What am i doing wrong with my gaming pc build?

[iK1DDER]

I spent almost 900 dollars on my pc build and it still isnt great for gaming. i run skyrim at 20 fps in heavily snowy areas and when the weather is clear, it is around 26-40 fps. My specs are: MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte ga-z97-hd3, POWER SUPPLY: EVGA 430 watt 80+ atx, PROCESSOR: i5 4690k 3.5 ghz but overclocked at 4.24 ghz right now (but i could overclock higher but choose not to), HARD DRIVE: Western Digital 2TB 3.5-inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 64MB Cache WD2003FZEX, RAM: G.Skill 2 x 8(16gb) DDR3-1600 PC3-12800, GRAPHICS CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 1GB, Windows 8.1 and i use an external usb optical drive if that matters, which is: Lite-On IT Corporation Optical Drives EBAU108-01

 

[iK1DDER]

I've noticed :lol:

i did well at choosing most of my parts except the power supply and graphics card but i think i did pretty well for a first timer. Do you recommend me getting the 970 or r9 390?

 

[MarkW]

If I was building a my first new system today, I would go with the R9 390 because it matches or exceeds the performance of the GTX 970, and it has double the memory. The memory in my opinion is the bigger factor here. Because starting in less than a year, the new video cards are going to be coming with 6GB to 8GB on mainstream cards, and up to 32GB on top end cards.

So having 8GB is going to put you at the top of the mainstream cards for memory, which should mean that your card will stay relevant longer.

You have done well, until the power supply and the video card. And its not hard to buy a cheap power supply. Most people do not even know that there are piles of junk being sold for power supplies. Many of the units some companies sell should be illegal to sell to consumers.

And then you start reading reviews on video cards, and they all test different games, and all have different biases, and its very easy to quickly go from thinking a given card is great after reading one review, and then thinking the opposite 20 minutes later after reading a second review. Its nuts out here sometimes. But in the end, there are enough reviews out there, and you do start to see patterns.

 

[iK1DDER]

If I was building a my first new system today, I would go with the R9 390 because it matches or exceeds the performance of the GTX 970, and it has double the memory. The memory in my opinion is the bigger factor here. Because starting in less than a year, the new video cards are going to be coming with 6GB to 8GB on mainstream cards, and up to 32GB on top end cards.

So having 8GB is going to put you at the top of the mainstream cards for memory, which should mean that your card will stay relevant longer.

You have done well, until the power supply and the video card. And its not hard to buy a cheap power supply. Most people do not even know that there are piles of junk being sold for power supplies. Many of the units some companies sell should be illegal to sell to consumers.

And then you start reading reviews on video cards, and they all test different games, and all have different biases, and its very easy to quickly go from thinking a given card is great after reading one review, and then thinking the opposite 20 minutes later after reading a second review. Its nuts out here sometimes. But in the end, there are enough reviews out there, and you do start to see patterns.

thank you so much man. i believe i am gonna go with the 850w power supply and the r9 390. this is my first try at seeking help from somewhere other than just googling it, i see this sight have a lot of info about pc stuff that i have used quite a bit to help me so i made an account just to seek help from here and it has been a great experience. i appreciate all the work you have done to help me and i know it was a lot. i am gonna buy the power supply now and wait a week or two so i can buy the graphics card. i think my problem has been solved by you but just to make sure i am gonna leave it unsolved for now until i get it all sorted out to make sure it is actually completely solved and then i will definitely make sure to put you as the one who solved my problem since you have helped the most and i hope it will help you get a step closer to even higher on the experts board than you already are. it has been a great experience and i definitely will come to this website for any pc help i need in the future. i am gonna leave it unsolved at the moment but i will leave it open in my browser so it opens it reloads my session everytime i open firefox as a reminder to make sure to put you as the one who solved my problem once i am sure it is solved. thank you for your time and hard work.

 

[MarkW]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

 

[iK1DDER]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

i am so glad you enjoy it and i appreciate it beyond words. i appreciate everything you have done to help and i am honestly so surprised with how much info you gave me. i am very interested in computers and hope to build them for other people once i complete mine. tomshardware is lucky to have someone like you helping out people because you just make them want to come back for the great support. i will definitely come back to this site if i need help with any pc problem and like i said, i will make sure i put you as the one who solved my problem once i make sure it is completely solved so i dont have to open another thread later. i just purchased the power supply you recommended to me (850w evga) and in a week or so i should receive it and i should be buying the graphics card in one or two weeks. hope it all goes well. i trust your word for it so i will trust that the power supply will be what i need but i will not hold you responsible for anything damaged in shipping that causes it not to run as you described because that wouldnt be your fault that would be the shipping companys fault for not packing it good enough and/or the post office not taking care of it properly but hopefully it turns out well. i never bought anything from ncixus.com before so hopefully they are good at this. i heard that were based out of canada tho from reviews i seen of the site a long time ago. but thanks again. i will be sure to check back if i come to any more problems or mark you as the one that found a solution once i make sure it is all working properly.

 

[iK1DDER]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

 

[iK1DDER]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

i am considering buying the Sapphire Radeon NITRO R9 390 8GB, which is was originally $638.00 but $335.99 on amazon. idk if it is better than the other r9 390s or not but i guess let me know what you think.

 

[SherbetAddict]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

Msi.... If its around the same price as the others...

 

[iK1DDER]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

Msi.... If its around the same price as the others...

yea but the sapphire nitro r9 390 is $638.00 but $335.99 on amazon at least that is what is says. so the msi one would still be better than the sapphire nitro r9 390?

 

[SherbetAddict]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

Msi.... If its around the same price as the others...

yea but the sapphire nitro r9 390 is $638.00 but $335.99 on amazon at least that is what is says. so the msi one would still be better than the sapphire nitro r9 390?

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=102481&vpn=04G-P4-2974-KR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1292

Actually, try this one. $330 with a $15 MIR
ACX 2.0 is pretty good.
Also, $650 for a GTX 970 is unjustifiable. They retail for ~$330

 

[Arnav Bhatt]

Get the MSI card mate

 

[iK1DDER]

Get the MSI card mate

this is what someone said about the sapphire version of this card plus the sapphire one has three fans and the other ones only have two. seems like the sapphire one is better: "This is hands down the best 390 that you can buy. The temps in my smaller case with slightly less than average airflow has kept this thing under 72c at full load for hours on end. In comparison to the gigabyte G1 version of this card i would definitely stay away as the gigabyte version runs hotter, louder and is voltage locked. The MSI version is a close second but the cooling power of the Sapphire Nitro is noticeably better along with being quieter due to the fans not having to work too hard. However if you do value a backplate then the MSI version might be for you although this card hardly sags if at all for me. In regards to the looks of the card it is on the plain side but personaly the gun metal black on the GPU fits my case perfectly so i consider this a positive.

When it comes to the GTX 970 this card beats it in all of my in game benchmark tests(The 970 wins in synthetic benchmarks but it means next to nothing when you actually start playing games and is even more noticeable in games like Shadow of Mordor with the HD texture pack installed) Also this card wind at 1440p every time convincingly. When it comes to cooling the G1 Gigabyte 970 that i previously owned actually lost to the R9 390 surprisingly but only by 3-4 degrees Celsius. That being said this card is a little more power hungry but at idle the power draw is almost if not the same as the 970. Take it from someone who has owned both cards this AMD monster is the clear winner when it comes to price and performance."

 

[SherbetAddict]

Get the MSI card mate

this is what someone said about the sapphire version of this card plus the sapphire one has three fans and the other ones only have two. seems like the sapphire one is better: "This is hands down the best 390 that you can buy. The temps in my smaller case with slightly less than average airflow has kept this thing under 72c at full load for hours on end. In comparison to the gigabyte G1 version of this card i would definitely stay away as the gigabyte version runs hotter, louder and is voltage locked. The MSI version is a close second but the cooling power of the Sapphire Nitro is noticeably better along with being quieter due to the fans not having to work too hard. However if you do value a backplate then the MSI version might be for you although this card hardly sags if at all for me. In regards to the looks of the card it is on the plain side but personaly the gun metal black on the GPU fits my case perfectly so i consider this a positive.

When it comes to the GTX 970 this card beats it in all of my in game benchmark tests(The 970 wins in synthetic benchmarks but it means next to nothing when you actually start playing games and is even more noticeable in games like Shadow of Mordor with the HD texture pack installed) Also this card wind at 1440p every time convincingly. When it comes to cooling the G1 Gigabyte 970 that i previously owned actually lost to the R9 390 surprisingly but only by 3-4 degrees Celsius. That being said this card is a little more power hungry but at idle the power draw is almost if not the same as the 970. Take it from someone who has owned both cards this AMD monster is the clear winner when it comes to price and performance."

Just buy whichever is cheaper...

 

[MarkW]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

If prices are the same, I have no preference. Look at the cooling solutions. 3 fans is better than 1. Copper pipes help. Decide how much you are willing to pay extra for the various overclocks + cooling solutions. Just remember that heat is the number one killer of electronics. So get something that you can keep cool. All cards have the same GPU's and memory. Some are overclocked, but even overclocking now is mostly done by default by the GPU. You would be able to overclock a bit more on most of them, but its not going to make that big of a difference anymore.. Nothing like it did 5 years ago.

 

[iK1DDER]

This place is a gold mine for someone like you. Even I learn a lot here, and I have worked in the industry for over 35 years now. I finally retired, and now sit here and do what I used to charge over $100 an hour for, for free... LOL

I appreciate it when people learn things, and show their thanks for what they have learned, as you have. It makes sitting here night after night very much worth it.

should i go with the gigabyte, sapphire, msi, or asus for the r9 390?

If prices are the same, I have no preference. Look at the cooling solutions. 3 fans is better than 1. Copper pipes help. Decide how much you are willing to pay extra for the various overclocks + cooling solutions. Just remember that heat is the number one killer of electronics. So get something that you can keep cool. All cards have the same GPU's and memory. Some are overclocked, but even overclocking now is mostly done by default by the GPU. You would be able to overclock a bit more on most of them, but its not going to make that big of a difference anymore.. Nothing like it did 5 years ago.

so you think i should get the sapphire one then or what?

 

[MarkW]

Whichever one has the better cooling without raising the price insanely for it. They are all so close to being clones of each other anymore, the coolers are now the differentiators.

 

[iK1DDER]

idk where to find the temps for eat since they same graphics card just different brand. i googled it but nothing useful came up.

 

[iK1DDER]

is the sapphire one compatible with my case? my case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX Case CC-9011023-WW. the sapphire one is 12.13" (308mm) long. also the msi one has a higher core clock of 1.5ghz and the sapphire one is 1.01ghz i think.

 

[MarkW]

Which one(s) have 3 Fans? 2 Fans? Copper tubing to pull the heat away from the hot spots?

You should be able to see that from their pics...

 

[SherbetAddict]

My bedtime too.. Cya tomorrow.

i have been debating on whether or not to buy this for my power supply instead: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ALK3KEM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ALK3KEM&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwcareyholzm-20&linkId=6UETW337E3LSKPRL . would this be more than enough? but idk how to hook it up. also is this better than the one you suggested? : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NI5DA2E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NI5DA2E&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwcareyholzm-20&linkId=HN3WMJWLTRLG5LD2 ,it is more expensive but i want something that will run just about any game at max settings. i dont want to spend 300 some dollars on a graphics card that cant run most games at max settings then have to buy one for 500 some cause then its just a waste to buy the first one. i just want one that will run just about any game at max settings at 60 fps at least

Like we said, the CX series are tier 4 PSUs. As a bare minimum, get a tier 3. We always recommend tier 2 or above. Just a S12II 620W or something similar.
Also, the 970 and 390 are at the "sweet spot" for value. The 980 is more for 1440p. The aforementioned 970 and 390 will max out 90% of games, but there are always exceptions that just about nothing can max out.

 

[Pegasus177]

Hey man,
Like everyone else here I have to agree it's the card and PSU are letting you down here. You put a beastly lil CPU into your build and I understand where you are coming from.. cause I was in the same position at one point. I imagine you went for the i5 so you could play games like ARK and other CPU intensive games (maybe arma series?)..
I did the same on my first build cause Arma was my love. But most games are far more GPU intensive than CPU so to cast a bit of hindsight here you could have gone for a more budget friendly CPU. Also 16gb is a lot of ram for a gaming rig. Most any game will ever need is 8gb (again ARK is one of those games that will eat up more but still it works on just 8gb) in my opinion I would have gone for something like a G3258 CPU. They are a fantastic lil chip with great OC capabilities a a place holder until your budget improves, cut back on the amount of RAM and use the savings from the two to have budgeted towards a semi decent GPU. Like any are mentioning here a 750ti would have given you some juice and stood it's ground for a few years to come. If you could even stretch the budget the gtx960 is proving a great card for budget gaming and they just released the 950 which is slightly less powerful but you are compensated with some nice recording/streaming features and latency optimisation (a first for the GPU).

In time you could have complimented one of these capable cards with the i5 when your budget had improved.
As for the PSU I know many are here suggesting the 500w which are fine and capable but I would over shoot that a little bit and grab a 600w. I think coolmaster do a pretty good budget PSU 600w semi modular bronze 80+.

If you really want to keep your I5 which I imagine you do, then start scanning the second hand market for a capable GPU. I picked up a nice 660ti only last month from thrifting through second hand sources for 100 bucks. Just make sure you see it working in a machine and see it's stats ( use something like open hardware monitor) before you hand over any cash.

Good luck with it man

 

[MarkW]

is the sapphire one compatible with my case? my case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX Case CC-9011023-WW. the sapphire one is 12.13" (308mm) long. also the msi one has a higher core clock of 1.5ghz and the sapphire one is 1.01ghz i think.

Corsair Carbide Series 200R
Maximum GPU Length 420mm
420mm = 16.5 inches.

Im going to question the 1.5Ghz vs 1.01Ghz. Thats a massive variance there, and remember, both have the same GPU. Double check your numbers.

 

[Techson]

The video card is holding you back. The only good cards from NVIDIA's 700 series are the 760 all the way to the 780. Anything below the 760 will most likely lag at graphics-intense games. My recommendation would have been to buy 8GB of RAM and then buy a better video card.
I hoped this helped!

 

[GObonzo]

i have been debating on whether or not to buy this for my power supply instead: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ALK3KEM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ALK3KEM&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwcareyholzm-20&linkId=6UETW337E3LSKPRL . would this be more than enough? but idk how to hook it up. also is this better than the one you suggested? : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NI5DA2E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NI5DA2E&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwcareyholzm-20&linkId=HN3WMJWLTRLG5LD2 ,it is more expensive but i want something that will run just about any game at max settings.

you should follow the other's advice about a good PSU. if you just want more than the Seasonic's 500w they have a good 620 version for less than the Corsair CX you're linking to. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096&cm_re=Seasonic_S12II-_-17-151-096-_-Product


i would recommend avoiding anything below AMD's R9 or Nvidia's 900 series.
with a GPU the lowest I would go is Nvidia's 980 or AMD's R9 390X, these 2 will easily max any game's settings at 1080p. the 6GB 980ti is what i would aim for but will be total overkill in any 1080p game for some time to come. personally i would get something with more than 4GB of VRAM, so it would lean me towards the 390X in this situation because it's also cheaper most places. others may claim you need a more powerful PSU for the 390X but 500-600 is all it demands.

 

[wicket187]

How much watts is your system drawing? You have to remember since you OC'd your drawing more power. I can understand wanting to save some money on the graphics card bit if it were me I would have went for the 750ti because it is a solid card. Does the system crash at all or get random stop errors?

is was a cheap one and i already spent so much on everything else so i wanted to go as cheap as possible but still get good results. i was thinking maybe the power supply might be my problem but most people say it is alright for gaming from what i saw on google but idk for sure. i would just like to know what the problem is and if the graphics card is the problem then should i just try to use my on board\ integrated graphics since i have 16gb ram?