KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[LordFerret]

... What kind of SSD to get? ...

Last I checked, Hitachi SSDs are holding the performance and MTBF ratings over the others ... also HGST drives.

[Camacha]

[...]

I do pretty much the same, but with all the parts. Flexibility and future upgrades are as important as the exact performance now.

Last I checked, Hitachi SSDs are holding the performance and MTBF ratings over the others ... also HGST drives.

Are those measured numbers, or manufacturer numbers? If the first it true, measured by whom? This is important.

I would suggest to go with Crucial SSDs. They do not have the absolute performance crown, but the performance difference is one you will never notice in real life, and the SSDs use a superior form of memory (as opposed to Samsung) and have better protection against power failure. If you want a fast, reliable and affordable SSD, go with Crucial. The MX series is probably the most interesting.

[Error404brain]

Hi everyone, I am asking (again) some advice for to build my computer (because I finally got the money *trumpet and joy*).

this computer would be for gaming and that's about it. Kerbal space programm and whatever is in sale on steam (I am a cheap .......).

The budget would be 1200 € maximum, including a windows copy but not including the keyboard nor the headset and mouse.

I am from belgium and I will go buy on site from this shop http://www.microcity.be/webshop/catalogue-7-microcity-Pi%C3%A8ces%20d%C3%A9tach%C3%A9es%20&%20Accessoires.html It's near my appartemment and commanding via internet is a big no-no (Imagine a building with about 500 sudents dedied appartemment).

I don't really have any specific request about it. (mainly because I don't know anything about building pc)

I already looked a bit and found those (But I want to stress out that I know nothing)

The CPU:

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-12-1434622-microcity.IntelBX80646I54690s1150-4-Core-I5-4690-6MB-Cache-4-Thread-35GHz-39GHz-Turbo-Graphics-4600-84W.html I5 4690 (3.5 GHZ)

The graphic card:

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-10-1903032-microcity.GigabyteGV-N970WF3OC-4GDGeForce-GTX970-OC-4GB-3Fan.html GTX 970 4GB dedied

For the mother board I think that this one should do the trick (If someone that know about it can tell me if it's really ok ?)

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-9-940502-microcity.Asus90MB0G50-M0EAY5s1150-B85M-G-mATX-VGA+SND+GLN+U3.html

The Case :

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-21-1340712-microcity_Corsair.CC-9011052-WW.Spec-03-Red-LED.html 77 € might be a tad costly, but the reviews say it got an great airflow

The Ram :

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-46-469913-microcity.KingstonKVR16N11S8-4DDR3-1600Mhz-4GB-Value-CL11-%28-1x4GB-%29.html 4 of those.

The hard disk:

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-19-272630-microcity.ToshibaDT01ACA1001000Gb-SATA3-DT01ACA100-%2835%22%29-7200-32mb.html Is it normal that ALL the hard disk reviews look like flamewar from outerspace ? I choose this one because he costed just one € more than the cheapest and got 500 Go in bonus.

The disk thingy (where you put the cd):

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-22-853122-microcity.Asus90DD01G0-B10000DVD-Writer-DL-24X.SATA-Black.OEM.html

The power supply:

http://www.microcity.be/webshop/produit-7-5-23-1059952-microcity.Cooler-MasterRS550-AMAAB1-EU550-Watt-G550M-Power-Modular-80+Bronze-**-Best-Choice-**.html (I got 384W from this http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine but I prefear to be on the safe side) It got good review and my guide say "you get what you pay for", so it is twice the price of the cheapest.

For the rest I have no clue. (And could use a tutorial if someone got one )

I apologise for my grammar and general english and for my lack of knowledge (google is not helpfull for once)

(I am still looking and will upgrade as I learn)

Edited June 18, 2015 by Error404brain

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I've recently been thinking about building my own computer, but I have some questions.

First off, I am probably going to get an Intel i5 4460. Is this worth it, or should I get the other one I was looking at, the i3-4370, as it has a higher GHz(3.8, compared to 3.4)(If you have any suggestions for other ones, I'll gladly take them). Also, relating to this, is there any way to measure the performance of a processor, or is there too many different measurements? And would this be a significant improvement over an AMD Athlon II x64 (Which I have currently)?

For the motherboard, is there be any difference in performance/functions/features between the different sizes? ATX, mATX, etc...

And as for the case, do the (holes? slots? spaces?) for USB, audio, etc... on the motherboard correspond to those on the case, or would it come with a specific plate, or do I have to find one separately? Would the age of the case make a difference? (For example, would USB 3.0 fit in a case that was made when USB 2.0 was popular?)

[ZedNova]

I've recently been thinking about building my own computer, but I have some questions.

First off, I am probably going to get an Intel i5 4460. Is this worth it, or should I get the other one I was looking at, the i3-4370, as it has a higher GHz(3.8, compared to 3.4)(If you have any suggestions for other ones, I'll gladly take them). Also, relating to this, is there any way to measure the performance of a processor, or is there too many different measurements? And would this be a significant improvement over an AMD Athlon II x64 (Which I have currently)?

For the motherboard, is there be any difference in performance/functions/features between the different sizes? ATX, mATX, etc...

And as for the case, do the (holes? slots? spaces?) for USB, audio, etc... on the motherboard correspond to those on the case, or would it come with a specific plate, or do I have to find one separately? Would the age of the case make a difference? (For example, would USB 3.0 fit in a case that was made when USB 2.0 was popular?)

Use this site, it's very helpful for picking out parts, organizing and checking compatibility: https://pcpartpicker.com/

1) Get the i5 unless you are on a tight budget. Also buy a cheap aftermarket cooler as stock coolers for CPUs generally suck.

2) ATX motherboards usually have a few more features than Micro-ATX boards, more PCI-E slots, bells and whistles and better placement of plugs are the main advantages.

Regarding case+Mobo sizes:

ATX case? - You can fit ATX boards and probably Micro-ATX boards depending on the case.

MicroATX case? - Only Micro-ATX boards.

3) Your Motherboard will come with a backplate which snaps into the case. Don't worry about different plugs in the back fitting

What are you planning to use this PC for? Light tasks like word processing? General use which would include light gaming. Or do you want something that can plow through whatever you throw at it?

Edited June 18, 2015 by ZedNova

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Use this site, it's very helpful for picking out parts, organizing and checking compatibility: https://pcpartpicker.com/

1) Get the i5 unless you are on a tight budget. Also buy a cheap aftermarket cooler as stock coolers for CPUs generally suck.

2) ATX motherboards usually have a few more features than Micro-ATX boards, more PCI-E slots, bells and whistles and better placement of plugs are the main advantages.

Regarding case+Mobo sizes:

ATX case? - You can fit ATX boards and probably Micro-ATX boards depending on the case.

MicroATX case? - Only Micro-ATX boards.

3) Your Motherboard will come with a backplate which snaps into the case. Don't worry about different plugs in the back fitting

What are you planning to use this PC for? Light tasks like word processing? General use which would include light gaming. Or do you want something that can plow through whatever you throw at it?

Occasional "Light" tasks, mostly gaming and (programming, 3d modelling, stuff for working on my own game). I don't necessarily want something that can "plow through whatever I throw at it", but at least something moderately powerful and an improvement over what I have now.

To whoever moved this into this thread, I apologize for posting it where I did, I don't like to post in this thread as it can be difficult to navigate.

[Camacha]

First off, I am probably going to get an Intel i5 4460. Is this worth it, or should I get the other one I was looking at, the i3-4370, as it has a higher GHz(3.8, compared to 3.4)(If you have any suggestions for other ones, I'll gladly take them). Also, relating to this, is there any way to measure the performance of a processor, or is there too many different measurements? And would this be a significant improvement over an AMD Athlon II x64 (Which I have currently)?

That i5 is a wonderful and powerful chip. The i3 will be as good for KSP, since it uses a little over one thread, but in other games the i5 will be very useful.

The only way of knowing a chips relative power is measuring it in different games and applications. Luckily people do this for you, so the best thing is to look up (professional) reviews of the chip you are looking at. Normally they will compare it to a couple of other relevant chips in a number of programs. It is hard or impossible to say anything useful based on specification alone (so processor speed, threads, et cetera), actually measuring the real thing in action is the only reliable way.

For the motherboard, is there be any difference in performance/functions/features between the different sizes? ATX, mATX, etc...

Larger sizes typically have more ports (more room voor RAM and GPU) and are slightly easier to cool. Otherwise there is not much of a difference, as long as you make sure to get a decent quality board.

And as for the case, do the (holes? slots? spaces?) for USB, audio, etc... on the motherboard correspond to those on the case, or would it come with a specific plate, or do I have to find one separately? Would the age of the case make a difference? (For example, would USB 3.0 fit in a case that was made when USB 2.0 was popular?)

This question has two answers:

- The back side of the case is pretty much always the same and has been for many years. The back plate to make the ports fit to the case will be supplied with the motherboard, so almost any board should fit in any case - within reason.

- A case often has top/front ports. Check whether your specific motherboard has headers for the ports your case has and those that you want to use. Most recent motherboards will have USB2 and USB3 headers, so using those ports on a case should not be a problem. eSATA, Firewire, et cetera depends on the motherboard. Be sure to check out where the headers are located on the motherboard, as sometimes they are stuffed away in awkward places.

[r4pt0r]

I am planning some upgrades to my rig soon.

Current set up:

Motherboard: Foxconn H77MXV-D

RAM: 8gb DDR3

CPU: i7 3770 - with a cooler master hyper 212 EVO cpu fan

Videocard: Nvidia GTX 660

Power supply: Cooler master 550watt supply

I plan on adding more RAM, just because my motherboard can handle it.

What I need advice on is the videocard. Is there anything that is an upgrade from the 660, but can still run with my 550watt power supply?

[cantab]

GTX 960, 970, or 980 are all a significant upgrade and all according to nVidia will run on a 500 W supply or less. Even a 980 Ti or Titan X might be possible (but I wouldn't recommend it). nVidia's current lineup have really focussed on power efficiency.

Edited June 19, 2015 by cantab

[kenbobo]

Is this OK for small gaming and KSP?

http://amzn.com/w/3MV98OQQ3Y02N

Thanks!

(note, ignore the pricing and monitor.)

[TechnicalK3rbal]

One more question: I'll probably be getting the i5 4460 (Or perhaps the 4670... Which would be better?), this can be either 32 or 64 bit, correct? Or does this depend on something besides the processor? (I know there's different operating systems, but those still depend on something else, right?)

[Red Iron Crown]

The CPU determines the maximum bitness of operating system that the PC can support, just about every modern processor will support 64-bit OSes.

[Drunken Hobo]

Is this OK for small gaming and KSP?

http://amzn.com/w/3MV98OQQ3Y02N

Thanks!

(note, ignore the pricing and monitor.)

A wireless network card - why not just a USB network adapter? Huge benefit of being able to move the stick around if you don't get a good signal where your PC sits. Can also plug it into other devices and easily disable the internet connection by unplugging it.

I'm not an expert though so maybe there are benefits to an internal card. I'm not sure what they are though.

[Red Iron Crown]

A wireless network card - why not just a USB network adapter? Huge benefit of being able to move the stick around if you don't get a good signal where your PC sits. Can also plug it into other devices and easily disable the internet connection by unplugging it.

I'm not an expert though so maybe there are benefits to an internal card. I'm not sure what they are though.

Generally speaking, the advantages of an internal wireless NIC are lower CPU overhead, less vulnerability to jostling loose, and doesn't use up a USB port. Though I agree that being able to put the USB version somewhere away from the box itself has advantages in some situations.

[Cyrious]

One more question: I'll probably be getting the i5 4460 (Or perhaps the 4670... Which would be better?), this can be either 32 or 64 bit, correct? Or does this depend on something besides the processor? (I know there's different operating systems, but those still depend on something else, right?)

All modern x86 CPUs starting with Core 2 and Athlon 64 (with a few rare exceptions that are irrelevant) are 64-bit, but are by design capable of computing in 32-bit mode.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

So I think I've got it figured out, how does this look?

Edited June 19, 2015 by TechnicalK3rbal

[kenbobo]

A wireless network card - why not just a USB network adapter? Huge benefit of being able to move the stick around if you don't get a good signal where your PC sits. Can also plug it into other devices and easily disable the internet connection by unplugging it.

I'm not an expert though so maybe there are benefits to an internal card. I'm not sure what they are though.

It's my preference. I just want an opinion on the gpu, APU, RAM, Motherboard, Case, and PSU for light gaming.

- - - Updated - - -

So I think I've got it figured out, how does this look?

Aftermarket coolers are not required. I have a 8 year old vista AMD machine and it uses the stock cooler. I'm using it to post this message.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

-snip-

Aftermarket coolers are not required. I have a 8 year old vista AMD machine and it uses the stock cooler. I'm using it to post this message.

Yeah, I changed the processor and forgot to take of the cooler before I posted it here. It wasn't included on the other one.

[[ Jeremy ]]

So, I got a problem on my hands.

I was going to turn on my PC when I heard two popping sounds when I pressed the on switch. Now all the lights on the mobo are still lit and it still provides power o the ports, but...

It. Won't. Turn. On.

Have any idea what went boom? I'm thinking it's the power supply, but I'm not sure.

[cantab]

Is this OK for small gaming and KSP?

http://amzn.com/w/3MV98OQQ3Y02N

Thanks!

(note, ignore the pricing and monitor.)

It's not the most convincing. The CPU is a real weak-point with low single-threaded performance and a dead-end upgrade wise. $300 is a seriously tight budget but I think you'd be better off with an LGA1150 build, even the cheapest LGA1150 Celeron will trounce that Athlon at KSP. Get the Pentium G3258 and a motherboard that can overclock it if you can, though that will probably push the budget up to $350.

[Error404brain]

Hi everyone. 2 questions :

1) Is this configuration decent ?

I5-4690

GTX970

16 Go Ram (in 4 different slots)

corsair 550VS

asus B85M-G

2) is the corsair 550 VS (550 watt) enough for this ?

[Red Iron Crown]

Hi everyone. 2 questions :

1) Is this configuration decent ?

I5-4690

GTX970

16 Go Ram (in 4 different slots)

corsair 550VS

asus B85M-G

2) is the corsair 550 VS (550 watt) enough for this ?

1) Yes. You probably don't need 16GB of RAM but it doesn't hurt. What are you using for storage?

2) Yes, easily.

[Error404brain]

this

Toshiba 1000Gb SATA3 DT01ACA100

Review were literally flame-wars, so I gave up and got the first price.

(Nothing I should change in my build ? (/g/ conseilled to give up on the GTX970))

[kenbobo]

It's not the most convincing. The CPU is a real weak-point with low single-threaded performance and a dead-end upgrade wise. $300 is a seriously tight budget but I think you'd be better off with an LGA1150 build, even the cheapest LGA1150 Celeron will trounce that Athlon at KSP. Get the Pentium G3258 and a motherboard that can overclock it if you can, though that will probably push the budget up to $350.

Alright. Updated. Check it again please.

http://amzn.com/w/3MV98OQQ3Y02N

(i will not OC. i do not even dream of it)

Edited June 19, 2015 by kenbobo

[SelectHalfling0]

Ok. After recently realizing I left off a zero in my net gain of cash this month I have made the decision to build a computer! And I have little experience with this. I've talked to friends and learned the basics but I'm still looking for approval on what I am planning on getting (is it too much/too little) (also will I need a fan?).

BTW I am not looking for the super-computer experience, but I am much more than a casual gamer too! I am looking to make a computer that will last me quite some time and can be up-gradable (hence that 750 watt power supply).

Asus H97 plus (maybe) motherboard

Intel i5 Quadcore 4690 3.50 Ghz (motherboard support)

ASUS GeForce GTX 750 OverClocked with 1GB DDR5 Memory (GTX750-PHOC-1GD5)

8GB RAM (motherboard support)

Seagate Desktop 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5" Internal Drive

Corsair RM750 750w PSU 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold Certified Fully Modular PSU

Coolermaster HAF 912 Flagship

Price currently sits at $844 from my nearby Fry's Electronics dealer, and with rebate it could be less expensive (however I've heard that their rebates are a Pain in the S)!

Comments and Suggestions?