Help me build my PC 2017 Catch All

I'm having a tough time with similar, only without the need for anything more than 1080p for a long time. I really want to go with a 1050 Ti, but may end up settling for a plain 1050 as the Ti is being pushed up in price just outside our budget.

*Legion* wrote:
Rykin wrote:

When AMD ships something with an embedded GPU I might consider it.

In two weeks! Raven Ridge supposed to release February 12th.

Will definitely have to check this out when it comes time to order. Main issue might be getting a motherboard with the feature support I want/need. There won't be a big selection at first and the ones that have been announced are mostly gaming boards. I am probably going to use a gaming board but mostly because that seems to be the best way to get a number of 8x compatible PCIe 2.0 ports which I need for the SAS cards I am planning on using.

They're extremely similar. They use the same panel and largely have the same features. Asus' OSD is better IMO, because they did away with the row of buttons and just put a little nub style joystick on the monitor to navigate the OSD and make changes with.

Otherwise they should be basically the same.

If you're fine with TN panels and can get a TN equivalent model cheaper, IMO the TN panel in the Asus PG278Q that I have is the best panel of that type I've ever seen. And yet... I'm still using the Acer you linked on my gaming rig, which I guess says something.

Blacks are hands down better on the TN, but colors are brighter and more vibrant on the IPS. And of course vertical viewing angles are much better on the IPS too so if you're the type to slouch in your chair that might be pretty noticeable.

This will be no real news to any tech-head, but you might find it somewhat interesting anyway:

If you're a non-technoid reading the thread, that's a pretty good rundown of how monitors actually work. It could have used more detail, but it'll give you a good basic overview.

I technically knew all that stuff, but I don't think I could have extrapolated that knowledge into knowing what it would look like.

I especially didn't expect the CRT pixels to fade as quickly as they do.

Took the advice of people here, and after pricing out a new system for my son with a 1080 card, I picked up an Alienware 17" with the 4K graphics. Could not be happier. It runs hot in Overwatch, but I suspect that's due to the surface it's on. I'm using a card table and it has a vinyl cover with about a quarter inch of foam underneath it. So I ordered a cooling pad for it (and a USB 3.0 hub to add some ports, since the cooler runs off USB power).

But it basically annihilates the graphics on everything we've tried on it. Seems like a high quality build, too. If you really need a high-end desktop quality system now, it is indeed a good option.

Thanks!

So, it turns out the motherboard I picked (Asus z370-i) and the case (Silverstone RVZ03) have different LED connectors. The motherboard uses a 3-pin (5V?) and the case connectors and control box only support 4-pin (12V?). I don't know anything about the standards for these LED strips and my Google-fu last night was largely ineffective at determining how to integrate the two (even though the Silverstone page for this chassis indicates Aurora support).

Anyone know enough about this stuff to point me in the right direction?

On the bright side, I assembled everything else last night and the hardware all worked perfectly on the first try, and with a smooth OS install via USB. I'm not sure I'd go ITX again, given the option. The case is still bulky enough that it won't exactly pair right in with my other home theater components (although it'll do); I probably would have saved myself some hassle just doing a mid-size tower. Making the various connections and seating the graphics cards inside such a tight space were huge pains (I know--duh; but still) , and I ended up having to go with the stock cooler instead of the Geminii M4 (was bigger than I realized). But, it is super quiet, and the machine absolutely flies (granted, I'm used my existing 2nd-gen Core i5 desktop).

Wireless mouse and keyboard (selections courtesy Legion) arrive today. Hopefully by tonight I'll be replaying Witcher 3 or maybe a little something Bioware on a nice big projector screen with full surround.

Pictures!

IMAGE(https://c0djjg.bn1303.livefilestore.com/y4m-uxYZkPv47nTnS_6GKr1HUeNk1OF3iZAIUeg-7v4sqYYxsRVmaBqonXtr_sDssUcHeF-JKPdLPJsftklYLvL0RwOsP7WCm8RO4H5Ptc2SKAGZz-_OivtM3cx-5xn-CMqEyd-MArPvaO7Sgt3lFuUul5JKwLTPeNVv896DQJc71C9M_btI7cCjri_TLD-SK6-ti8jw6P1r2rO_J-Q8g5zzw?width=660&height=495&cropmode=none)

IMAGE(https://oulspg.bn1303.livefilestore.com/y4mvzFa2qH5PMUaDLCQudhM0o0nZdF95DfhHRWY3QxTcypvYCD12Q3bQKtRMQuTPPs92fqop1FUd1qeRp7Z-1ksT0QSbxOaD0t4Nmj7HJAuF4C1gIC7X7T83z7Stf1bg5BjV-2qFp5hUES2Ur6hAYmkDPGWGG7UJxDNhNFculsJalGguo39agZdNhOpXBqOQPlWbYPiDYpsKTDt27fklNXlHQ?width=660&height=495&cropmode=none)

IMAGE(https://pveu4q.bn1303.livefilestore.com/y4mGzbVxG_dhIX3UFW8jeUxTH1866-XOY7Jn6lSn8Ai6CbGJ7mZ2pyByqEJ5ma_D9fZ_BpU9TfqD02aqIvu5KleG-Lkc7cbagYQvorVVq7gqHfrhcVZKYvD-6XbItiNAtOez93FHJXs_LTLvf4hy9C_PGAYpICRfsPeW1NP3-tD-4v9rqMdYyY3NYSPWxlNQFRb3y4xstj4gnBBL0qRpZi-oA?width=660&height=495&cropmode=none)

ubrakto wrote:

So, it turns out the motherboard I picked (Asus z370-i) and the case (Silverstone RVZ03) have different LED connectors. The motherboard uses a 3-pin (5V?) and the case connectors and control box only support 4-pin (12V?). I don't know anything about the standards for these LED strips and my Google-fu last night was largely ineffective at determining how to integrate the two (even though the Silverstone page for this chassis indicates Aurora support).

Anyone know enough about this stuff to point me in the right direction?

Is the 3-pin connector on the motherboard just a fan header? I remember running into issues with 3 vs. 4 pin connectors. In that case, I believe the extra pin is less a different voltage thing and more for variable voltage.

Edit: I'm looking through the manual now, and I can't even see what the connector looks like even though it shows where it is. I'm assuming the plug is on the side of the motherboard or something.

Edit 2: My guess is that your motherboard is a bit more advanced than your case with its special 3 pin connector or whatever it is and your case doesn't have the type of LED setup it requires. The 4 pin connector in your case might just be for getting voltage and goes into a fan header.

I know they make 4-pin Molex to 2 3-pin connectors, for splitting 12V to fans. That might work if the LED connectors are 3-pin fan connectors. Compare to any 3-pin fan connectors you have in the chassis.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Is the 3-pin connector on the motherboard just a fan header? I remember running into issues with 3 vs. 4 pin connectors. In that case, I believe the extra pin is less a different voltage thing and more for variable voltage.

Edit: I'm looking through the manual now, and I can't even see what the connector looks like even though it shows where it is. I'm assuming the plug is on the side of the motherboard or something.

It's funky. It is similar to (but not the same) as the fan connector. It has three pins with a space in between where a fourth could go, but it does not have the sheath and keying like a fan connector does. It's literally just three pins sticking up and the pins have different markings (+5V, ground, data, I think).

Physically, I can connect the motherboard's 4-pin LED connector to it, but nothing functions when I do. Even if the pin count didn't matter, if I'm reading docs correctly, it expects 12V incoming and the motherboard connector only delivers 5V. I've also seen references to the 3-pin variant corresponding to an "addressable" LED strip (I assume to control individual LEDs?) with the 4-pin being for "nonaddressable." I've been hoping to search out some kind of adapter, but maybe due to the power difference that's just not possible.

Ha! I just looked through the case manual, and that sounds like a mess. I'll keep looking into it to see if I can come up with any ideas. I have no idea what's going on with the incompatibility.

Can you make this 2nd method work?

Hareware control:
Replace reset button’s function on the front panel to control RGB control box, the LSB01
1. Flip the switch on the LSB01 to ”IC”
2. Connect case’s reset cable to LSB01’s 2pin connector, then connect the include 2-to-4pin peripheral connector to the LSB01
3. Connect front panel RGB light strip’s 4pin cable to the LSB01
4. If you have additional RGB light strips or devices such as SilverStone LS02 or FG121, you can connect them to LSB01 direclty or indirectly using included extension Y cable.
5. Please confirm the connector and pin header’s definition & direction when connecting to other non-SilverStone RGB strips or devices 6. Attach LSB01 magnteically to any free spot inside the case
7. Connect the 4pin peripheral power connector from the power supply to LSB01’s 2-to-4pin peripheral connector
8. After power on, you can select color mode via case’s reset button
9. When using hardware or IC control, press and hold reset button for four seconds to turn off RGB light. Press again to resume state prior to turning off

Oh, I finally found the RGB header bit in the motherboard manual. Yeah, that seems to be for a completely different thing like this.

Yep, you're seeing what I'm seeing now. And, yeah, I should be able to use the case's little distribution box and link that up to the reset switch I haven't yet, because getting into the reset switch cable now is going to be a royal pain. (My choice for ITX again comes back to bite me!) It's just disappointing that I can't just run it to the motherboard's connector and manage it using its software (and I lose the reset switch as a functional reset switch). Maybe the ASUS z370 aurora motherboards use a different connector than previous chipsets with them, but I find SS claiming aurora compatibility a bit rich here. (It's also odd the case appears to have a small power LED on the front without a wire to attach the motherboard header. Weird stuff all over the place!)

Ah well. Ultimately, I don't care that much about a little glowy strip on the box. Everything I need to work, works!

EDIT: I very much appreciate the help and you digging into this!

Well, I wouldn't worry so much about losing the reset switch, particularly if it isn't labeled "reset." I can't remember the last time I used that button for anything.

I've received most parts for my new build. The EVGA motherboard is beautiful. Mostly just waiting on the i7. Can't wait to post a bunch of pictures because I'm finally making complete use of my Corsair case.

ubrakto wrote:

I'm not sure I'd go ITX again, given the option. The case is still bulky enough that it won't exactly pair right in with my other home theater components (although it'll do); I probably would have saved myself some hassle just doing a mid-size tower.

I went with the Silverstone GD09 for my living room build. It's sized more like my audio receiver than a console, but it still fits OK, and it's ATX, so it's big enough for my to re-use components as they come out of my main desktop system, and isn't too painful to work in.

I've thought about going ITX, but for me the space savings isn't worth losing the hand-me-down arrangement I've got going for my components.

Thanks to the supreme generosity of rng and dimmerswitch, I was able to get ahold of a GPU. It was rng's old one, which went to dimmer, and then regifted to me when they heard of my predicament with Keaton's build. The other parts were ordered today and will be arriving over the next week or so. This is a special build that's going to be documented on here.

Thanks, guys. This project wouldn't be happening without you. Keaton will soon have a machine for gaming, MIDI composition, and game development with friends. This also means the kids can game with each other and me on PC, which is going to be pretty darn cool.

Did you end up needing a sound card?

Crypto currencies are currently undergoing a crash, so maybe we're going to see GPU purchases start to slow down.

WizKid wrote:

Did you end up needing a sound card?

I don't think we will, but we'll see. The motherboard we chose is the new Asus ROG Strix B350-I (very similar to ubrakto's above) which has a dedicated daughter board for sound. The sound chipset is well regarded, but the motherboard is so new to the market that there's no real opinion about it yet. It has separate amplifier and noise filters as well as very good shielding. We'll see how it goes.

*Legion* wrote:

Crypto currencies are currently undergoing a crash, so maybe we're going to see GPU purchases start to slow down.

Oh I hope so. I'm limping along on a Lynnfield i5 system I originally built in early 2010. It's served me pretty well (I'm running a 770GTX currently and have added a bunch of RAM and an SSD over time).

I had hoped to have a new build wrapped up a month or two ago, but video card pricing has kept me from pulling the trigger.

Right now I'm waiting on the Ryzen announcement to decide what to do. Unless there's a big correction in video card pricing I may just keep using this 770 for a bit and upgrade monitors and video card at the same time in another year.

I'm having a lot of fun slowly redoing my system. I even got the thermal pads from EVGA to redo my GTX 1080 FTW which had some thermal issues. I hadn't bothered because there was a firmware update which I believe limited you from overclocking voltages to a degree, and I definitely wasn't playing around with voltages. That said, I figure it should help the longevity of the card, and I might as well since I'm rebuilding my system. I'm adding a card reader with extra USB slots to the front of the case along with actually getting the adapters to convert an old IDE DVD ROM to SATA. Can't wait to have a card reader so I can just pop in the SD card from my DSLR instead of hooking it up via USB. The DVD-ROM was a drive I originally got to rip Wii Discs and was a particular model that works for that Should be great for ripping CDs since my Blu-ray drive has some issues sometimes. I'll post a bunch of pictures once I'm finished. The i7 is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

I'll have some random parts I'll try and sell off here for cheaper than eBay prices before eBaying them. I assume the motherboard is baked, but there's still an i7 4770K, 16 GB of whatever Corsair memory that required, and a Corsair H100i which is perfectly functional apart from one of the 3 RGB LEDs breaking so you can't turn it white or green. It bugged me because I only like white led lighting in the case. Also, the case is perfect for a 3 fan width radiator, so I figured, why not upgrade? This is going to be a PC build done right.

Here's a really bad picture of the new cooler sitting on the case as I was slowly stripping it of the old parts:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/jfLUnpe.jpg)

I'm astonished at how high prices are spiking on GPUs. I built in October and got a 1060 3GB for $180.00 USD. Just noticed a post on /r/buildapcsales for one going for $250. I seriously can't believe things went up that much in 3 months that $250 is considered a deal on this card.

Evo wrote:

I seriously can't believe things went up that much in 3 months that $250 is considered a deal on this card.

It's all right here:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/7PfGaMb.png)

I think I might've offered previously, but if crazy cuckoo GPU prices remain the same in the US, I'm willing to volunteer as your GPU mule and ship 'em over. Sale season is nearly over, so I'd have to double check current prices, but I bought my MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1070Ti for 520€ (~$650).
Which..... seems to be over a thousand bucks on Newegg, what the actual crap?!? o_O

You can buy a full system from Alienware with a GTX 1080Ti in it for just barely over the cost of a 1080Ti by itself.

It's spectacularly stupid.

I almost ordered like three systems on a credit card just to flip the cards to pay off the credit and then flip the systems themselves for almost pure profit.

But I don't want to contribute to this mess. Also too much hassle.

Ugh.

It begins.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/lpEmoWl.jpg)

Hahahaha.