Post your gaming setup!

[MrPaladinGuy]

Copied from my Steam profile

Case - Cooler Master HAF X
CPU - I5-2500k @ 4.5
CPU cooler - Cooler Master V6 GT + 2x Cougar Vortex HDB 120's (Black)
Ram - 2x4GB 1333 G.SKILL Ripjaws X
Motherboard - Biostar TP67XE (B3)
GPU - EVGA 780 Ti Classified
PSU - Corsair Professional Series Gold AX850
HDD 1 - Samsung 830 256GB SSD - OS/Software Drive
HDD 2 - 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black - Game Drive
HDD 3 - 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black - Storage/ShadowPlay Drive
Display 1 - Qnix QX2710 - 27" 1440p IPS/PLS LED @ 60/96/120hz
Display 2 - Asus VE245H 24" 1080p LCD
Display 3 - Samsung 42" 720p Plasma - Media only
Keyboard - Logitech G510
Mouse 1 - Mionix Avior 7000
Mouse 2 - Logitech M310
Sound card - Sound Blaster Zx
Speaker system 1 - Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Speaker system 2 - Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Digital
Headset 1 - Sennheiser HD 419
Headset 2 - Sennheiser PC 320
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit


Still rocking the 2500k because there's literally nothing worth upgrading to.
My mobo was discontinued years ago though.

[kail]

Guess I'll post my recent build. Finally did a long needed upgrade for the CPU/Mobo/RAM.

Forgive the quality as I do not own a standalone camera.



Quick shot at the specs.



Next upgrade might be the card as the system so far satisfies what I play flawlessly. My OCD isn't happy with the power cables and might look for better sleeved modular ones (white of course). Still some work to do.

[Evildeffy]

Single-channel memory setup?
Bit odd.

[kail]

Single-channel memory setup?
Bit odd.

I get that more memory is better (but not excessively so). Would adding in another just to run dual channel improve performance by that much?

Sure bandwidth is "doubled" but seeing other forums and test, the real world difference isn't that much. Might add in another 8GB later down the road, but not needing it atm.

[Evildeffy]

I get that more memory is better (but not excessively so). Would adding in another just to run dual channel improve performance by that much?

It's not about the fact of doubling RAM but more like putting RAM in RAID0, there are notable performance gains.
Well let me rephrase that actually...

It used to have a significant impact with DDR1 and DDR2, not so sure about DDR3 anymore, I believe that there are performance gains to be had but mostly in applications rather than games very likely.

This is one of the reasons why DDR3 or DDR4 makes almost 0 difference in gaming, or going from 1600MHz to 2400MHz f.ex.

But there is a fundamental difference between Dual Channel setup and increase of frequency so .. really unsure in this era of computing.

[kail]

It's not about the fact of doubling RAM but more like putting RAM in RAID0, there are notable performance gains.
Well let me rephrase that actually...

It used to have a significant impact with DDR1 and DDR2, not so sure about DDR3 anymore, I believe that there are performance gains to be had but mostly in applications rather than games very likely.

This is one of the reasons why DDR3 or DDR4 makes almost 0 difference in gaming, or going from 1600MHz to 2400MHz f.ex.

But there is a fundamental difference between Dual Channel setup and increase of frequency so .. really unsure in this era of computing.

I probably could have gone with 2x4GB setup instead. 8GB is doing well so far with playing a demanding game like Witcher 3 or less demanding like HS with browser up and tabbed with Twitch or Pandora. Hasn't gone over 65% used yet.

[Evildeffy]

You're thinking about Single and Dual Channel wrong in regards to capacity.

I'm going to assume 2 sticks Single Channel setup to elaborate my point.

Single channel:
Bank 1 and 4 have each got a 4GB stick of RAM.
You use 6GB of RAM in total, in Single Channel it works like this.
The stick in bank 1 is 100% filled and is using 4GB.
The stick in bank 2 is 50% filled and is using 2GB.
The data that couldn't be held by bank 1 would "pour over" into bank 4 like a bucket of water overflowing and filling a bucket beneath it.
This would mean 2 seperate connections meaning speed is slowed and only done once 1 channel is filled, data that needs to be retrieved is searched for sequentially from stick 1 to stick 2 until it is found and then retrieved.

Dual Channel:
Bank 1 and 3 have each got a 4GB stick of RAM.
You use 6GB of RAM in total, in Dual Channel it works like this.
The stick in bank 1 is 75% filled and is using 3GB.
The stick in bank 2 is 75% filled and is using 3GB.
The data is evenly and simultaneously split between the slots, allowing for much quicker reading and writing as both channels are addressed simultaneously.
It is literally a speed increase of a factor of 2 because of this.
This would mean a single connection* is required, data is retrieved by simultaneously also sending a search and retrieval signal.

The advantage for memory hungry applications is of course very obvious, just how it works for games is a question I do not know the answer to.
Had you used an IGP it would have been VERY significant because of how that works.

* = Single Connection is the fact that the simplest I can say it in short is that it's a RAID0 setup for memory.

[Artorius]

For today's RAM speeds. Dual channel is virtually meaningless:







Here the full benchmark with some very synthetic things where it apparently still gives some difference, but at real world applications it's just meh. Whatever, it's the kind of thing that you're probably going to have anyway since it's normal to use 2 sticks of RAM, but not having isn't exactly a big deal...

[kail]

You're thinking about Single and Dual Channel wrong in regards to capacity.

Maybe I was misunderstood. Right now I am using a single 8GB stick. Figured it gave better headroom for upgrades, found it at good price. Could have forked over $5-10 and instead get 2 sticks of 4GB each to achieve the same 8GB totoal and take advantage of dual channel setup.

But I decided against it after research on how little dual channel really matters today for most applications and games.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Any of you guys have experience with painting fans? I want to grab some Noctuas for a 2016 dream build, but I can't handle the hamburger motif. I've seen people spray paint them, dye them, I've seen others rave that it throws off the fan balance and it'll kill the lifespan & performance...I'm not finding a solid answer anywhere.

Seems like just going with another fan would be the easiest thing to do. But Noctuas!

Nevermind, case won't need them.

Speaking of the 2016 dream, I just finished my Part Picker list. Finally, these are goals and purchases that can and will happen, thanks to the magic of full time employment. No more dreaming or wishing; It's happening! Being an adult seems pretty okay sometimes.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H110i GTX 104.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.39 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($109.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($112.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.94 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.94 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($899.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX Mid Tower Case ($249.98 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1872.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-20 02:42 EDT-0400

Current build is pages ago, but it's in my sig. This'll be quite the fucking upgrade.

Carrying over my processor, I think that's the only possible bottleneck. Maybe in the future it'll get replaced, but I feel my current one is doing a great job right now. First purchase will be the GPU this christmas. What do you guys think?

Seeing that case lit a fire within me, I just cannot get enough.

[Mouzon]

I've updated my old build which was this:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...8#post18092198

From the old build, I've kept only the CPU, MOBO and RAM, figuring that the most important changes were to the GPU and SSD space (when just WoW and GTA V take up 100 GB, the original 256GB SSD was really becoming a tight squeeze.)

Also, this is the first one I've put together myself. The last time I had my PC made by a professional. Since then I've really wanted to know if it's a simple as people say, and granted there was a lot of googling, research and Youtube videos, the whole process was pretty straight forward, and really satisfying!

It's a red and black build which I didn't really want as it's obviously very 'done', but when the GPU is red and black and so was the ram, I kind of just had to make it work around that!

My only question for anyone that knows... Is my CPU going to throttle this system in gaming at all? Or will the GPU completely control that side of things?

Specs:

MOBO: ASRock Asus Z77 Extreme 4
CPU: i7 3770k
CPU Cooling: NZXT Kraken X61
GPU: Asus Strix GTX 980 TI
RAM: 32GB 1600 Mhz DDR 3 G.Skill
SSD: 2 x Samsung 500GB Evo
HDD: 2 x 2 TB Seagate
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G1 650W
Case: NZXT S340

Monitor: LG 34UC87C 34" Curved UltraWide IPS

Link to more photos!

http://imgur.com/a/Hm8No

[kail]

http://imgur.com/a/Hm8No

I need to buy me some sleeved PSU cables.

P.S. How does that PSU sound? Is it as loud as some reviews mention?

[Mouzon]

I need to buy me some sleeved PSU cables.

The ones I used are just extensions.. they make a huge difference to the look without breaking the bank.

Only issue is that it adds quite a bit of extra cable length to deal with, especially with a small case like the S340. It did all fit, though!

These are the ones I used: PCCG Sleeved Cable Extension Kit

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. How does that PSU sound? Is it as loud as some reviews mention?

I've actually had that PSU for a few months as my last one died. I hadn't noticed anything being particularly loud at all. Not a very scientific analysis I know, but I'm certainly aware of surrounding sounds as I do lots of mixing (music) in the room and it's not been something I've noticed yet.

[kail]

The ones I used are just extensions.. they make a huge difference to the look without breaking the bank.

Only issue is that it adds quite a bit of extra cable length to deal with, especially with a small case like the S340. It did all fit, though!

These are the ones I used: PCCG Sleeved Cable Extension Kit

Curious, the esata cable extensions on that kit look entirely 90 degree angled (unless I'm not seeing them right), did you use them for the SSDs mounted on the front?

[Mouzon]

Curious, the esata cable extensions on that kit look entirely 90 degree angled (unless I'm not seeing them right), did you use them for the SSDs mounted on the front?

Upon looking at that photo, yeah they do. But I'm sure they aren't, unless my memory is failing me. I actually didn't use the esata extensions in the build because the SSD's mount so far back that you can't really see them..

[kail]

K thanks for the input, shopping for sleeved cables now.

[DeltrusDisc]

I've updated my old build which was this:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...8#post18092198

From the old build, I've kept only the CPU, MOBO and RAM, figuring that the most important changes were to the GPU and SSD space (when just WoW and GTA V take up 100 GB, the original 256GB SSD was really becoming a tight squeeze.)

Also, this is the first one I've put together myself. The last time I had my PC made by a professional. Since then I've really wanted to know if it's a simple as people say, and granted there was a lot of googling, research and Youtube videos, the whole process was pretty straight forward, and really satisfying!

It's a red and black build which I didn't really want as it's obviously very 'done', but when the GPU is red and black and so was the ram, I kind of just had to make it work around that!

My only question for anyone that knows... Is my CPU going to throttle this system in gaming at all? Or will the GPU completely control that side of things?

Specs:

MOBO: ASRock Asus Z77 Extreme 4
CPU: i7 3770k
CPU Cooling: NZXT Kraken X61
GPU: Asus Strix GTX 980 TI
RAM: 32GB 1600 Mhz DDR 3 G.Skill
SSD: 2 x Samsung 500GB Evo
HDD: 2 x 2 TB Seagate
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G1 650W
Case: NZXT S340

Monitor: LG 34UC87C 34" Curved UltraWide IPS

Link to more photos!

http://imgur.com/a/Hm8No

That's seriously one sleek looking build, and I love the photography! What was the camera used? (inb4 oh lol it's my phone)

Also, would love a picture of the overall desk setup!

[Mouzon]

That's seriously one sleek looking build, and I love the photography! What was the camera used? (inb4 oh lol it's my phone)

Also, would love a picture of the overall desk setup!

Thanks so much for the kind words! I used a Canon 7D for the photos, with the 50mm lens. Got it really cheap off my ex girlfriend when we broke up years ago and it's still serving me well to this day

When I get home tonight I'll take a photo of the battle station for you and put it up here haha

[Artorius]

Thanks so much for the kind words! I used a Canon 7D for the photos, with the 50mm lens. Got it really cheap off my ex girlfriend when we broke up years ago and it's still serving me well to this day

When I get home tonight I'll take a photo of the battle station for you and put it up here haha

It looks great!

[DeltrusDisc]

Thanks so much for the kind words! I used a Canon 7D for the photos, with the 50mm lens. Got it really cheap off my ex girlfriend when we broke up years ago and it's still serving me well to this day

When I get home tonight I'll take a photo of the battle station for you and put it up here haha

Ah very nice! I upgraded to a 7D Mark II from a Rebel T3 back in July! I use Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 and Canon 70-300mm L f/4-5.6 IS USM for my lenses. Suffice to say I really went off the deep end. That's why I still only have a GTX 760. XD

Almost the longest lasting GPU I've ever had... let's see.

I want to say I got it back in December 2013.

Some day I'll get some nice pictures with this camera. XD