[18:23] <M-Steiner> So want something that's great now and will be for a while, but not complete overkill
[18:23] <BlackDove> Zacam is going for the 999 Haswell-E
[18:23] <BlackDove> He isn't <censored> around. He got a 25% off coupon off an Intel booth so it won't be 999 for him.
[18:23] <M-Steiner> I saw the ASUS X99-S which I could get instead of the deluxe
[18:24] <BlackDove> But he has an AMD64 setup in which he had a GTS 8800 until a few months ago.
[18:24] <BlackDove> So, godspeed.
[18:24] <BlackDove> I'm thinking about the $150 upgrade to the grapphox card just simply because of practicing with Star Citizen.
[18:25] <BlackDove> Otherwise I might not even upgrade depending on my time schedule.
[18:25] <BlackDove> You're right tho, Witcher 3 etc. you wanna be ready, hard gaming, I getcha.
[18:25] <BlackDove> Technically
[18:25] <BlackDove> Whatever you buy now
[18:25] <BlackDove> Since it's a 2011-3 LGA board
[18:25] <M-Steiner> GTAV in Jan too so I plan to get that for PC now rather than PS4
[18:25] <BlackDove> I'm pretty sure Broadwell will use the same pin count?
[18:26] <BlackDove> So you won't even have to change the mobo to put a broadwell in if you so wished.
[18:26] <BlackDove> I dunno.
[18:26] <BlackDove> I think just getting a GPU would do you well. You'd max every game. They would be a bit slower because of a lack of SSD tho
[18:27] <BlackDove> That'd tide you over for another year or a year and a half.
[18:27] <BlackDove> Tho that's neither here or there.
[18:27] <BlackDove> With Intel only offering 40 lanes on its 999 offering, Maxwell being a terrible garbage dump, and m.2's still being in infancy, I'm hard pressed to advise you right now
[18:28] <BlackDove> It's kind of a turd sandwich all around.
[18:28] <BlackDove> But yeah I mean
[18:28] <BlackDove> Any entry m.2, a Haswell-E system, you'll see massive improvements.
[18:28] <BlackDove> A 980 with 8gb of ram? Oh yeah. You'll be fine.
[18:28] <M-Steiner> hmm will have a think. Though my bro is needing a new build (having issues with his) so he'll be getting a completely new one even if I'm not. So will have rethink some specs for that. Could knock the mobo down, stay at 16gb, have a look at other cards etc.
[18:28] <M-Steiner> (and brb, food is here)
[18:29] <BlackDove> At any rate
[18:29] <BlackDove> The least of what you need to do
[18:29] <BlackDove> Is wait 7 days for nvidia to unveil their shit
[18:29] <BlackDove> and for their shit to get reviewed
[18:29] <BlackDove> and priced
[18:29] <BlackDove> so two weeks or so
[18:29] <BlackDove> then you'll have a clearer picture
[18:29] <BlackDove> And AMD is AWFUL silent
[18:30] <BlackDove> Which either means they haven't got dick
[18:30] <BlackDove> Or they're gonna undercut nvidia in some significantway.

As someone with a similar build to yours MS, I'll probably be upgrading my Graphics Card but only that early next year. I'd likewise like to run Witcher 3 on as close to max as possible, but I'm not unhappy with my current PC performance yet and don't see the need to radically overhaul it just yet.

Let us know what you ultimately settle on doing! Will be a very useful basis for me to look at when I eventually do come to start thinking of my own

[M.Steiner]

I seem to recall you getting your rig a little bit later than me, Anny, so the overall performance you're getting may be slighty better than what mine has been. I'm not completely unhappy with current systems performance but Watch Dogs is a good example (as was Thief) of when I have not. Last years Black Flag didn't run all that great either really so I hate to think what Unity would be like lol. I did play WD on high for a bit but the frame rate wasn't always acceptable and so medium was what I spent most of my time on. As I say above, besides preferring a keyboard & mouse to a controller (even if the DS4 is by far the best controller I've ever used), the main reason I choose PC is because it's usually the ultimate platform to play something on. Higher resolutions, higher frame rates, better lighting & shadows, draw distances, etc etc. At the end of the day though that all depends on the system you're running stuff on. Is that medium settings? hell no.

I could get away with just upgrading my card for a bit and get decent performance again out of the games which have already released up to this point by doing that. However I highly doubt I'll be able to get the most of next years releases by doing this. It is worth mentioning that in a previous chat with BD, the chap he mentions who only swapped his cards out for a 750 was running much older games like Skyrim, which I don't really think are a good benchmark against upcoming titles like The Witcher 3, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Batman Arkham Knight, GTA V PC etc. Sure that isn't the best card on the market and I could be wrong but I can't see me being able to max out TW3 for example with just a single upgrade, and if I can't get the full potential out of games like that I'd rather not waste money on just a card that's only a stop gap to a full upgrade. Just needless expense for short term gains imo and only delaying the inevitable. Makes more sense for me to upgrade in full imo but that's just me

Will keep you guys posted anyway. In the meantime does anyone else have any comments towards that revised build? Look okay? Not too over the top but future proofing enough?

[M.Steiner]

Revision (likely final):

Intel i7 5930K
ASUS X99-S
16GB DDR4 2133MHz
2x 4GB GeForce GTX 970 SLI
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
2TB WD HDD
Corsair 850W PSU
Corsair Hydro H60 CPU Cooler
Blu-ray Drive
Coolermaster CM Storm Trooper Case

• Thought I might swap the 256GB Plextor M.2 for a 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD instead. It's not m.2 (I haven't seen any Samsung or Intel ones yet) but I've often come across this quite a few times when browsing so I know it to be good and reliable, plus I'll save some money in the process. This will be my first SSD so whatever I go with will be a massive improvement at the end of the day. Good idea? or spend more and go back to the Plextor M.2?
• The new 970 & 980 cards from Nvidia are out now. No mention of this 8GB 980 just yet but the idea of running two 970s in SLI is very tempting over a single 980 looking at their performance/price. Sound good?. Could go SLI 4gig 980s but that's obviously going to cost a lot more. Waiting on this 8GB 980 is another option too I guess (and to get a single one of those) but I don't know when those are coming, what their pricing will be like and how one of those would perform in comparison to 2 970s (as 2 of the 8gig 980s would prolly cost a bomb heh). Plus if I upgrade now I'll be able to properly enjoy the rest of this years releases as well. So, SLI 970s sound like a good idea?
• As said earlier, I've dropped the mobo down to the X99-S rather than deluxe and gone with the 2133MHz DDR4 too.

Assuming all looks good with the above spec this will probably be the build my brother and I ultimately go with

[Anubis]

That does look like a power machine to me. Can't wait to see what your screenies look like on that beast

[M.Steiner]

Can't wait to see what your screenies look like on that beast

Me too!
(expect lots haha)

Convo from IRC for reference:

19:31 @BlackDove • Yeah, go for it. I can't really advise you, it's not something I'd get for sure, but I have no doubt it'll be great.
19:32 @BlackDove • The 5930 won't give you 40 lanes [edit: see bottom of convo for correction], and with a SLI config, you are entering a new dimension of headaches.
19:32 @BlackDove • And you can't run them at 16x16x because again, no 40 lanes [edit: as above], you need the lanes for the other stuff.
19:33 @BlackDove • It's 8gb of VRAM via SLI, that's good, but it's via SLI.
19:33 @Kahn • You've done SLI before, right MS?
19:33 @BlackDove • Meaning all your next gen gaming depends on SLI working, which'll be roughly most of the time, or half the time or so.
19:34 @SSX-MS • Nope, only ever had single cards but SLI 970 seemed like a good idea if I was to be buying now/soonish
19:34 @BlackDove • I don't have to tell you that. When you're seen graphics problems threads, you saw a shitton of SLI posts.
19:34 @BlackDove • It's always someone with SLI weeping his shit is <censored> up.
19:34 @BlackDove • Because SLI people aren't the primary demographic.
19:34 @BlackDove • But otherwise
19:35 @BlackDove • The upside is the scaling is almost 100% meaning it's almost twice the power. Not quite, but almost.
19:35 @Kahn • I see in your OP you said 780
19:35 @Kahn • That's a pretty big upgrade
19:35 @BlackDove • So you're not wasting your money performance wise.
19:35 @BlackDove • The Samsung SSD will be 3-4x slower than an m.2
19:35 @BlackDove • People getting wet over m.2 isn't for nothing.
19:36 @BlackDove • And not any m.2. That plextor has nothing on Intel's and Samsung's ones coming out
19:36 @BlackDove • But it'll be a vast upgrade for you for sure.
19:36 @BlackDove • So yeah, good luck, I'm sure it'll be a great build performance wise.
19:37 @SSX-MS • yeah. If an Intel or Samsung one had been available now I'd have still been tempted to stuck with the m.2 but wasn't sure about the Plextor one having no experience with them before either.
19:37 @SSX-MS • stick with*
19:37 @Kahn • That's pretty bleeding edge. I'm still not sure about m.2 longevity compared to SSD
19:37 @Kahn • Probably still longer than HDD though
19:37 @BlackDove • I mean.
19:38 @BlackDove • The opening paragraph sums up my thoughts on Maxwell.
19:38 @BlackDove • http://anandtech.com/show/8526/nvidia-g ... 980-review
19:38 @BlackDove • m.2 will completely replace SSD's.
19:38 @BlackDove • SSD's have been in PCI-E slots forever in the server/workstation/commercial market.
19:39 @BlackDove • The problem was one card with decent amount of memory cost more than any child you'd be able to sell on the black market.
19:39 @SSX-MS › nods
19:40 @BlackDove • The Maxwell performance reasons are all lies by the way.
19:41 @BlackDove • The reason they didn't force the 20nm performance is because they're not threatened by competition.
19:41 @Kahn • Wonder when m.2 will be coming to consumer laptops
19:41 @Kahn • Probably 2 years
19:41 @BlackDove • Their yields were bad, and it would have cost them.
19:41 @BlackDove • So we get to suck AIDS ridden dicks while their yields improve until next year.
19:45 @BlackDove • Ahahaha
19:45 @BlackDove • 980 at 4k has to be at "low quality"
19:45 @BlackDove • aaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahhahahahaha
19:45 @BlackDove • I can't believe we were expecting it to do 4k.
19:46 @Kahn • Maybe Age of Empires in 4k
19:47 @BlackDove • Into the trash it goes.
19:47 @BlackDove • What a letdown.
19:49 @SSX-MS • Do you think 250GB will be sufficient for the SSD btw? or get 500GB?. Never had one before but peeps mainly use that for the OS and a few games or whatever right? Then shove everything else on the 2TB?
19:51 @Kahn • Personally I'm in no rush to see 4K displays. Cameras are still shooting at 4K, and it's just barely starting to come to cameras in the sub-$5000 range.
19:52 @Kahn • Having the space to crop is really nice
19:52 @Kahn • And besides, Blu-ray can't do it.
19:53 @Kahn • And despite the speed of SSDs, the storage space really isn't there yet. Even for 1080p
19:53 @Kahn • What a hassle
19:57 @BlackDove • Games are 20 gigabytes now.
19:57 @BlackDove • Do the math.
19:58 @Kahn • 20 GB is about 110 minutes of 1080p footage
19:59 @Kahn • Which is not a lot when we're talking production
20:03 @SSX-MS • Also are you sure the 5930K doesn't have 40 lanes?. I know the 5820K doesn't but I'd have to double check.
20:03 @SSX-MS • Mebbe I read something else
20:08 @SSX-MS • "40 PCI Express 3.0 Lanes" that's what you're talking about right?. According to Overclockers the 5820K has 28 lanes but the 5930K & 5960X have 40.
20:26 @BlackDove • oh
20:26 @BlackDove • did they get the 40?
20:26 @BlackDove • I was under the impression only the 60x got it
20:27 @SSX-MS • aye, looks like the 5930 does too
20:29 @SSX-MS • http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... =CP-548-IN

Going to increase the 250GB Samsung 840 EVO for 500GB (and swapped the H60 cooler for the H80i as it's only a few quid more atm and supposed to be much better) but other than that I'll be leaving the rest of the build as-is methinks. The SLI 970 seems like a fantastic option right now and from reading around it looks like a lot of people are going to be doing just that. Really great pricing for their performance. (I may end up asking some of you guys about NV drivers and what not at some point as the last few cards I've owned have all been ATI/AMD btw. Has been a while since I had a Nvidia card so I won't be as familiar with their stuff heh)

So, the final build my brother and I will be going with will be:

Intel i7 5930K
ASUS X99-S
16GB Crucial DDR4 2133MHz
2x 4GB GeForce GTX 970 SLI
500GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
2TB WD Caviar Black HDD
Corsair RM 850W PSU
Corsair Hydro H80i CPU Cooler
Blu-ray Drive
Cooler Master CM Storm Trooper Case

Excited!
Feel free to use as a base if any of you start looking at a new build in the not so distant future

[Anubis]

By the look of this MS, this is the card I'll probably end up getting too!

GeForce GTX 970 Review

[M.Steiner]

Good choice my man!. Thinking about going SLI too? or just single?.
I don't recall what card you have but the single card alone is a massive jump ahead from what I'm running atm, and for their price.. very hard to pass up.

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Unless something goes wrong (hope not) I should be running Shadow of Mordor when it comes out next week (on my new rig that is). I'm a way off from the recommended system requirements with this thing so it's gonna be nice being able to play the rest of this years releases on PC without worrying about turning shit down all the time and spoiling my experience.

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shadowofmordor.jpg (209.94 KiB) Viewed 25995 times

Can't wait!

[M.Steiner]

Up and running on my sexy new system now!
Spent most of yesterday transfering stuff over (still got more to do) whilst trying to get used to Win 8.1 and having 2 drives. Tis gonna take a while heh.

Haven't had time to do any proper gaming on it just yet but took Battlefield 4 for a very quick spin just now, just to make sure everything was performing alright. I used to run it on medium on my other machine and even then it wasn't silky smooth, it took <censored> ages to load as well lol. This thing?. Ultra is a piece of piss. Rock solid 60fps with V-sync on (which never dips), over 100 with it off and the SSD has made all the difference to loading times as well. Will have to try some downsampling.

Think I might catch up with The Wolf Among Us or season 2 of The Walking Dead over the next few days as I've been meaning to get back to those for a while now, rather than start playing something new. Or maybe I'll start The Vanishing of Ethan Carter which I guess will be short.
I cancelled my Amazon order for Shadow of Mordor though and went digital instead - digital releases on Tuesday (rather than friday for physical) and was cheaper too (using the 25% off code I posted in the deals thread). So assuming GMG give me my key on time and there's a pre-load for it, I'll get going with Shadow of Mordor on Tuesday and be sure to post some pics!. Fingers crossed the game doesn't suck... lol

[Edit: Screenie for you Anny!

Show

[Padishar]

I will definitely be buying SoM,
but when I first seen your video link,
I thought it was Assassin's Creed: Mordor Edition

I also found this:
http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/24/middle- ... i-staffer/

Regardless, it looks awesome!

[M.Steiner]

Aye it does that
The base package is 33GB apparently so I'm hoping GMG send their keys out soon hehe.

[Anubis]

Wow - that screenie looks AMAZING!

[M.Steiner]

I think I'm going to have to fit a replay in at some point for that reason lol. So many new games coming out that I'm wanting to play though, tis a struggle trying to fit a replay of something I've already played in and among those. Will do as soon as I can though!

[SL33PY]

What a beast

[Anubis]

Ahem, bit of a bump, and I know it's not exactly the point of the thread, but was wondering if you (or anybody actually) had any monitor recommendations to go along with this MS?

As most of you know I'm hoping to upgrade my machine in the relatively near future, and I'm planning that out for a couple of different budgets. One thing I definitely need to get though is a new monitor, as this one has a few clusters of dead pixels now and is getting faulty when it comes to turning it on/off. Not really sure where to start looking though.

Obviously it needs to be suitable for gaming, but also for general use and film/video watching. I'd also rather it not be too expensive given I'm likely to be spending a lot on a PC alongside it, but recognise it likely isn't going to be the cheapest purchase ever.

Any recommendations anyone? Would be really appreciated

[M.Steiner]

I've been using one of these for the last 3 years. Might be better alternatives on the market now for around the same price (not sure) but I've been very happy with it and it's still as good as new.
Think I'll probably stick with that until I come to upgrade my cards again and then look towards getting a G-Sync monitor. Ideally a 4K g-sync if they are available by then and aren't insanely priced. That's the plan at least. If I was going to buy now and I had the money spare I'd probably buy one of these. Not cheap though especially alongside a full PC upgrade

[Anubis]

Perfect! Thanks dude, that's a huge help

Gives me a place to start now and can look around for similar recommendations to the one you have, though I may end up just getting that if you rate it highly!

Got Logical Increments for the parts themselves, but never really been sure where to start with monitors. The advice is greatly appreciated

[M.Steiner]

Nps mate. There's a review for it here too:

Not sure what your options would be for a 4K g-sync right now (don't think there are many to pick from yet but BD may know) but I've seen this one mentioned enough times for it to pop up on my radar


There is however:

On the horizon. No date or pricing yet though so may not be an option if your current one is starting to fail. Either way, as a gamer I'd definitely look at g-sync

[Whizbang]

Asus makes good monitors. I myself have two of these and I love them.

[Anubis]

Ok guys, as some of you know I've been looking at a new rig for a little while now, as my current machine has dropped pretty far below minimum requirements of the latest titles that I want to play. It's taken me a long while, but I think I've finally settled on the specs that I'm planning to buy.

I'm not the most "in the know" when it comes to hardware though, so I'd appreciate any feedback that any of you might have on the below specs! I'm not going quite as gung ho as MS did with his build haha, but I think it's pretty high end - so if anything sticks out as weak, wrong, or an area for improvement I'd be grateful for your views

I'm retaining a few parts where I can from my existing build where I feel that's appropriate, and I've marked those in the listing.

Case: HAF 932 - Retaining existing
GPU: ASUS GTX 970 STRIX
CPU: Intel i7-4790k
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - Retaining existing
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65
RAM: 8GB DDR3 - Retaining existing
HDD: WD 1TB Corsair Blue
SSD: Samsung 250GB 850 EVO
PSU: Corsair HX-750i
Monitor: ASUS VE248H 24"

Initial aims for this - to be able to run Witcher 3 and similarly demanding games at Ultra (no Hairworks). Also to not run TOO hot. Thoughts?

[M.Steiner]

Case: HAF 932 - Retaining existing
GPU: ASUS GTX 970 STRIX
CPU: Intel i7-4790k
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - Retaining existing
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65
RAM: 8GB DDR3 - Retaining existing
HDD: WD 1TB Corsair Blue
SSD: Samsung 250GB 850 EVO
PSU: Corsair HX-750i
Monitor: ASUS VE248H 24"

Few thoughts after looking at those specs mate:
1. You might wanna go bigger on the HDD space. I went for a 1TB drive on my last computer which seemed huge at the time but as time went on I was fighting for space on it. I went with 2TB this time and I've filled just under 800GB already (Not sure how much of a difference there is in it too but I've had WD Black in both my PCs, rather than blue or green). Game install sizes are only going to get bigger so don't underestimate how much space you'd use, GTAV for example is 61GB and that's just a single game.
2. Good to see you're going with a SSD. Tis a little bit smaller than my 500GB but any SSD is better than no SSD imo. I've been very happy with my Samsung drive though & wouldn't want to go back to not having one. - Star Citizen is assumed to be around 100GB come release (and you're gonna want that installed on there) but I think you should be okay with 250.
3. Double your RAM. Right now 8GB will probably be fine for most stuff but if you want to future-proof it a little better I'd up it to 16. Also worth noting as well (and whilst it might be an overestimate for what is in there atm), but 8GB is what Star Citizen has as their minimum.

See what BD thinks as well but that build looks pretty solid to me other than the things I mentioned!
When are you looking to start buying/building?

[Anubis]

Just to reply to those points

1. I think I'd be fine on HDD space, bearing in mind I'll be getting 250GB extra for applications through the SSD (currently I have about 650GB of files and 250GB of games on my disk), but I'll take a look at pricing of 1.5TB and see whether that is something I could accommodate. Good point!

2. Considering Witcher 3 and Arkham Knight are supposed to be a total 100GB install together, I know that in the long run 250GB won't be enough for an SSD. But I'm already spending a little more than I'd like to with those specs, and don't want to just throw silly money at things. So my plan is to get that 250GB drive for now, which will at least last me a year I'd think, and then add a second 250GB SSD in future when I run low on space (and prices have hopefully come down). So for that one, I'm going to stick with 250

3. I think this will ultimately be the same as the SSD. I will look at add another 8GB at some point, but it won't be until games are asking for more than 8GB as their recommended spec. I don't think there's an immediate need to go crazy on RAM, and it's a £50 saving to stick with what I have already got given it's DDR3, so I'm going to hold off on that for now!

Thanks for your feedback bud - really appreciated! I'll point BD at the post when I get home, if he has time to take a look too

As for when I'm buying/building...hopefully in the next few weeks. It won't be too far off, but it definitely won't be for at least a week!

[Whizbang]

What you need to consider with RAM is this:

Look at your Task Manager performance tab. Now open up all the programs you usually run on your machine at any given time. That will show you the minimum RAM you need just to do those functions. From there, you want to add approx. 50% to that amount to ensure that you have enough overhead should you want/need to do something else.

And honestly, why not go from 8GB to 16GB? If you're already trying to do some future-proofing, then that's one that you really want to get sorted early. I run with 8GB of RAM and there's times where I wish I had more due to all the stuff I do between two monitors.

As for your hard drive situation, where is your OS going to sit, on the SSD? If so, automatically deduct ~30GB of space for that alone. Then go forward from there.

[Isileth]

I don't have that much to add since I tend to ignore hardware released till I'm looking at upgrading myself.

I would however strongly advise you to consider the HDD size, I went for a 1TB myself and its always in the red even with uninstalling any game on steam im not currently playing and deleting games once ive finished them. Also take into account how shockingly far behind modern game releases I am and I cant imagine getting by with 1TB and the massive size modern games are now, plus how much bigger they will get over the next 3-4 years.