Buyer's Guide II: Extreme, High-End, Mid-Range, Budget, and Entry Level Systems - Part 2

[Jian19]

Asrock h81m hds got support front panel USB 3

 

[devote]

Hi, i would like to build gaming desktop. games i will play with this rig will be games like dying light, evolve, l4d2. budget ard 1.5k

 

[Alternative X]

Hi, i would like to build gaming desktop. games i will play with this rig will be games like dying light, evolve, l4d2. budget ard 1.5k

CPU+ Mobo: MSI H97 PC MATE + i5 4460 (380)
RAM: CRUCIAL PC 12800/1600MHZ DDR3 CL11 VALUE RAM (8GB) (96)
GPU: SAPPHIRE R9 290X 4GB TRI-X (455) (Lazada.com)
SSD: OCZ ARC 100 240GB (154)
HDD: TOSHIBA 1TB 7200RPM (69)
DVD-RW: LITEON 24X DVD-RW SATA OEM (25)
PSU: SEASONIC S12G NON MODULAR 650W (129)
Case: DEPCOOL TESSERACT (65)
OS: WINDOWS 7 HOME PREM (130)

Total cost: $1503

Unless otherwise stated, buy at PC Themes, #04-15, and ask for discounts. DIY yourself. If you can't into DIY, get PC Themes to assemble for you for a fee.

Notes:

1) This rig is capable of playing Dying Light, Evolve and L4D2 at max settings in 1080p.

2) Got Mastercard? Consider buying the GPU on a Monday at Lazada.com and get a 10% discount when you pay with a Mastercard. Do note that discounts are capped at $25 per transaction.

 

[jeezuinn]

Hi guys, would like to get a new pc, hope to get some advice here. My budget would be around 900 bucks. Currently running on dual monitors. for the pc only parts i dont need would be ssd + hdd, and i don't want a dvd writer either. I dont game that much but games that i play would include dota 2, league of legends and CSGO.

Thanks : D

 

[Jian19]

Hi guys, would like to get a new pc, hope to get some advice here. My budget would be around 900 bucks. Currently running on dual monitors. for the pc only parts i dont need would be ssd + hdd, and i don't want a dvd writer either. I dont game that much but games that i play would include dota 2, league of legends and CSGO.

Thanks : D

i5-4460 + Asrock h81m hds ~ $331
G.skill 8gb ddr3 ~ $100
Powercolor 260x ~ $179
Fsp aurum s 500w ~ $89
Cm n200 ~ $55
Win7 64 oem ~ $130

$884 buy and assemble @ pctheme ask for discount.

 

[jeezuinn]

i5-4460 + Asrock h81m hds ~ $331
G.skill 8gb ddr3 ~ $100
Powercolor 260x ~ $179
Fsp aurum s 500w ~ $89
Cm n200 ~ $55
Win7 64 oem ~ $130

$884 buy and assemble @ pctheme ask for discount.

wow thanks! Thats really fast. I don't need windows as well, sorry for not mentioning that!

 

[ehwtfxz]

Hi guys, I'm currently using an Asrock h61m/u3s3 motherboard with a i5-2500 cpu and gtx 560ti gpu. I am doing some casual video editing on Gopro Studio but the program is lagging really bad. What would be a good upgrade for the cpu/gpu on this motherboard? Not a hardcore video editor or gamer. Just casual. Thanks!

 

[Alternative X]

Hi guys, I'm currently using an Asrock h61m/u3s3 motherboard with a i5-2500 cpu and gtx 560ti gpu. I am doing some casual video editing on Gopro Studio but the program is lagging really bad. What would be a good upgrade for the cpu/gpu on this motherboard? Not a hardcore video editor or gamer. Just casual. Thanks!

1) List down the full specs of your system.

2) Define 'lagging'. In what way is the program lagging?

3) Budget?

 

[rhetoryx]

Hi guys,

Need some help with building a PC with the right specs.

Here are some details:

1. Needs to support gaming on ultra settings with good resolution (1080p or 1440p)
2. 5g wireless capabilities (I think it's 5g, the newer one?)
3. Can be built on the spot at sim lim
4. Dual or triple monitor setup
5. Only in need of CPU, all other peripherals I have already

I'm a hardcore gamer, playing at least 3-6 hours a day depending on how much work I have.

I'm budgeting from $1500-$2000 for this setup, please advise and help to give alternatives if there is no clear cut solution to my PC needs.

Also, can someone recommend a store in simlim that I can get it? Somewhere trustable

Thank you very much!!!

 

[Jian19]

wow thanks! Thats really fast. I don't need windows as well, sorry for not mentioning that!

i5-4460 + Msi h97m g43 ~ $404
G.skill 8gb ddr3 ~ $100
Powercolor 260x ~ $179
Fsp aurum s 500w ~ $89
Fractal design arc midi r2 ~ $139

$911

 

[ehwtfxz]

1) List down the full specs of your system.

2) Define 'lagging'. In what way is the program lagging?

3) Budget?

CPU+MB: Intel Core i5-2500 + ASRock H61M/U3S3
RAM: G.Skill NT DDR3-1333 CL9 4GB [Black PCB] X2
GPU: Palit GTX 560ti-Sonic 1024MB
HDD: Hitachi 3.5inch SATA-III 500GB 7200rpm
SDD: A-Data S510 SATA 6Gb/s 120GB Solid State Drive
ODD: LG GH24NS70 24x SATA Super Multi DVD Writer Black
PSU: Seasonic M12II-520 520W Power Supply
CASE: Xigmatek Asgard Pro with Side Window ATX Casing

Lag in the sense that almost every action/every click in gopro studio I have to wait 5-10s for it to load. the video playback is also very choppy. to the point that it got too frustrating to continue. actually other video editing program also lag.

Gopro recommends at least an i7-quad core cpu for effective usage so I'm wondering if its possible to change just the cpu. As this is a pretty old motherboard, there isn't much options for i7 cpu. Budget wise $200-300 unless you tell me its better to just change the whole motherboard+cpu. thanks!

 

[Alternative X]

CPU+MB: Intel Core i5-2500 + ASRock H61M/U3S3
RAM: G.Skill NT DDR3-1333 CL9 4GB [Black PCB] X2
GPU: Palit GTX 560ti-Sonic 1024MB
HDD: Hitachi 3.5inch SATA-III 500GB 7200rpm
SDD: A-Data S510 SATA 6Gb/s 120GB Solid State Drive
ODD: LG GH24NS70 24x SATA Super Multi DVD Writer Black
PSU: Seasonic M12II-520 520W Power Supply
CASE: Xigmatek Asgard Pro with Side Window ATX Casing

Lag in the sense that almost every action/every click in gopro studio I have to wait 5-10s for it to load. the video playback is also very choppy. to the point that it got too frustrating to continue. actually other video editing program also lag.

Gopro recommends at least an i7-quad core cpu for effective usage so I'm wondering if its possible to change just the cpu. As this is a pretty old motherboard, there isn't much options for i7 cpu. Budget wise $200-300 unless you tell me its better to just change the whole motherboard+cpu. thanks!

Use Windows Task Manager and check RAM, CPU usage when running these video editing software.

Also, you installed these video editing software in your SSD, right?

 

[Alternative X]

Hi guys,

Need some help with building a PC with the right specs.

Here are some details:

1. Needs to support gaming on ultra settings with good resolution (1080p or 1440p)
2. 5g wireless capabilities (I think it's 5g, the newer one?)
3. Can be built on the spot at sim lim
4. Dual or triple monitor setup
5. Only in need of CPU, all other peripherals I have already

I'm a hardcore gamer, playing at least 3-6 hours a day depending on how much work I have.

I'm budgeting from $1500-$2000 for this setup, please advise and help to give alternatives if there is no clear cut solution to my PC needs.

Also, can someone recommend a store in simlim that I can get it? Somewhere trustable

Thank you very much!!!

1) Name all games that you wish to play with this rig.

2) State internet plan and model of router used.

3) Need monitor? Gaming on 1X monitor or on all 2X/3X monitors? If not enough budget, can game on just 1X monitor?

 

[rhetoryx]

1) Name all games that you wish to play with this rig.

2) State internet plan and model of router used.

3) Need monitor? Gaming on 1X monitor or on all 2X/3X monitors? If not enough budget, can game on just 1X monitor?

Thanks for the reply

1. Games would be mainly Dota 2, CS GO, Starcraft 2. Sometimes Sleeping Dogs and Dragon Age.

2. On Singtel 500 mbps. The router supports 5G connection, I'm connected to that on my iPhone but not my current laptop.

3. I have my own monitors and peripherals (headset, keyboard, mouse). Would be using 2 monitors for now.

Thanks!

 

[Alternative X]

Thanks for the reply

1. Games would be mainly Dota 2, CS GO, Starcraft 2. Sometimes Sleeping Dogs and Dragon Age.

2. On Singtel 500 mbps. The router supports 5G connection, I'm connected to that on my iPhone but not my current laptop.

3. I have my own monitors and peripherals (headset, keyboard, mouse). Would be using 2 monitors for now.

Thanks!

Very important question, do you want multi-monitor gaming or going to just game on 1 monitor?

 

[rhetoryx]

Very important question, do you want multi-monitor gaming or going to just game on 1 monitor?

multi monitor.

sorry if i wasn't very clear earlier

 

[ehwtfxz]

Use Windows Task Manager and check RAM, CPU usage when running these video editing software.

Also, you installed these video editing software in your SSD, right?

RAM usage is around 1.7GB and CPU fluctuates alot but around 20%. I don't think it is an accurate representation though because the program keeps hanging even though the task manager shows otherwise. It shows even lower than chrome so idk.

Yes I installed it in my SSD. I tried both the SSD and HDD but there is no difference.

 

[Alternative X]

RAM usage is around 1.7GB and CPU fluctuates alot but around 20%. I don't think it is an accurate representation though because the program keeps hanging even though the task manager shows otherwise. It shows even lower than chrome so idk.

Yes I installed it in my SSD. I tried both the SSD and HDD but there is no difference.

1) Is there some kind of GPU based hardware acceleration that can be activated in GoPro Studio? Also, what other video editors do you have?

Download and run GPU-Z and see GPU load when running the video editors. Also, download and run HWMonitor to check both CPU and GPU temps when running the video editors.

2) Got attempt to reinstall the OS as a last resort?

3) For your original question, i7s aren't cheap, you know. Can go to SLS and look for an i7 3770 (LGA 1155 CPU), should cost around $300-400+.

The cheapest LGA 1150 combo would be the E3-1245 V3 + Asrock H81M-HDS for $487. The same mobo will cost $506 with the i7 4790. The thing is, there is a possibility that getting an i7 CPU may not help solve the problems and thus causing you to waste $$$ on an ineffective solution. Besides, the i5 2500 is actually a decent CPU and should actually do fine for casual video editing.

As I do not have any experience with any video editors, I do not think I can help you any further. Would suggest that you start a seperate thread listing out your problems in the main Hardware Clinic forum and see if people with video editing experience can provide better solutions for you.

 

[ehwtfxz]

1) Is there some kind of GPU based hardware acceleration that can be activated in GoPro Studio? Also, what other video editors do you have?

Download and run GPU-Z and see GPU load when running the video editors. Also, download and run HWMonitor to check both CPU and GPU temps when running the video editors.

2) Got attempt to reinstall the OS as a last resort?

3) For your original question, i7s aren't cheap, you know. Can go to SLS and look for an i7 3770 (LGA 1155 CPU), should cost around $300-400+.

The cheapest LGA 1150 combo would be the E3-1245 V3 + Asrock H81M-HDS for $487. The same mobo will cost $506 with the i7 4790. The thing is, there is a possibility that getting an i7 CPU may not help solve the problems and thus causing you to waste $$$ on an ineffective solution. Besides, the i5 2500 is actually a decent CPU and should actually do fine for casual video editing.

As I do not have any experience with any video editors, I do not think I can help you any further. Would suggest that you start a seperate thread listing out your problems in the main Hardware Clinic forum and see if people with video editing experience can provide better solutions for you.

Thank you very much for your help though!

 

[Hidetoshi]

How to decide if should get 8gb ram or 16gb?