Questions about two pre-built PCs and upgrading a custom build.

[Remilia]

I forgot that you linked some other monitors before. Between that and the Eizo FS2434-BK, which would you say is better?

The FS2434 has a great default set up. It however is what you would consider a premium monitor. It's a lot more expensive than the counterparts you'd usually find. It does however come in only at 1920x1080 and doesn't have rotate (flip it to portrait) if you care.

Eizo does generally have a better build quality and warranty and they do have some things like ambient light sensor that most companies don't use. Ambient light sensor just adjusts the brightness depending on the environmental lighting, not sure how useful you'd find it.

I have a GW2765HT and a FG2421 (completely different one from FS2434 I know), and they're both built pretty well. GW2765HT is flicker free from 100-0% brightness while FS2434 is Flicker Free from 100-20% and at <19% it goes in a high Hz low amplitude PWM for better color stability due to how LEDs work. LEDs have issues at lower power which is why sometimes PWM is used at lower brightness.

Reason I'd say to get GW2765HT is because it's 2560x1440 and also has a decent default set up. I don't know if you're willing to invest that much for a 1920x1080. They're both good monitors in the end.

[Eroginous]

Agreed. Youll get far more bang/dollar going that route.

Two suggestions if you do do this: Save the packing foam from other boxes and pack it around the CPU cooler if it is a tower-style cooler when you ship it.. and REMOVE THE GPU.

Seriously anyone can plug in a GPU - and you dont want it wobbling back and forth in that flimsy PCIe slot when it's shipped. Your friend on the other end can surely slide the thing into a slot and plug in two wires you have already labeled as "plug these in".

This is pretty spot on. When you ship packages, they are often dropped from a height of 6ft as they come off an airplane conveyor belt. Anything you ship or buy online has to be packaged to survive this kind of fall. The best option for shipping PCs is to buy them as parts and ship them separately still packaged in their original boxes to their destination, where they can then be assembled. This is how you avoid damaged components in the long run.

You also have to consider that building a PC is rather straight forward. Once you've picked your components, it's easy to assemble them, especially if you follow the instructions that come with components and you consult build guides when you need to. Don't underestimate your friends ability to assemble a PC with help from guides and instructions. If you are really concerned about it, you can always go smaller form factor (so weight will be less) and then ship it yourself after it's been build. Less weight means less inertia during shipping, you'll have a better chance of the PC getting there undamaged.

As a general rule of thumb, I would never consider a pre built PC as an option. It just doesn't make sense from a consumer standpoint. You get generic parts, often costing a much less than you end up paying for them.

[G3istly]

The FS2434 has a great default set up. It however is what you would consider a premium monitor. It's a lot more expensive than the counterparts you'd usually find. It does however come in only at 1920x1080 and doesn't have rotate (flip it to portrait) if you care.

Eizo does generally have a better build quality and warranty and they do have some things like ambient light sensor that most companies don't use. Ambient light sensor just adjusts the brightness depending on the environmental lighting, not sure how useful you'd find it.

I have a GW2765HT and a FG2421 (completely different one from FS2434 I know), and they're both built pretty well. GW2765HT is flicker free from 100-0% brightness while FS2434 is Flicker Free from 100-20% and at <19% it goes in a high Hz low amplitude PWM for better color stability due to how LEDs work. LEDs have issues at lower power which is why sometimes PWM is used at lower brightness.

Reason I'd say to get GW2765HT is because it's 2560x1440 and also has a decent default set up. I don't know if you're willing to invest that much for a 1920x1080. They're both good monitors in the end.

I'm definitely not against spending more for quality but I think that's only slightly larger than my current monitor and I was hoping to get something a bit bigger. Unless of course the quality on the Eizo is substantial enough to warrant its price. In which case I'll gladly get that instead and maybe figure out a way to get something bigger of equal or greater quality later on.

- - - Updated - - -

This is pretty spot on. When you ship packages, they are often dropped from a height of 6ft as they come off an airplane conveyor belt. Anything you ship or buy online has to be packaged to survive this kind of fall. The best option for shipping PCs is to buy them as parts and ship them separately still packaged in their original boxes to their destination, where they can then be assembled. This is how you avoid damaged components in the long run.

You also have to consider that building a PC is rather straight forward. Once you've picked your components, it's easy to assemble them, especially if you follow the instructions that come with components and you consult build guides when you need to. Don't underestimate your friends ability to assemble a PC with help from guides and instructions. If you are really concerned about it, you can always go smaller form factor (so weight will be less) and then ship it yourself after it's been build. Less weight means less inertia during shipping, you'll have a better chance of the PC getting there undamaged.

As a general rule of thumb, I would never consider a pre built PC as an option. It just doesn't make sense from a consumer standpoint. You get generic parts, often costing a much less than you end up paying for them.

I would normally never consider it but considering the circumstances I had little choice. However, I have decided to buy the parts for this person to build the PC as they have informed me that they know someone who can assist them. I have the build for their custom PC on the previous page as well as the upgrades for my computer and as soon as someone tells me it's spot-on and good to go, I'll order everything. Well, that and I need a guide or video on how to install parts/assemble a PC and then I'll be set.

[Remilia]

I wouldn't say it's that substantial to warrant the price personally. That's a bit dependent on how much it's worth for you. And if you wonder why I put that as a suggestion, it's just a blanket suggestion without any specification with whatever price range, resolution, size, etc.

[G3istly]

I wouldn't say it's that substantial to warrant the price personally. That's a bit dependent on how much it's worth for you. And if you wonder why I put that as a suggestion, it's just a blanket suggestion without any specification with whatever price range, resolution, size, etc.

In that case I'll stick with the BenQ GW2765HT. By the way, I know this is probably a silly question to ask but with the GTX 970 I linked, would two of the BenQ GW2765HT monitors work in a dual monitor setup? I'm sure they can but I figured I would ask anyway so I don't have to worry about it later.

[Remilia]

Yup. Just stick one in the DisplayPort and HDMI. DVI-Dual Link also works but then you're missing out on the 8bit+FRC portion. It's not that necessary but it does provide stuff like smoother gradients and better color accuracy.

https://pcmonitors.info/articles/cor...-and-amd-gpus/

[Eroginous]

I would normally never consider it but considering the circumstances I had little choice. However, I have decided to buy the parts for this person to build the PC as they have informed me that they know someone who can assist them. I have the build for their custom PC on the previous page as well as the upgrades for my computer and as soon as someone tells me it's spot-on and good to go, I'll order everything. Well, that and I need a guide or video on how to install parts/assemble a PC and then I'll be set.

It's understandable that one might find themselves feeling like a pre built PC is their only option. Whenever I see people choosing to go that route, I die a little bit inside each time. People are free to do whatever they want with their money, I just feel obligated to help them make better choices.

In that case I'll stick with the BenQ GW2765HT. By the way, I know this is probably a silly question to ask but with the GTX 970 I linked, would two of the BenQ GW2765HT monitors work in a dual monitor setup? I'm sure they can but I figured I would ask anyway so I don't have to worry about it later.

Just about any Nvidia card from GTX 750 ti on up will support 1080p gaming on dual monitors. Adding a second monitor isn't really a huge hit in performance, today's video cards can handle it pretty well without any problems. The only thing you'll have to consider about a dual monitor setup is whether or not to play in Windowed mode. If you play Fullscreen you have to alt-tab to swap to the other monitor, basically making the use of a second monitor cumbersome.

I play all my games Windowed on my first monitor and swapping between programs is much more streamlined that way. I'll even have HS open on one screen and Wow on the other. I'm gaming on a 900p and a 1080p setup with a GTX 750 ti, and I'm able to run most games on Ultra without performance issues. If you opt for a GTX 970 you should know that what you're buying is more raw performance with the 4gb frame buffer and the extra CUDA cores, neither of which are really applicable to 1080p gaming (especially games like Wow). You'll notice a big difference in more demanding AAA titles like GTA V and CoD Advanced Warfare on higher settings, but it's not like you have to buy a 970 to play those games on higher settings with smooth FPS. You could opt for a 960 (which is the sweet spot for 1080p gaming, really) and save some cash. You also don't need to buy expensive monitors for gaming. A $200 TN panel should be plenty good enough.

As far as your linked build goes, it will be fine for gaming, though I would personally get Windows 8.1 and opt for an SSD over a hard drive. At this point your friend can always pick up a $50 hard drive on his own down the road if he needs the extra storage. If you don't mind, here's what I would go with instead:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pX2xmG

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($216.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5&quot; Solid State Drive ($69.78 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $676.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-05 22:22 EDT-0400

You come out cheaper in the long run, that mobo has built in wireless AC standard, you get a much smaller form factor (for portability, shipping, taking up less space in a bedroom/living room), ect. You can run the stock cooler until you can afford a better one, and you can reuse your windows license to install windows on that machine. It's not necessary to purchase windows every time you build a new PC, especially if you already have a windows license. Windows 10 is around the corner, and as long as you have Win 7 or Win 8, you will be able to upgrade for free to Win 10. Not much sense in buying another Windows license unless you don't yet have one.

If it's absolutely necessary and you want to stay under $700, you can go with the i3 CPU you have in the other build (you'll see a performance hit in some games), and you can buy a windows license with the money you save.

[Remilia]

Just going to note that that Corsair Vengeance is going to run at 1333MHz with an H97. All Corsair RAM runs at 1333MHz overclocked to ####MHz. Since H97 doesn't have the capability to OC RAM, you get their default.
Also why are you recommending a H97 with an unlocked CPU.
The new build is for someone else and since the OP doesn't exactly trust the person hes giving to build it, having them install an aftermarket cooler is a really not a good idea.
The person will need a new windows license, again, this isn't the OP's build.

As to the last build you linked G3istly, I'd say that's good.

[Eroginous]

I recommended H97 because Price compared to Z97, and I recommended Unlocked CPU because Price vs locked is lower. I know it's odd, but it's what you do on a budget.

And does the person who this is for not have a PC already? And all Mobos have OC capability. That one might not be setting new benchmarks, but it will run that ram at 1600 MHz speed. Even if it doesn't, Ram speed isn't much of a factor for gaming.

[G3istly]

As to the last build you linked G3istly, I'd say that's good.

Great, and thank you so much for all your help. I apologize for my ignorance regarding computer hardware and that it took so long for us to settle on a build/upgrades but I am eternally grateful.

- - - Updated - - -

...

As much as I appreciate your input and alternative build, there are some things this person won't budge on and that's having Windows 7 and the hard drive. Which is understandable as he plays quite a few games and as far as I know, there's less than a handful of games that would actually benefit from the additional speed of an SSD. Anyway, I don't think anyone gave me a definitive answer but I would like to know if that build I linked is capable of playing Grand Theft Auto V without any issues on decent settings.

[Eroginous]

In my opinion, that build is going to be underwhelming while playing any AAA title. That's why I switched things up a bit. An SSD isn't just for gaming, it's for load times and access to the data you have stored by the OS. You'll notice overall responsiveness by having one. A game like GTA might play better on SSD, since you have a huge world full of hi resolution textures the game will always be accessing.

It will also help to have at least a quad core CPU. A general rule of thumb when building a PC: get higher quality parts now and save money later. Go with a better CPU, video card, and SSD, your friend will appreciate it a lot more and they will last him longer. Will that build you linked be okay to run GTA V on decent settings? Yes. But you can easily get more out of it if you pick different parts. It's worth the money, and as I said before, he can always reuse his Windows license if he has a PC, you can save $90

[Remilia]

In my opinion, that build is going to be underwhelming while playing any AAA title. That's why I switched things up a bit. An SSD isn't just for gaming, it's for load times and access to the data you have stored by the OS. You'll notice overall responsiveness by having one. A game like GTA might play better on SSD, since you have a huge world full of hi resolution textures the game will always be accessing.

It will also help to have at least a quad core CPU. A general rule of thumb when building a PC: get higher quality parts now and save money later. Go with a better CPU, video card, and SSD, your friend will appreciate it a lot more and they will last him longer. Will that build you linked be okay to run GTA V on decent settings? Yes. But you can easily get more out of it if you pick different parts. It's worth the money, and as I said before, he can always reuse his Windows license if he has a PC, you can save $90

You realize that GTA V on the PC is 65GiBs, right? OS is 20GiBs~. SSD at 120GBs = 111GiBs. You can install... not much.

I recommended H97 because Price compared to Z97, and I recommended Unlocked CPU because Price vs locked is lower. I know it's odd, but it's what you do on a budget.

And does the person who this is for not have a PC already? And all Mobos have OC capability. That one might not be setting new benchmarks, but it will run that ram at 1600 MHz speed. Even if it doesn't, Ram speed isn't much of a factor for gaming.

Weird seeing the unlocked cpu lower usually it's a $20-30~ gap. The OC for the other chipsets are for the G3258. Last I remembered Intel disabled XMP on non OC boards, which is why I said it'd run at 1333Hz. That said it really doesn't matter too much.

[G3istly]

In my opinion, that build is going to be underwhelming while playing any AAA title. That's why I switched things up a bit. An SSD isn't just for gaming, it's for load times and access to the data you have stored by the OS. You'll notice overall responsiveness by having one. A game like GTA might play better on SSD, since you have a huge world full of hi resolution textures the game will always be accessing.

It will also help to have at least a quad core CPU. A general rule of thumb when building a PC: get higher quality parts now and save money later. Go with a better CPU, video card, and SSD, your friend will appreciate it a lot more and they will last him longer. Will that build you linked be okay to run GTA V on decent settings? Yes. But you can easily get more out of it if you pick different parts. It's worth the money, and as I said before, he can always reuse his Windows license if he has a PC, you can save $90

I know what an SSD does, that's why I'm buying myself one. I'm not looking to get them the greatest PC available, I wanted something simple but capable and the build I have seems to fit that. I may upgrade the CPU but the motherboard and hard drive are fine as is. I do appreciate your input though.

[Lathais]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pX2xmG

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($216.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.78 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $676.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-05 22:22 EDT-0400

Why get an unlocked CPU and an H97 Motherboard. Either get the non-K CPU or get a Z97 Board.

[Kagthul]

And all Mobos have OC capability.

No, they don't. In fact, that's the entire reason they sell different chipsets like B85, H97, and Z97.

And at this price point, id never waste the money on an SSD, especially one that tiny, when there are so many other performance goals left to be hit.

What you might consider, though is, a Seagate SSHD (Solid-State Hybrid Drive); they went through a recent price drop and are barely more expensive than HDDs. There is a 1TB 3.5" desktop model available for 65$. It will give you almost all the benefits of an SSD (Fast OS loading, snappy OS use) and good storage space. They are my new go-to drives for budget builds, at only abut 15$ more expensive than a regular 1TB HDD. And the HDD platter in the thing is still 7200 RPM so you're not losing anything over a regular HDD at all.

[G3istly]

Just to make sure, the CPU and motherboard in the custom build is okay, right? I only need it to play modern games (e.g. Grand Theft Auto V, Killing Floor 2, Mortal Kombat X) on decent settings. Anything beyond that is up to them to upgrade for.

[Kagthul]

Just to make sure, the CPU and motherboard in the custom build is okay, right? I only need it to play modern games (e.g. Grand Theft Auto V, Killing Floor 2, Mortal Kombat X) on decent settings. Anything beyond that is up to them to upgrade for.

I'm unsure which particular build that was posted that you're referring to.

[G3istly]

I'm unsure which particular build that was posted that you're referring to.

On the previous page, at the bottom. The second half is upgrades for my PC that I have already purchased. The first list is for the custom build.

[Kagthul]

Yeah, itll be fine. A fast i3 is a solid performer for modern games.

[G3istly]

Yeah, itll be fine. A fast i3 is a solid performer for modern games.

Great. Thank you. I'm going to go ahead and order the parts soon.