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

[method115]

Need some help from fellow sherdoggers. The Windows 7 OS in my current build just crashed and I am unable to recover it. One of my friends installed the OS for me and I do not have the disk or license number for recovery.

I have received a Windows 7 enterprise key from one of the corporate license programs and plan on doing a install and then upgrade to Windows 10. Since I have to do a new windows install, I plan on moving from a SATA drive to SSD for the boot drive and keep the SATA for data storage. This drive will be used for OS and high performance games.

1. Should I go for the 500GB or the 1TB SSD? I currently have a 1T and 500GB SATA 3 and just need some regular cleanup for space.

2. Thoughts on the windows install plan?

3. Should I go ahead and make this buy or are there usually great deals that come up?

Have to do a search on newegg and other sites, but picked a few options from Amazon in meanwhile:

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure upgrading to windows 10 for free is no longer allowed. There used to be a work around by claiming you were going to use the disability options but I think even that ended the end of last year.

 

[jefferz]

Need some help from fellow sherdoggers. The Windows 7 OS in my current build just crashed and I am unable to recover it. One of my friends installed the OS for me and I do not have the disk or license number for recovery.

I have received a Windows 7 enterprise key from one of the corporate license programs and plan on doing a install and then upgrade to Windows 10. Since I have to do a new windows install, I plan on moving from a SATA drive to SSD for the boot drive and keep the SATA for data storage. This drive will be used for OS and high performance games.

1. Should I go for the 500GB or the 1TB SSD? I currently have a 1T and 500GB SATA 3 and just need some regular cleanup for space.

2. Thoughts on the windows install plan?

3. Should I go ahead and make this buy or are there usually great deals that come up?

Have to do a search on newegg and other sites, but picked a few options from Amazon in meanwhile:

Windows 10 is no longer a free upgrade. You can buy official keys from retailers like Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, Microsoft store, etc. Another option is from grey market sites like Kinguin or scdkey.
Either one of those SSD's are fine.

 

[Madmick]

so i have decided to become one of you. i have done some prelim research on building and i certainly would love to go that route for a handful of reasons; the potential savings, the learning experience, the customization and to be able to say i did it. the problem is, i have never built a computer and i wonder if any potential savings would be offset by frustration and time. there is also the risk/reward aspect.

senior moderator dick looks to have picked a pc up at bestbuy. is that a legit option? would something like this be a better option than building for a noob like myself.

are there any other sites that sell respectable gaming pcs that i should be looking at?

Buying prebuilt is a viable option, and you're right to believe that there are caveats with building. The warranty that comes with a prebuilt that covers any failure because the whole PC is shipping as a single unit is one of the strongest pros to the prebuilt column. The market is incrediby volatile, and it isn't cheaper for prebuilts now like it was into March/April.

It's still an incredible skill, largely because of the basic understanding you will gain of how your comp works, and how to troubleshoot/modify/upgrade it. The value of this shouldn't be underestimated.

If you're going the prebuilt this Reddit is a handy reference/bookmark:
https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestapc/

This is Amazon's bestseller chart for desktop PCs. The gaming PCs are the ones that carry a discrete gamer-class video card (aka GPU). You're after an NVIDIA GTX 10 series card or AMD RX 500 series card. iBuyPower and CyberpowerPC produce the units that move the highest volume, now, but there are others. The #1 bestseller has a case with some airflow issues we have discussed on this board in one of the PC threads, recently. You should review that material if you consider it.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Desktop-Computers/zgbs/electronics/565098

There are a few lines that aren't on the bestseller lists because they are pricier. The Corsair One Elite and the Alienware Aurora lines are two examples. Origin, MSI, and a few other familiar brands also compete here. That Corsair unit has better engineering and design than a hobbyist home builder can hope to match. Its compactness comes at a premium.

There is a middle ground. You can have iBuyPower or CyberpowerPC build the computer for you based on parts you select. Use us if you do this. It actually requires the most concentrated knowledge of component pricing because at any given time they are pushing big sales on certain parts in their inventory. So you can overpay hugely this way, but sometimes you can actually assemble the build for cheaper than you could do it yourself-- especially if you need the peripheral bonuses they thrown in so cheaply that longtime PC gamers already have (headset, gaming mice, mouse mats, mechanical keyboards, WiFi adapters, chairs, etc.)

• https://www.ibuypower.com/
• https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

 

[punkmother]

Do you plan on streaming your game play?

Buying prebuilt is a viable option, and you're right to believe that there are caveats with building. The warranty that comes with a prebuilt that covers any failure because the whole PC is shipping as a single unit is one of the strongest pros to the prebuilt column. The market is incrediby volatile, and it isn't cheaper for prebuilts now like it was into March/April.

It's still an incredible skill, largely because of the basic understanding you will gain of how your comp works, and how to troubleshoot/modify/upgrade it. The value of this shouldn't be underestimated.

If you're going the prebuilt this Reddit is a handy reference/bookmark:
https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestapc/

This is Amazon's bestseller chart for desktop PCs. The gaming PCs are the ones that carry a discrete gamer-class video card (aka GPU). You're after an NVIDIA GTX 10 series card or AMD RX 500 series card. iBuyPower and CyberpowerPC produce the units that move the highest volume, now, but there are others. The #1 bestseller has a case with some airflow issues we have discussed on this board in one of the PC threads, recently. You should review that material if you consider it.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Desktop-Computers/zgbs/electronics/565098

There are a few lines that aren't on the bestseller lists because they are pricier. The Corsair One Elite and the Alienware Aurora lines are two examples. Origin, MSI, and a few other familiar brands also compete here. That Corsair unit has better engineering and design than a hobbyist home builder can hope to match. Its compactness comes at a premium.

There is a middle ground. You can have iBuyPower or CyberpowerPC build the computer for you based on parts you select. Use us if you do this. It actually requires the most concentrated knowledge of component pricing because at any given time they are pushing big sales on certain parts in their inventory. So you can overpay hugely this way, but sometimes you can actually assemble the build for cheaper than you could do it yourself-- especially if you need the peripheral bonuses they thrown in so cheaply that longtime PC gamers already have (headset, gaming mice, mouse mats, mechanical keyboards, WiFi adapters, chairs, etc.)

• https://www.ibuypower.com/
• https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

thank you.

i am seriously torn on this topic now. i feel like building it myself is the route i want to go. but i want to take my time, take advantage of sales, get the right pieces, best bang for my buck and do it right. that said, i really want to game again. i feel like i might pick up a ps4 this weekend to game in the near term and take my time with the build and actually put something together i can be proud of vs. slapping something together over the weekend.

are we on the verge of some shift in pc gaming? more specifically, similarly to a new console generation, are there any components to avoid given my build will span a greater length of time?

 

[Cygnus A]

thank you.

i am seriously torn on this topic now. i feel like building it myself is the route i want to go. but i want to take my time, take advantage of sales, get the right pieces, best bang for my buck and do it right. that said, i really want to game again. i feel like i might pick up a ps4 this weekend to game in the near term and take my time with the build and actually put something together i can be proud of vs. slapping something together over the weekend.

are we on the verge of some shift in pc gaming? more specifically, similarly to a new console generation, are there any components to avoid given my build will span a greater length of time?

The biggest shift in PC gaming will come when the next gen GPUs are released. Nobody knows when that will happen. It could be next month. It could be next year. PC gaming is always evolving. Worst case scenario is you build now and need to upgrade GPU in a year or 2, but that is only if you want to real high end. Buying the best components now will last you years honestly.

 

[Madmick]

thank you.

i am seriously torn on this topic now. i feel like building it myself is the route i want to go. but i want to take my time, take advantage of sales, get the right pieces, best bang for my buck and do it right. that said, i really want to game again. i feel like i might pick up a ps4 this weekend to game in the near term and take my time with the build and actually put something together i can be proud of vs. slapping something together over the weekend.

are we on the verge of some shift in pc gaming? more specifically, similarly to a new console generation, are there any components to avoid given my build will span a greater length of time?

There it is. Don't fight your gut.

To borrow a psychological theory played out on a The Big Bang Theory episode, take a coin, assign build or buy to each side, and flip it. You will trigger an insight into what you truly desire because you will be either disappointed or excited by the outcome of the flip. I already know your reaction to either side.

The biggest shift in PC gaming will come when the next gen GPUs are released. Nobody knows when that will happen. It could be next month. It could be next year. PC gaming is always evolving. Worst case scenario is you build now and need to upgrade GPU in a year or 2, but that is only if you want to real high end. Buying the best components now will last you years honestly.

Yeah, they can really string you along with product launches for new generations of hardware. Rumors or press releases say it will announced be next month, but that comes, and then they postpone saying it will be 1-2 months later, make good on that, but then all the units sell out in the first two days, you aren't on the inside track, so you're not lucky enough to snag up one of the few units available to the public, and then you can't find one at a reasonable cost for another 2-3 months. You ended up getting strung along for 6 months thinking you'd be rewarded for waiting just 1-2. That's where we are at with the NVIDIA GTX 11 series. First leak of the new Volta cards just hit yesterday. If you check Jefferz's thread, I posted it.

But I'm hoping the more relevant story will be the one Jefferz posted himself about a Taiwanese manufacturer shipping 300K NVIDIA GPUs back to NVIDIA because they over-produced for the crypto surge. In light of the fact that NVIDIA is clearly feeling pressured to bring out the Volta cards, with all of this overstock, I suspect that we are going to see a significant crash in NVIDIA GTX 10 series pricing in the second half of 2018.

 

[Quipling]

dont plan on building my own. any recommendations for a good gaming PC that is not only high quality but within the $1k-$2k range?

There are lots of desktops in that range that are plenty powerful, which is what I assume you mean.

See this post if you want to learn to fish

If you're going the prebuilt this Reddit is a handy reference/bookmark:
https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestapc/

This is Amazon's bestseller chart for desktop PCs. The gaming PCs are the ones that carry a discrete gamer-class video card (aka GPU). You're after an NVIDIA GTX 10 series card or AMD RX 500 series card. iBuyPower and CyberpowerPC produce the units that move the highest volume, now, but there are others. The #1 bestseller has a case with some airflow issues we have discussed on this board in one of the PC threads, recently. You should review that material if you consider it.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Desktop-Computers/zgbs/electronics/565098

There are a few lines that aren't on the bestseller lists because they are pricier. The Corsair One Elite and the Alienware Aurora lines are two examples. Origin, MSI, and a few other familiar brands also compete here. That Corsair unit has better engineering and design than a hobbyist home builder can hope to match. Its compactness comes at a premium.

There is a middle ground. You can have iBuyPower or CyberpowerPC build the computer for you based on parts you select. Use us if you do this. It actually requires the most concentrated knowledge of component pricing because at any given time they are pushing big sales on certain parts in their inventory. So you can overpay hugely this way, but sometimes you can actually assemble the build for cheaper than you could do it yourself-- especially if you need the peripheral bonuses they thrown in so cheaply that longtime PC gamers already have (headset, gaming mice, mouse mats, mechanical keyboards, WiFi adapters, chairs, etc.)

• https://www.ibuypower.com/
• https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

If you just want someone to point you to something with nice specs in that price range,

Spoiler

 

[Snubnoze707]

Anyone have any recommendations on a 3TB+ hard drive? Was probably gonna go with a WD Blue unless anyone has a better price to performance recommendation.

 

[neomacro]

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure upgrading to windows 10 for free is no longer allowed. There used to be a work around by claiming you were going to use the disability options but I think even that ended the end of last year.

Windows 10 is no longer a free upgrade. You can buy official keys from retailers like Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, Microsoft store, etc. Another option is from grey market sites like Kinguin or scdkey.
Either one of those SSD's are fine.

Thanks Sherdog. Do the Windows 10 keys and SSD go on sale during the July 4th? And is 500GB usually sufficient with the size of new games coming out or is a 1TB usually needed?

 

[Quipling]

Thanks Sherdog. Do the Windows 10 keys and SSD go on sale during the July 4th? And is 500GB usually sufficient with the size of new games coming out or is a 1TB usually needed?

500 gigs has been plenty for me, but I only have about 20 games installed

 

[GhostZ06]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117922&cm_re=8700-_-19-117-922-_-Product

what the hell is this?


im looking for new parts for my computer.


im trying to get a good mobo and 8700

if i can do it id like a good HD as well

 

[jefferz]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117922&cm_re=8700-_-19-117-922-_-Product

what the hell is this?


im looking for new parts for my computer.


im trying to get a good mobo and 8700

if i can do it id like a good HD as well

That's the Optane bundled stuff

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b07598hlb4/?tag=extension-kb-20
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117826
You should be buying from microcenter though. 8700k for the same price as those amazon/newegg, $20 less for 8700 plus you get a discount on the mobo.

 

[GhostZ06]

That's the Optane bundled stuff

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b07598hlb4/?tag=extension-kb-20
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117826
You should be buying from microcenter though. 8700k for the same price as those amazon/newegg, $20 less for 8700 plus you get a discount on the mobo.

yep thats exactly what im doing. im gonna get a mobo and hard drive. ill buy the Ram myself


I THINK my hd and GPU is still working after that calapse

 

[offshore33]

Not to go all Seinfeld, but what IS the deal with Optane Memory/SSDs?

 

[jefferz]

Not to go all Seinfeld, but what IS the deal with Optane Memory/SSDs?

The Optane product bundled with those processors is supposed to enhance the speed of old mechanical spinning hard drives (HDD). That's a very simple explanation.

SSD vs HDD

 

[jefferz]

Thanks Sherdog. Do the Windows 10 keys and SSD go on sale during the July 4th? And is 500GB usually sufficient with the size of new games coming out or is a 1TB usually needed?

It all depends on the size of games and how many you want to install. You should be able to get 6-7 AAA games on a 500gb SSD no problem. Newegg usually has SSD's on sale on the 4th.

 

[Madmick]

NVIDIA GeForce 11 Series “Up To GTX 1180” Naming Convention Revealed By Lenovo – Arriving in Q3 2018, OEM Desktops With GeForce 11 in Fall 2018

 

[jefferz]

Which one would you guys go with? The Asus ROG Strix X470 or MSI Gaming M7 AC?

 

[Winter-John]

I got a Zoostorm Evolve. I don't use it much but I was thinking of replacing the power supply and maybe adding a graphics card. After doing some Googling I ain't any clearer on what type of power unit I should be looking for. Anyone got any knowledge of these things?

 

[Rygu]

This is the build i'm putting together this week. I hope this motherboard is good enough I had a hard time deciding what one to get.


https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117827
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820250088
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232465
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813144106
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817438018