Abula wrote:chaohuei wrote:Case: Define R4
PSU: SeaSonic X-650 (already have)
Really good components, what case fans are you planning on using?
I was going to listen to the R4's fans to see if I like them. Otherwise, I'm leaning toward either the Noiseblocker M12-S2 or the Scythe GT120-12.
Abula wrote:Why Z87 boards? are you overclocking? if so then its fine, else an H87 or B85 would be fine.
1) If you plan to use the R4 fan controller for the the case fans then disregard everything and go with the any board you like.
2) If you want to control the fans with software, and you plan on using 3pin (like the included Fractal R2 140mm fans), then im going to suggest the Asus Z87 PRO (cheaper) or Asus Maximus VI Hero (more expensive), install AI SUITE III and control the fans with FanXpert2.
3) If you go with PWM fans for case fans like Noctua NF-A14 PWM and wish to control them with pure bios (no software), then look into Asrock Z87 Extreme 3 or 6 (depending on your budget) or MSI Z87-GD65/45/43 (depending on your budget), check my signature for similar build.
At the outset, no, I wasn't planning on overclocking. Maybe in the future, but it isn't a priority. I've never tried it, though, so it's seems worth trying at some point.
Unfortunately, the fan choice above does factor into the mobo choice, doesn't it? Optimally, I'd prefer BIOS-controlled fans, but I figured that I could probably find adapters or go with software-controlled fans. Initially, I'd leaned toward the MSI Z87-G45 and the MSI Z87-GD65, but I thought I'd try to be a bit more open-minded since I don't have as much time to research as I used to. How are the ASRocks? I've had experience with MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS but I don't recall even having personally seen other brands.
boost wrote:For futureproofing I would get the fastest SSD or at least the fastest connection.
How soon do you think they'll take before becoming mainstream? While someone is covering the CPU/mobo for me, I'd rather that he not spend too much money. Generally, I was looking at mobos that were less than $200.
Abula wrote:If you are going with Z87 mobo, and planning on keeping it 5 years i would go with K CPU so you have the option for overclocking down the road if you need more cpu power.
boost wrote:If you get a Z87 mainboard you should get a K CPU for overclocking, the i5-4670K has the best bang for the buck. Photoshop and strategy games could benefit from a higher clocked CPU.
The i5-4670K seems like a good value. I think I'll go with that.
Abula wrote:Nice cooler, the only suggestion is to go with the black n white version, it cost the same, and will look better matching the black n white theme of the Define R4
Didn't even realize that there were color variants. Good to know!
boost wrote:The HR-02 is prbably the best single fan CPU cooler, if you want the maximum overclock on air you could get a Phanteks PH-TC14PE. If the HR-02 is so expensive (over 50$?) I would spend the extra 25$ for the Phantek either way. You do need low profile RAM with this cooler.
If I did OC, I don't think I'd try to max it out, to be honest. Right now, I'm looking at just over $50 (seems relatively hard to source right now) for the Macho.
It seems that the Macho's got better cooling capability whereas the Phantek sounds better. Did I miss something when reading about the two?
Seems reasonable.
CA_Steve wrote:Photoshop is the only memory hog of your listed apps..and unless you run tons of large images, 8GB could be good enough.
I was thinking of going for 8 GB initially, but with the $30 discount, I figured that I might as well spring for 2x8GB instead of 2x4GB. It also doesn't seem like low profile sticks exist with 1600 DDR3 sticks. How often does that end up being a concern?
I don't use CS extensively at the moment, only occasionally, so I don't have numbers for you. I'm enrolled in a design program right now, so I wanted to make sure that I'd have plenty of memory to run CS smoothly for when (and if) I would need it. My current class probably isn't going to require heavy use of PS, AI, or PP, so I don't think it'll be an immediate factor.
Abula wrote:I think most of the RX200 will be rebadges of the current gen, the only new GPU that AMD will offer is the R290. Wait for it to hit retail before deciding, maybe nvidia lowers their GPUs, the
MSI N760 (GTX760) is a wonderful choice in performance/noise/cost, if you wish to read more check
CA_Steve GTX 760 review compilation, but wait to see what amd offers.
boost wrote:I don't expect any surprise performance from these cards, their predecessors might get a nice price drop when they're phased out.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I was expecting. From some of the early reviews that I skimmed this morning (which didn't seem super comprehensive), it seems that the cards coming out first are basically cheaper and re-badged versions of the 7000 series, so I think I'll see how it'll affect the cards already on the market. The 4870's still serviceable, so I'm in no hurry to grab a new GPU.
CA_Steve wrote:what's your monitor resolution and what games do you play? That drives the gpu horsepower req.
I have two monitors. My primary is running at 1920x1200. My secondary's at 1080p. I'm hoping to replace that with another 1920x1200, though. I don't think the games I play are really going to require much. I currently play League of Legends the most. If I end up with more time, I'd probably go back to Heroes 5/6 and SC2. To be honest, I'm more worried that my video card might give out (and the drivers aren't officially being updated any longer).
CA_Steve wrote:WD Red: There's an odd thing going on with the Red. Newegg shows a lot of DOA returns while Amazon doesn't. Rumor is that it's due to the Egg's packing method vs Amazon's.
I do some shipping at work, and I generally find that I prefer Newegg's packing. How ironic.