Sherdog PC Build/Buy Thread, v6: My Power Supply Burned Down My House

m52nickerson

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My fellow PC Master Race members, lend my your headphones! @Madmick has given me the go ahead to start version 6 of this thread.

Previous version:
Sherdog PC Build/Buy Thread, V5: Stop Thinking of Your Router as a Peripheral

So to start, here is a FAQ I wrote regarding power supplies...more to come later!

1 - How do I choose the right power supply?

There are four major considerations when buying a power supply for your PC build. The first is form factor. Most builds are going to utilize that is the standard ATX power supply. Smaller form factor builds may use SFX supplies. Most of the time form factor of PSU you will need is dictated by your case.

The second consideration what wattage rating you need in a PSU. For this you must determine the total wattage of your build. If you used PCPartpicker.com to plan your build it has a pretty good estimate of the power usage. If not, you can use one of the many utilities online such as, http://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator or http://www.coolermaster.com/power-supply-calculator/. Once you know how much wattage you build could use it is best to give yourself some head room. A good general rule is to give yourself around 100W above what you calculate. More if you are planning to get aggressive with GPU and CPU overclocks. Keep in mind that getting a higher wattage then you need will not hurt anything, just cost you a bit more. On the other hand, not having enough power can cause your system to lock up, shut down or simply not work at all. So when in doubt, more is better.

Once you figure out how much wattage you need, and what factor it the next step is picking the actual unit for your build. Here, quality matters. RealHardTechX, http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/PSUReviewDatabase.html has a huge list of power supplies, by company, and links to good reviews of each unit, if available. These are in depth reviews that include testing of the supply and disassembling the unit to look at the internal components. Looking at customers reviews is simply not enough. You should simply never buy a PSU without looking a review from the likes of http://www.jonnyguru.com/, https://www.hardocp.com/ or one of the other reviews listed on the RealHardTechX site. Also, don’t expect to get a decent power supply for $20.

Finally, you need to make sure the unit you have selected has the connectors you need and enough of them. All power supplies are going to have a 24-pin main power connector and an 8-pin EPS connector. However not all will have multiple 8 or 6 pin PCIE connections, or SATA connections. Again, the PCPartPicker site does a good job of warring you if this could be an issue, however it is not infallible.



2 – If I get a gold rated PSU that will be better quality than bronze rated one, right?

No. The efficiency ratings for power supplies does not tell you anything about the overall quality of the unit. The efficiency rating only tells you how much of the power the unit pulls from the wall will be lost as heat. Higher rated units lose less power as heat then lower rated units. This means that a bronze rated unit must pull more power from the wall to deliver the same power as a gold rated unit. However, the difference in terms of electricity and the cost is negligible. If anything, higher rated units will stay a bit cooler, and with the variable fans on most units, be a bit quieter. So, in the end the efficiency rating should be a secondary concern.



3 – I saw that X site has a PSU tier list should I just go with what they say.

No. Most the of the tier lists out there are okay but they have some issues. Many consider PSU brand far more than they should. Others make it seem like anything other than their top tier as nearly worthless. Most try hard but simply can’t keep up with the changes in the market. If you go with a “top tier” supply you are likely to get a good PSU, and may miss out on a equal or better one for less money.



4 – My friend told me that bad power supplies can destroy my PC, it this true?

Yes, but today most brand name units are safe. Since Intel rolled out the ATX standard in the mid 90’s and government regulations have come in to put safety standards on power supplies it is unlikely you will find units that will set your house on fire or destroy your PC. They are still out there, so always look at reviews and remember that super cheap normally means super crappy.



5 – I’m upgrading my Dell (or other pre-built) PC, should I get a new power supply.

Maybe, if you need it for the extra wattage of a video card you are adding, or other upgrade. If not, you should be okay. While pre-built PCs often don’t have top of the line power supplies they are not going to set your house on fire or kick your dog. Large companies are smart enough to understand that a rash of destroyed PCs is bad for business.



6 –Should get a power supply with all Japanese capacitors?

Not necessarily. Japanese capacitors (caps) are superior to Taiwanese caps and much better then Chinese caps. The focus on cap quality goes back to what was known as the capacitor plague of the early 2000’s in which many caps would start to leak and fail in many electronics. Since then many Taiwanese and Chinese capacitor have been improving their products. Also, quality caps are important in certain parts of a power supply, were others make little difference. It is best to look at quality reviews and judge the power supple as a whole.



7 – Is there and easy way to pick a power without looking through a ton of reviews.

Yes, ask someone here. Most posters here have a good idea of the quality PSUs on the market, and know where to look for reviews quick to back up what they suggest. Still, always look any suggested unit up for yourself. Trust, but verify.

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Last edited:
Build my PC over the weekend and I love it, its so quiet. Not open case flashy with RGB lighting, but that aint my thing. Simple air cooler, but a huge upgrade from what I had.

Now I want to get a 1080 Ti and I am pretty overwhelmed with all the third party offerings. The Aorus Xtreme seems to come out well, so hopefully I can pick that up.
 
Oh, btw, let's try to use this thread to discuss the builds, everyone, and the craft of selecting components and building. Below is some general info and resources that you'll probably find handy once you have your build primed and ready.

PC Hardware Threads

@jefferz started a separate thread during v5 for discussing all the new products or other peripherals relevant to PC gaming that get released:
News, reviews, deals, and everything else PC related. The Other Master Race thread

@jefferz also maintains a thread for custom PC liquid cooling (enthusiast overclockers who are trying to achieve extreme overclocks at whisper quiet performance and incredibly low temps will want to check this thread out). Probably not a bad springboard for those wanting to learn more about overclocking:
Jefferz hard line water cooled PC build thread

For those who might be interested in gaming on a laptop, or are curious what cost that might add to a laptop they are likely to be purchasing, anyway:
Sherdog Official Gaming Laptop Discussion Thread

@MusterX has composed a post in this thread about VR headsets, a particular topic of interest for him, and I have copied that post to our official thread:
VR Gaming Headset FAQ
Steam [PC]

GOG [PC]
  • https://www.gog.com/
  • The "Good Old Games" depository is the largest PC gaming merchant focusing on exclusively DRM-free content. For this reason, virtually any game or developer outside of Steam that isn't big enough to host its own servers or retail service can be found on this website. That doesn't mean it only has indie material. It also carries any major or AAA games that resist DRM schemes in their software. It has its own Wiki service devoted to this catalogue that currently stands at 1,955 DRM-free titles:
    https://www.gogwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page
  • The GOG is known for major giveaways such as the Alien vs. Predator extravaganza, and also major sales. Here is the Reddit dedicated to these sales:
    https://www.reddit.com/domain/gog.com/
  • The GOG Galaxy is a competing service to Steam that launched back in 2014, and finally on April 26, 2017, left its Beta phase with the launch of v1.2 featuring universal cloud saves across gaming platforms. Think of it as a cloud gaming service that maintains all your progress, but doesn't ask for your game receipts:
    https://www.gog.com/galaxy

Humble Bundle [PC]

Sony PS Now [PC / PS4]
  • $20 ---- monthly ($20.00/mo)
  • $45 ---- quarterly ($15.00/mo)
  • $100 -- yearly ($8.33/mo)
    • cloud-based gaming service that is currently streaming only; cannot download to disc
    • As of 2015, there are two ways to stream games in PlayStation Now: either as (1) a subscription-based service like Netflix, allowing unlimited access to all games covered by the subscription model, or by (2) renting games individually for a set period of time, usually available to rent in one of four time frames: 4-hour, 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day.
    • Over 500 titles in library (heavily PS3 titles so far; only 37x PS4 titles, but PS4 titles growing rapidly; PS/PS2/PSP titles rumored for the future)

Origin Access [PC]
  • $5 ---- monthly ($5.00/mo)
  • $30 -- yearly ($2.50/mo)

World of Warcraft [PC]
  • $15 -- monthly ($15.00/mo)
  • $42 -- quarterly ($14.00/mo)
  • $78 -- biannually ($13.00/mo)
    • While the Blizzard Battle.net service is required for download to play all Blizzard games, and is the exclusive network where one can play Blizzard games online, the subscription fees apply only to World of Warcraft accounts.
    • These are the other five Blizzard games:
      (1) Diablo III (2) Hearthstone (3) Heroes of the Storm (4) Overwatch (5) Starcraft II
    • These are the Battle.net Classic games:
      (1) Diablo II (2) Starcraft (3) Warcraft III
Metacritic: Best PC Videogames of All Time
Alternative→ Gamerankings: Best PC Games of All Time (20 review minimum)


  1. Half-Life 2 (2004)
  2. Grand Theft Auto V (2015)
  3. Half-Life (1998)
  4. BioShock (2007)
  5. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
  6. Portal 2 (2011)
  7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
  8. Mass Effect 2 (2010)
  9. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2003)
  10. Sid Meier’s Civilization II (1996)
  11. Quake (1996)
  12. Bioshock Infinite (2013)
  13. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
  14. Grim Fandango (1998)
  15. Diablo (1996)
  16. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (2005)
  17. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
  18. Company of Heroes (2006)
  19. Unreal Tournament 2004 (2004)
  20. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
  21. Minecraft (2009)
  22. Grand Theft Auto III (2002)
  23. Homeworld (1999)
  24. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
  25. World of Warcraft (2004)
Some of these games’ original releases are part of coherent world with ongoing expansions where the entire player base is perpetually playing the latest content such as in World of Warcraft (World of Warcraft → Burning Crusade → Wrath of the Lich King → Cataclysm → Mysts of Pandaria → Warlords of Draenor → Legion→ Battle for Azeroth).

The unprecedented subscriber success of this franchise inspired the “Games-as-a-service” model which is beginning to dominate the videogame world; the difference is that developers just update the core game with patches that are occasionally major mechanic overhauls, and generate revenue from microtransactions rather than expansion/DLC sales.

Others retain more classic standalone added content, such as Mass Effect 2’s legendary DLC releases (Lair of the Shadow Broker, Zaeed- The Price of Revenge, Kasumi- Stolen Memory, Overlord, Arrival) or The Witcher 3’s “Blood & Wine” expansion.

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TOTALS
  • 190 = PC
  • 29 = Playstation 4
  • 29 = Wii U
  • 19 = Xbox One
  • 10 = Playstation 3
  • 3 = Xbox 360
PC has more than double the titles of every other platform combined.


Witcher_3_cover_art.jpg


The PC Gamer Readers' Top 100
Sept-07, 2017 (Based on 1,445 reader responses)
  1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  2. Half-Life 2
  3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
  4. Dark Souls
  5. Borderlands 2
  6. Fallout: New Vegas
  7. Mass Effect 2
  8. Doom (2016)
  9. BioShock
  10. Doom 2
  11. Fallout 2
  12. Deus Ex
  13. Portal 2
  14. Life is Strange
  15. Starcraft
  16. Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
  17. Grand Theft Auto 5
  18. League of Legends
  19. Diablo 2
  20. XCOM 2
  21. Fallout 4
  22. Dragon Age: Origins
  23. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
  24. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
  25. Bioshock Infinite
  26. Overwatch
  27. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
  28. World of Warcraft
  29. Rimworld
  30. Path of Exile
  31. Planescape: Torment
  32. Fallout
  33. Dishonored 2
  34. Crysis
  35. Stellaris
  36. Crusader Kings 2
  37. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  38. Dishonored
  39. Half-Life
  40. Warcraft 3
  41. Quake
  42. Factorio
  43. Prey
  44. SOMA
  45. Fallout 3
  46. TIE Fighter
  47. Elite Dangerous
  48. Rocket League
  49. Civilization 5
  50. Heroes of Might and Magic 3
  51. Starcraft 2
  52. Nier: Automata
  53. Stalker: Call of Pripyat
  54. Wolfenstein: The New Order
  55. Minecraft
  56. System Shock 2
  57. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  58. Psychonauts
  59. Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition
  60. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
  61. Age of Empires 2
  62. Thief 2
  63. Endless Legend
  64. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
  65. Titanfall 2
  66. Warframe
  67. The Secret of Monkey Island
  68. Kerbal Space Program
  69. Europa Universalis IV
  70. Hotline Miami
  71. Payday 2
  72. Battlefield 1
  73. Dota 2
  74. Total War: Warhammer
  75. Mass Effect 3
  76. Batman Arkham City
  77. Rainbow Six Siege
  78. FTL
  79. Stardew Valley
  80. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  81. The Talos Principle
  82. Tyranny
  83. Civilization 6
  84. Undertale
  85. Knights of the Old Republic 2
  86. Team Fortress 2
  87. The Witness
  88. Thief Gold
  89. Arma 3
  90. Dying Light
  91. Alien: Isolation
  92. Hyper Light Drifter
  93. Planet Coaster
  94. Jagged Alliance 2
  95. Call of Duty 2
  96. Transistor
  97. Mass Effect
  98. Freespace 2
  99. 7 Days to Die
  100. Ultima Online


PC $$ Games with 1M+ Sales

Nov-2013 to Today: Xbox One & PS4 (8th Gen)
  • (6.7m) Rust
  • (33.4m) PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
  • (1.4m) Cuphead
  • (1.2m) Divinity: Original Sin 2
  • (1.0m) Black Desert Online
  • (1.1m) Call of Duty: WWII
  • (1.7m) The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel
  • (1.0m) Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
  • (1.9m) Total War: Warhammer
  • (1.8m) Killing Floor 2
  • (1.4m) Football Manager 2017
  • (1.4m) Planet Coaster
  • (4.8m) Sid Meier’s Civilization V
  • (10.0m) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
  • (1.6m) Stellaris
  • (1.9m) Total War: Warhammer
  • (2.9m) Dark Souls III
  • (2.4m) Human: Fall Flat
  • (2.9m) 7 Days to Die
  • (3.0m) Dead by Daylight
  • (3.1m) Starbound
  • (7.4m) Don’t Starve Together
  • (1.8m) Hitman
  • (3.6m) Stardew Valley
  • (2.0m) XCOM 2
  • (1.3m) Factorio
  • (1.8m) Just Cause 3
  • (3.2m) Undertale
  • (5.1m) Tom Clancy’s Rainbox Six: Siege
  • (1.5m) Warhammer 40,000: End Times- Vermintide
  • (7.0m) Rocket League
  • (6.7m) Fallout 4
  • (2.2m) Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
  • (5.9m) Ark: Survival Evolved
  • (1.7m) Batman: Arkham Knight
  • (4.8m) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • (10.1m) Grand Theft Auto V
  • (1.8m) Kerbal Space Program
  • (1.2m) Elite Dangerous
  • (4.5m) Cities: Skylines
  • (5.3m) Life is Strange
  • (4.8m) Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
  • (2.1m) The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
  • (1.6m) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
  • (5.0m) The Sims 4
  • (4.0m) The Forest
  • (3.6m) DayZ
  • (2.2m) Call of Duty: Ghosts
  • (2.3m) The Stanley Parable
  • (2.4m) Space Engineers
  • (2.7m) Batman: Arkham Origins
  • (3.8m) ARMA 3
Nov-2005 to Oct-2013: Xbox 360 & PS3 (7th Gen)
  • (2.4m) Total War: Rome II
  • (1.4m) Europa Universalis IV
  • (5.1m) Bioshock Infinite
  • (4.9m) Age of Empires II HD
  • (5.7m) Tomb Raider
  • (3.8m) Company of Heroes 2
  • (1.7m) Starcraft: II: Heart of the Swarm
  • (2.0m) SimCity 2013
  • (4.8m) Call of Duty: Black Ops II
  • (5.1m) Euro Truck Simulator 2
  • (3.6m) XCOM: Enemy Unknown
  • (4.2m) Batman: Arkham City
  • (8.4m) Borderlands 2
  • (2.4m) Prison Architect
  • (5.0m) Guild Wars 2
  • (3.5m) Spec Ops: The Line
  • (12.0m) Diablo III
  • (3.9m) Crusader Kings II
  • (3.0m) Star Wars: The Old Republic
  • (5.3m) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
  • (28.0m) Minecraft
  • (2.3m) Anno 2070
  • (1.5m) Football Manager 2012
  • (3.1m) The Binding of Isaac
  • (1.3m) The Legend of Sword and Fairy 5
  • (5.2m) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
  • (11.7m) Portal 2
  • (20.0m) Terraria
  • (5.3m) Call of Duty: Black Ops
  • (3.8m) Magicka
  • (6.3m) Fallout: New Vegas
  • (1.3m) Football Manager 2011
  • (2.3m) Final Fantasy XIV Online
  • (10.7m) Civilization V
  • (3.5m) Bioshock 2
  • (6.0m) Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
  • (2.9m) Mount & Blade: Warband
  • (3.3m) Batman: Arkham Asylum
  • (1.9m) Warhammer: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising
  • (6.2m) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • (19.8m) Left 4 Dead 2
  • (1.9m) Machinarium
  • (9.7m) The Sims 3
  • (5.1m) Killing Floor
  • (2.0m) Call of Duty: World at War
  • (1.2m) Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
  • (1.5m) Crysis: Warhead
  • (2.0m) Spore
  • (2.3m) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • (3.1m) Crysis
  • (2.0m) Medieval II: Total War
  • (4.6m) The Witcher
  • (4.0m) BioShock
  • (1.7m) Warhammer: Dawn of War
  • (1.1m) Warhammer: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
  • (1.1m) Warhammer: Dawn of War - Winter Asssault
  • (1.0m) Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
  • (1.0m) Supreme Commander
  • (15.0m) Garry's Mod
  • (1.5m) Microsoft Flight Simulator X
  • (1.0m) Glory of the Roman Empire
  • (2.0m) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion


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t1FAlwdDk0CIXJoBJQs9THoRG4NCKPi2J6s2qPAmuZX9cgQaTsHLq5uYcMud2DzzQ1WkgJjnrdb0m1Lg0GIiA2ZgJA0uM6T2xIVQWVTMi-A26liZrwVHLyHLVCQhhEVLYrH8o1T3


Other titles not above that (first) made the Newzoo list in 2017
  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Diablo III
  • H1Z1
  • H1Z1: Just Survive
  • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Multiplayer
  • Guild Wars 2
  • Farming Simulator 2017
  • Payday 2
  • Rust
  • Warface
Other titles not above that (first) made the Newzoo list in 2016
  • Battlefield 1
  • Battlefield 4
  • Osu!
  • Euro Truck Simulator 2
  • Farming Simulator 15
  • Paladins
  • Point Blank
  • Team Fortress 2
  • Unturned


Steam’s Best of 2017

Most Played, 100k+ Peak Concurrent Users
  • Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
  • Dota 2
  • Counter Strike: Global Offensive
  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • H1Z1: Battle Royale
  • Warframe
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
  • Payday (Ultimate Edition)

Most Played, 50K-99K Peak Concurrent Users
  • Total War: Warhammer II
  • Team Fortress 2
  • Killing Floor 2
  • Divinity: Original Sin II
  • Rocket League
  • Garry’s Mod
  • Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
  • Paladins
  • Football Manager 2018
  • Civilization V
  • Rust
  • Conan: Exiles
  • Path of Exile: War for the Atlas
  • ARMA III

Top Sellers, Platinum Tier
  • Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
  • Dota 2
  • Counter Strike: Global Offensive
  • The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • Tom Clancy’s Chost Recon: Wildlands
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbox Six: Siege
  • Rocket League
  • Warframe
  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • H1Z1: Battle Royale
  • Divinity: Original Sin II

Top Sellers, Gold Tier
  • Dark Souls III
  • Assassin’s Creed: Origins
  • Nier: Automata
  • Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
  • Total War: Warhammer
  • Stellaris
  • Call of Duty: WWII
  • For Honor
  • Civilization VI
  • The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
  • Fallout 4
  • ARMA III

Top Sellers, Silver Tier

  • Total War: Warhammer II
  • Path of Exile: War for the Atlas
  • Euro Truck Simulator 2
  • Cities: Skyline
  • Dead by Daylight
  • Team Fortress 2
  • XCOM 2
  • War Thunder: Advancing Storm
  • Resident Evil: Biohazard
  • Sniper Elite 4
  • Rust
  • Conan: Exiles
  • Black Desert Online
  • Final Fantasy XIV Online
  • Cuphead
  • Planet Coaster


VGChartz (Physical Sales)

Bestsellers 2017
None

Bestsellers 2016
  1. Farming Simulator 17 (1.12m)
  2. Overwatch (0.92m)
  3. Battlefield 1 (0.76m)
  4. Rocksmith 2014 (0.69m)
  5. World of Warcraft: Legion (0.49m)
  6. Tom Clancy’s The Division (0.47m)
  7. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (0.43m)
Bestsellers 2015
  1. Fallout 4 (1.39m)
  2. Grand Theft Auto V (1.30m)
  3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (0.81m)
  4. Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void (0.56m)
  5. Star Wars: Battlefront (0.56m)
Bestsellers 2014
  1. The Sims 4 (3.45m)
  2. Farming Simulator 2015 (1.21m)
  3. The Elder Scrolls Online (0.96m)
  4. Dragon Age: Inquisition (0.77m)
  5. Far Cry 4 (0.67m)
  6. Titanfall (0.58m)
  7. Assassin's Creed: Unity (0.58m)
Bestsellers 2013
  1. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (1.68m)
  2. SimCity 2013 (1.42m)
  3. Battlefield 4 (1.40m)
  4. Total War: Rome II (0.72m)
  5. Call of Duty: Ghosts (0.73m)
  6. Rocksmith 2014 (0.67m)
  7. BioShock Infinite (0.67m)
  8. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (0.66m)
  9. Football Manager 2014 (0.64m)
  10. Crysis 3 (0.63m)
Emulation Software

This isn't necessarily restricted to gaming-class hardware, or even PC's, but a thread that any will find interesting:
Internet Archive Brings 1000's of Free Arcade, DOS, & PC Games to Your Browser

Perhaps more stable emulation than universal HTML5 javascript run through browsers is to use actual emulation software. Let's assume one is using Windows, since it's the most common platform by far, and if you're using Linux, you're probably not the type who needs a ton of help. This is a frequently updated Reddit post that gives a survey of the different consoles and their finest emulators on a Windows PC:
emulatorguide: PC Master Race
Here is the master subreddit for all things emulation. You can learn the finer points of emulation, here. For example, you can reference this for discussion of accessories where you will learn that you can purchase the original controllers for the respective consoles, brand new at stores like Amazon, designed specifically for PC emulation, and for very little money. To offer an example, the last time I checked, it was $12 for a Nintendo pad with a USB-input at the end of its cord via Amazon.
https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/

STEAM
Most Popular Free Games

  • Dota 2
  • Warframe
  • Smite
  • Path of Exile
  • Team Fortress 2
  • War Thunder
  • Paladins
  • Planetside 2
  • Guild Wars 2
  • Warface
  • Neverwinter
  • Fallout Shelter
  • EVE Online
  • Unturned
  • Atlas Reactor
  • Star Conflict
  • Lord of the Rings Online
  • Star Trek Online
  • DC Universe Online
  • Clicker Heroes
  • Tribes: Ascend
  • Hawken
  • Mechwarrior Online
  • Alien Swarm
  • Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop
  • Last Man Standing
  • Heroes & Generals
  • Fishing the Planet
  • World of Tanks Blitz
  • World of Warships
  • World of Warplanes
  • Rift
  • TERA
  • Wildstar
  • Marvel Heroes 2016
  • Super Crate Box
  • Robocraft
  • Orcs Must Die! Unchained
  • Dirty Bomb
  • Blacklight: Retribution
  • Shadowverse
  • Everquest
  • ArcheAge
  • Crossout
  • Skyforge

OFF-STEAM
Most Popular Free Games

  • League of Legends
  • Fortnite
  • CrossFire
  • Minecraft
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Voice Chat Software for Online Gaming
 

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Build my PC over the weekend and I love it, its so quiet. Not open case flashy with RGB lighting, but that aint my thing. Simple air cooler, but a huge upgrade from what I had.

Now I want to get a 1080 Ti and I am pretty overwhelmed with all the third party offerings. The Aorus Xtreme seems to come out well, so hopefully I can pick that up.

Okay, for one we need pics! Every new build even if more utilitarian deserved to be shown off.

I also agree with Madmick, you should look at EVGA offerings. They make some pretty solid cards and have top notch customer service.
 
So I went ahead and put together a computer and bought it, it should get here by the end of the day. I did realize later on that the tower came with a 280 watt PSU (I bought a tower with power supply included), and the graphics card I have recommends 500. So, I bought this 600 watter from Amazon for 45 bucks, hopefully it doesn't burn my house down.

The power supply, since amazon links weird to the forum

The question of the hour: If I run my new computer for a few days with my new GPU before my power supply gets here to make sure all systems are nominal (minus power concerns), would I be in danger? I know it won't actually catch fire, but it's a big discrepancy in power between what I will have and what is recommended. I expect brownouts and crashes at the least.
 
So I went ahead and put together a computer and bought it, it should get here by the end of the day. I did realize later on that the tower came with a 280 watt PSU (I bought a tower with power supply included), and the graphics card I have recommends 500. So, I bought this 600 watter from Amazon for 45 bucks, hopefully it doesn't burn my house down.

The power supply, since amazon links weird to the forum

The question of the hour: If I run my new computer for a few days with my new GPU before my power supply gets here to make sure all systems are nominal (minus power concerns), would I be in danger? I know it won't actually catch fire, but it's a big discrepancy in power between what I will have and what is recommended. I expect brownouts and crashes at the least.

The power supply you bought was made by Channel Well Technology (CWT), so it is unlikely to be horrible. I don't find any good reviews for that unit, or any for that line so it is more then likely not the great PSU when it comes to overall quality, but you should be okay.

As for running your system with your GPU and a 280 watt supply....just don't do it. It might work depending on what GPU and the other hardware you have, but its going to tax that power supply more then it ever should be. At best you are likely to get shut downs, and worst a puff of magic blue smoke from the PSU as it commits suicide. Then you have to pray it did not take something with it.
 
It might work depending on what GPU and the other hardware you have,
MSI Radeon RX 480, 16 gb ram, an ssd and 3 hdds and an external as well. i5 processor too.
 
Don't try it. That is 300W worth of hardware at the least.
Great, thanks for the advice. The last time I built a computer, I started with a 600 watter just to be safe for any upgrades that may come. This time, I didn't take it into account until the day after I bought the computer, thinking "oh crap, this new video card is a beast I probably need more juice for it".
 
@Madmick I'm working on the guide, I just haven't had the time to finish it up. I should be able to complete it in the next couple of days.
On the OC'ing g3258, I only overclocked it a couple of times and it was sloppy. I waaay overvolted it and did another big no no, I don't remember what though. I never put it through a 24 hour stress test either.
 
@Madmick I'm working on the guide, I just haven't had the time to finish it up. I should be able to complete it in the next couple of days.
On the OC'ing g3258, I only overclocked it a couple of times and it was sloppy. I waaay overvolted it and did another big no no, I don't remember what though. I never put it through a 24 hour stress test either.
You're a better man than me. I just felt like I was holding the forum up again, lazy procrastinator that I am, and nickerson had sent me his portion. I'm sure he can take advantage of your portion.

At some point I have to build that guide in its own discrete thread. I'll use everything anyone gives me.
 
Great, thanks for the advice. The last time I built a computer, I started with a 600 watter just to be safe for any upgrades that may come. This time, I didn't take it into account until the day after I bought the computer, thinking "oh crap, this new video card is a beast I probably need more juice for it".

For future reference, PCPartPicker can give you the estimated wattage once you put your parts list together.
 
Friends don't let friends buy just any psu... I won't buy anything but evga ever again. I would be willing to consider telling a friend to buy a corsair if the price point was right though. Too many brands use trash parts even on their gold/platinum efficiency models.
 
Friends don't let friends buy just any psu... I won't buy anything but evga ever again. I would be willing to consider telling a friend to buy a corsair if the price point was right though. Too many brands use trash parts even on their gold/platinum efficiency models.

EVGA power supplies use to be spotty at best. They have improved. Now they have some of the best units you can get. The GS line are all made by Seasonic, which are only outdone by Super Flower units, which are what the EVGA G2 line are.
 


so far im looking at these as my vpn router.
 
i just got a gtx 1050 ti 4gb for my pc replacing an ati 7870. kind of a lateral move but the extra 2gb and the newer drivers help make my library run faster. it ain't earth shaking but i can actually play insurgency now without dropping so many frames (in the ati defense, i have a weird widescreen monitors from the mid 2000's that doesn't play well with resolutions. the ati hated this monitor.) .
 
Someone redpill me on some decent cheaper end bookshelf computer speakers and amp.
It's the last thing missing from my build and I don't know where to start or what's decent for less.

If not I might just try to find a used set of Logitech z2300s.

Also
QZ5wwR7.png

<20>
 
Someone redpill me on some decent cheaper end bookshelf computer speakers and amp.
It's the last thing missing from my build and I don't know where to start or what's decent for less.

If not I might just try to find a used set of Logitech z2300s.

Also
QZ5wwR7.png

<20>
Both of the above recommendations are top notch. I like Pioneer much more than Logitech (not a fan), but that particular set that Ghost mentioned is highly acclaimed. Nevertheless, it sits in a higher price class at $300+, and the main difference is the dedicated, discrete subwoofer.


I'm a huge Klipsch fan, personally, ever since my older brother turned me on to them. My top recommendation:





Although these Polks are great if you're someone who likes a bit more boom in the bass (not necessarily more precision):




Finally, this company is the hungry new kid on the block. It's taking over this market like Brother took over printers (buh bye HP; you can hang around Epson and Canon, but only for color, not business).
*Edit* Whoops, linked the Bluetooth variation. Not the ones you want




So altogether you have four options there all in the $100-$150 range for bookshelf style speakers. Then Ghost's true 5.1 system, but one that is designed for desk environments, nonetheless, not Home Theater.
 
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