PC Building Guide and Discussion #12

Dick Sledge

The Tactleneck
Feb 11, 2009
9,647
1,694
Welcome to the PC Master Race ;) I'm not an anti-console guy, but it is fun to needle some of the more sensitive console gamers - sounds like you're already enjoying some of the reasons a number of us like having our PC's though.

I've always liked the convenience, and still will, of console gaming. I'm going to keep my one x and get the next xbox to play with my friends. My one friend is buying a prebuilt to play on pc with me as well.

Best of both worlds. I am selling my ps4 pro though. Nothing coming out in the next year that I'd want. So why let it collect dust.
 

Kestrel

Registered User
Jan 30, 2005
5,814
129
I've always liked the convenience, and still will, of console gaming. I'm going to keep my one x and get the next xbox to play with my friends. My one friend is buying a prebuilt to play on pc with me as well.

Best of both worlds. I am selling my ps4 pro though. Nothing coming out in the next year that I'd want. So why let it collect dust.
If I were more of a gamer than I am these days, I'd probably do the same thing. Although it's hard to say - maybe I'd just save the console money, and spend that much more on PC games. But yeah, consoles make for the easier sit down multiplayer experience for sure. That said, you're still allowed to tease console-only players :nod:
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
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pcmasterrace.png


Really though I'm not actually sure how much benefit you'll see going from 4ghz to 4.6, at least in gaming anyway. The individual cores on the 8350k are already pretty damn fast.

It would probably help in something like multiplayer Battlefield 1.

And it might help something like Kingdom Come: Deliverance which kicks the shit out of quad cores.
 

Dick Sledge

The Tactleneck
Feb 11, 2009
9,647
1,694
If I were more of a gamer than I am these days, I'd probably do the same thing. Although it's hard to say - maybe I'd just save the console money, and spend that much more on PC games. But yeah, consoles make for the easier sit down multiplayer experience for sure. That said, you're still allowed to tease console-only players :nod:

Oh for sure! I already have a few friends asking me to build them PCs now.

For shooters it's gonna be PC all day. For other games since I do the xbox digital sharing with my friend it will most likely still be xbox. I'm definitely enjoying the options.

Who knew 30fps was trash right?!
 

Dick Sledge

The Tactleneck
Feb 11, 2009
9,647
1,694
Also learning mouse and keyboard is going to have a decent learning curve.

I have a gaming keyboard coming in the mail shortly.
 

Kestrel

Registered User
Jan 30, 2005
5,814
129
Also learning mouse and keyboard is going to have a decent learning curve.

I have a gaming keyboard coming in the mail shortly.
There's a bit of a curve there, but I think once you've learned it, you'll find you have a lot more control - depending on the type of game of course. There's no beating a gamepad on a sports game.
 

flyingkiwi

Registered User
Oct 28, 2014
4,315
3,452
France
Welp I’ve officially quit console gaming too. Sold my PS4 last week cause even though it has good exclusives I wasn’t playing them. A little bummed I’ll miss The Last of Us 2, but we don’t even know when it’s coming out.

I’m giving myself another year with my current system so I might OC it too, so it’s been good reading these last few posts.

I’m seriously considering a Switch though, will be useful for my upcoming travel once I part out my PC
 

Dick Sledge

The Tactleneck
Feb 11, 2009
9,647
1,694
There's a bit of a curve there, but I think once you've learned it, you'll find you have a lot more control - depending on the type of game of course. There's no beating a gamepad on a sports game.

Before jumping into pubg or anything competitive I decided to start leaning with Doom. (On easy)

It's a super fun game as well.
 
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Commander Clueless

Hiya, hiya. Pleased to meetcha.
Sep 10, 2008
15,237
2,922
I've always liked the convenience, and still will, of console gaming. I'm going to keep my one x and get the next xbox to play with my friends. My one friend is buying a prebuilt to play on pc with me as well.

Best of both worlds. I am selling my ps4 pro though. Nothing coming out in the next year that I'd want. So why let it collect dust.

I've always been a PC gamer, but it's really hard to beat the price and convenience of console.

If you're okay with the price and the tweaking, PC definitely has the best experience.


I also have a One X for playing with certain friends, although that has been scarce lately.
 

Kestrel

Registered User
Jan 30, 2005
5,814
129
I've always been a PC gamer, but it's really hard to beat the price and convenience of console.

If you're okay with the price and the tweaking, PC definitely has the best experience.


I also have a One X for playing with certain friends, although that has been scarce lately.
I was going to say that if you're buying a significant number of games, that you're likely saving money going PC if you're willing to hold out for sales too - but sometimes things like Steam sales just mean people are buying that many more games, and saving nothing :laugh:
 

Commander Clueless

Hiya, hiya. Pleased to meetcha.
Sep 10, 2008
15,237
2,922
I was going to say that if you're buying a significant number of games, that you're likely saving money going PC if you're willing to hold out for sales too - but sometimes things like Steam sales just mean people are buying that many more games, and saving nothing :laugh:

Guilty as charged on that front.

Sad as it may sound, I was proud that I only bought one game during the Summer Sale. :laugh:


For brand new AAA titles, I find console ends up cheaper thanks to the trade-in method....assuming you don't want to keep the game that is.
 
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Kestrel

Registered User
Jan 30, 2005
5,814
129
Bit of a side note, but I'm honestly considering a Team Red based HTPC in the near future after Samsung's announcement about their 2018 TVs featuring FreeSync support.

Samsung’s 2018 TVs now support FreeSync for smoother gaming

I'm thinking a shiny QLED TV is in the cards at some point.
I'm going to be doing a Team Red HTPC next week, assuming parts come in. I mentioned it earlier in the thread - my parents just got themselves a 4k TV, that also does not have a separate sound in (3.5mm specifically) - their current HTPC sends video via DVI to an HDMI adaptor, so without a special AMD adaptor, it does not send sound over HDMI. It is running an ATI 4670, so it also is not capable of 4K video. I'm giving them way more of an upgrade than they need, but oh well, I couldn't help myself - it is going to be built on an x470 board with a 2400G for the processor. With AMD's Adrenaline driver, that in theory should allow for 4K Netflix via Edge or the Netflix app as well.
 

Matias Maccete

Chopping up defenses
Sep 21, 2014
9,645
3,524
I never used to mind 30 FPS when I gamed on my Xbox 360. Now if it drops to anything below 50 my eyes bleed.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
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under the bridge
Is it okay to ask general tech questions in this thread?

I've just connected an external monitor to my dell xps13, windows 10. The external monitor is an AOC e2450Swd. It has no HDMI input. I'm using UBS to VGA to connect the monitor to the laptop. I'm having a lot of trouble with the color settings on the monitor, and everything is just a little... blurry? I've gone through the color calibration in Windows 10, and all the settings match what they say to do, but I'm still very underwhelmed right now. I'm wondering if this is just a limitation of the laptop and or monitor? But I can't imagine they'd be able to sell this VGA monitor with this as the end result. I'm hoping there's something that can be done.

The quickest example that I can provide. If you go to google.com, there is a very distinct gray box behind the `Google Search` and `I'm Feeling Lucky` buttons. I see them very clearly on my laptop, but do not see the gray boxes at all on the external monitor. Again, this is even after going through the windows color calibration.

Another thing I'm noticing is that it's... laggy. Is it possible that VGA just can't mange the 60hz default refresh rate? But that's how the monitor comes, VGA, no HDMI port, so it can't be that?

Anyone have any thoughts?
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
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Have you checked that the resolution is 1920x1080 in the windows settings?

A lot of those types of adapters are junk and that could be what is causing your problem. I have a display port to VGA adapter that's kinda dumpy and its output also looks blurry.

If it was already running at 1920x1080, you might try knocking it down to 1600x900. Maybe even 1366 x 768. Just to see if reducing the resolution clears it up, if so it's probably the adapter that can't handle full 1080p all that well.

Does the monitor have a DVI input (big white port) in addition to the VGA?

VGA just can't mange the 60hz default refresh rate?

VGA can handle high refresh rates, old CRT monitors usually ran higher than 60hz.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
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Have you checked that the resolution is 1920x1080 in the windows settings?

A lot of those types of adapters are junk and that could be what is causing your problem. I have a display port to VGA adapter that's kinda dumpy and its output also looks blurry.

If it was already running at 1920x1080, you might try knocking it down to 1600x900. Maybe even 1366 x 768. Just to see if reducing the resolution clears it up, if so it's probably the adapter that can't handle full 1080p all that well.

Does the monitor have a DVI input (big white port) in addition to the VGA?



VGA can handle high refresh rates, old CRT monitors usually ran higher than 60hz.
Thanks, good info! The resolution is set to 1600x900. I checked 1360x768 but that didn't really help. The monitor does have a DVI input as well, just no HDMI.

Oh yeah, I def think it's the adapter that I got with the monitor. USB 2.0. Bet if I get a 3.0 one my issues will go away?
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
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The resolution is set to 1600x900.

Will it let you increase it to 1920x1080? A quick search of your monitor model shows it should support it. Monitors generally look best at their native resolution (highest) as the pixels match 1:1.

The monitor does have a DVI input as well, just no HDMI.

ah, I def think it's the adapter that I got with the monitor. USB 2.0. Bet if I get a 3.0 one my issues will go away?

Probably not, unless it's just a better adapter.
My suggestion would be (assuming your laptop has an HDMI port which you hinted at?) to get a DVI to HDMI cable.

HDMI and DVI use the same signal so there's no loss/conversion process. VGA is analog which is what is probably complicating things.

AmazonBasics HDMI Input to DVI Output
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
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Will it let you increase it to 1920x1080? A quick search of your monitor model shows it should support it. Monitors generally look best at their native resolution (highest) as the pixels match 1:1.



Probably not, unless it's just a better adapter.
My suggestion would be (assuming your laptop has an HDMI port which you hinted at?) to get a DVI to HDMI cable.

HDMI and DVI use the same signal so there's no loss/conversion process. VGA is analog which is what is probably complicating things.

AmazonBasics HDMI Input to DVI Output
1680x1050 is the highest it'll let me go and no difference.

No HDMI on the laptop, all USB or thunderbolt. So if I went to DVI it'd be two handoffs. One from there to HDMI and then one from HDMI to USB.

Appreciate all of your help!
 

guinness

Not Ingrid for now
Mar 11, 2002
14,521
301
Missoula, Montana
www.missoulian.com
1680x1050 is the highest it'll let me go and no difference.

No HDMI on the laptop, all USB or thunderbolt. So if I went to DVI it'd be two handoffs. One from there to HDMI and then one from HDMI to USB.

Appreciate all of your help!

Is it Thunderbolt port also a Mini Displayport? Google foo is just showing me mini DP to DVI, but nothing for Thunderbolt (ex):
BlueRigger Mini DisplayPort (Thunderbolt) to DVI Female Adapter Cable

In all honesty, Thunderbolt confuses me, as I've see it both mini DP and as USB C ports (but not all USB C ports are Thunderbolt or USB 3.0).
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
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Is it Thunderbolt port also a Mini Displayport? Google foo is just showing me mini DP to DVI, but nothing for Thunderbolt (ex):
BlueRigger Mini DisplayPort (Thunderbolt) to DVI Female Adapter Cable

In all honesty, Thunderbolt confuses me, as I've see it both mini DP and as USB C ports (but not all USB C ports are Thunderbolt or USB 3.0).
Yeah, I'm lost on it, too. But this is word for word from Dell:

1 Thunderbolt™ 3 (2 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3) supports: Power Delivery, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps bi-directional), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps), VGA, HDMI, Ethernet and USB-A via Dell Adapter (sold separately)

Whatever the hell that means.

Update: Going to order a thunderbolt to DVI cable. No port or adapter. Only $20. If it works, great. If not, oh well.
 
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Timmer44

Registered User
Mar 3, 2006
3,558
155
Van City
Need a little advice. I bought a Dell XPS 8900 with integrated Intel Graphics. I also have a Geforce 240 kicking around. Is it worth it for me to throw the Geforce in?

I don't play games, but will be using it to store photos and videos, and some light photo video editing. Should I upgrade the video card? I'd be willing to spend a couple hundred on a decent video card. Any recommendations?
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
42,631
21,042
Phoenix
Need a little advice. I bought a Dell XPS 8900 with integrated Intel Graphics. I also have a Geforce 240 kicking around. Is it worth it for me to throw the Geforce in?

I don't play games, but will be using it to store photos and videos, and some light photo video editing. Should I upgrade the video card? I'd be willing to spend a couple hundred on a decent video card. Any recommendations?

The built in graphics is probably faster than the 240. I don't know exactly what CPU you have so I can't say for sure but the 240 is dated at this point.

Upgrading the video card to something new probably wouldn't help a lot, though it might it certain video editing programs.
That type of work tends to be more CPU intense.
 

Timmer44

Registered User
Mar 3, 2006
3,558
155
Van City
The built in graphics is probably faster than the 240. I don't know exactly what CPU you have so I can't say for sure but the 240 is dated at this point.

Upgrading the video card to something new probably wouldn't help a lot, though it might it certain video editing programs.
That type of work tends to be more CPU intense.
OK, thanks. I just checked and the processor is a 'K80PX 6th Gen Intel Core i7-6700 Skylake (8MB Cache, 65w, up to 4.0GHz)', and the video is a 'Onboard Intel 530 GPU'. It has 16GB of ram.

I also ordered a 500GB SSD.
 

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