How to set up Windows 8 for Gaming?

N00b1

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Oct 26, 2014
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Hello everyone,

I have purchased a new 256gb ssd and mobo to finish off my new high end build, used primarily for gaming and 4k video editing. Now that I have the parts, I want to keep those parts optimal. However, I'm kind of a noob when it comes to setting up a new pc for gaming. I want tips for the best speed for my components and needs. Any advice is appreciated :) I know about ninite and downloading many programs at once, but which antivirus is best? One which doesn't affect gaming in any way but provides top-notch protection. How do I go about optimizing my new ssd and network speeds? Should I install some special drivers? I just want whats best for my PC.
(To sum it up what is the FIRST thing I should do for my PC)

My pc parts are:

z97 Asus Maximus VII Hero Mobo
i7 4790k
Gtx 980 Ti
16GB 2400mhz Ram
256gb ssd
1TB HDD
Blu-ray Drive
EVGA 850w PSU

Thank you in advance!
 
Solution
We almost have the same setup except for the 980Ti (sweet). I have a 970.

So first of, your motherboard. It comes with a loooot of software (most of them you'll never use probably)
But in particular, it has the AI Suite 3 which comes with the Dual Intelligent Processor 5.
This software allows you to overclock your CPU from your OS. (Normally you do it in the BIOS, which is more hardcore =p) but that's not the point. This makes pretty good use of your i7 4790k which is a CPU designed for/or supports overclocking (this is the difference between the 'K' and the non-K).

Your CPU though, already has Intel turbo boost which is like automatic overclocking of the CPU when running single threaded processes. It can ramp your CPU up to 4.4 GHz...

rezeile008

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May 10, 2014
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We almost have the same setup except for the 980Ti (sweet). I have a 970.

So first of, your motherboard. It comes with a loooot of software (most of them you'll never use probably)
But in particular, it has the AI Suite 3 which comes with the Dual Intelligent Processor 5.
This software allows you to overclock your CPU from your OS. (Normally you do it in the BIOS, which is more hardcore =p) but that's not the point. This makes pretty good use of your i7 4790k which is a CPU designed for/or supports overclocking (this is the difference between the 'K' and the non-K).

Your CPU though, already has Intel turbo boost which is like automatic overclocking of the CPU when running single threaded processes. It can ramp your CPU up to 4.4 GHz (that's 10% already, which is a lot), This is already pretty neat for gaming cause most games are single threaded. But if you are the OC'ing type of guy, you can give the DIP 5 a try, who knows, you might get good results. But if you are not familiar with overclocking (i don't know), read up about it before doing it! (cause it can fry your system). Oh by the way, you did not mention your cpu cooler so i don't know what you have, but if you are using the stock cooler which comes with the processor, forget using the DIP5 and be satisfied with the turbo boost. (overclocking heats up your cpu) The turbo boost should have been tested with the stock cooler so it should be fine.
IMPORTANT: Bit defender, Norton, Kaspersky, ALL DOES NOT play well with the ASUS AI SUITE 3.0 (cause this accesses the BIOS). I did not know this at first and I still had half a year of BitDefender subscription when I bought my MoBo. If you want any of those 3 antiviruses then don't install AI Suite 3.
The one antivirus I found which plays well with it is McAfee, which I am now using (Its not bad but I really liked BitDefender so its a bummer). I would recommend BitDefender if you are not going to use ASUS Suite, if not then McAfee.

You can install all the apps which come with your mobo but aside from the Suite 3, I don't really see anything of worth. If you have an ordinary keyboard, then the keybot could be useful. Gamefirst 3 crashes often so i don't use it. The special sound chip in your MoBo seems neat (its a special software for speakers and headsets plugged in the front port (take note, front port only, not the one behind. -> weird)) I don't use it cause I have a separate sound card, but you can check it out.

For your graphics card, that is top of the line, so no probs with that. NVidia Geforce experience is crap though, but I still use it cause it probably knows my system's capability with games more than anything. (It's for optimizing your game settings based on your card).
You can check out Raptr also, to optimize games which are not listed in the GeForce Exp app. Its a pretty nice app I think, also for tracking gameplay and stuff.
You didn't mention the brand of your card so that's pretty much all I can say, MSI has tons of Apps which comes with it, but most are useless except for MSI afterburner which is again for overclocking.

For your 2400 mhz Ram, (2400Mhz is overclocked speed) your RAM doesn't run on that speed. If you check your MoBo Spec, 2400 has an O.C. beside it, this means that your RAM CAN run at this speed if overclocked. Natively though, your RAM will only run on 1600 MHz, (which for me is perfectly fine).
But if you are upset of not having 2400Mhz out of the ram you got, you can also overclock your RAM. Lucky for you your MoBo comes with the MemTweaker software which allows you to do it. (Well its supposed to, but I haven't tried it myself, so i'll leave it up to you.) Normally you also overclock your RAM via the BIOS using XMP. I don't really see any significant gain when I overclock the RAM so I suggest just leave it be, just make sure that when you buy your next board, check the supported RAM speeds. This way you can save some dollars on RAM and buy the one with the native support (e.g. 1600 MHz). But RAM speed and latency is not really a big issue on today's computer builds, as long as it's above 8GB, and it looks good with your mobo, then its all good. =p

SSD's are good stuff. Your OS must be there. That's the important note. If you have a lot of games, I don't think you can put everything in 256 GB but as a guide for selection, only put games in SSD if it has significant loading times, and also open world games (i.e skyrim). Network connected games like Diablo 3 or DOTA does not benefit much on SSD, unless of course you want to brag about being the first person in your team to load completely. =p Otherwise, keep 2d games, indie games and network games on the HDD and save the SSD for your video editing and open world gaming. You also did not mention the brand of your SSD but if it is Samsung, it comes with a software that allows you to overpartition it. (overpartitioning is a technique for extending the life of solid state devices, but as a consequence you will have to give up some space). This is just nice to have and not really required specially if space is more important to you.

PSU looks good, with 850W you will have enough power for a second (or even third) 980Ti on SLI if you decide to have it in the future. You didn't mention its rating (bronze, gold) so i'll just assume its a good one. =p Don't have to bore yourself with this part.

So all in all, you got quite a beast with tons of unlocked potential. You have a ton of overclocking opportunity so you could check that out, BUT (Caution: overclocking might cause permanent damage to hardware and may void warranty of parts and services) or at least that's what the retailers say. I haven't been able to break anything though. =p
I suggest just enjoy your PC now with its default settings, it will be top of the line for a good couple of years. When the time comes when you are feeling the hiccups and glitches and cannot get that Ultra settings anymore. You can try to unlock(overclock) your beast first, before buying anything new (could save you a lot of money and extend (or shorten =p) your PC's life).

Happy gaming!


 
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