LegacyStijncat

@mztang52 in the first place, I recommend you read my CPU guide (link in my signature), but I'll give some short info on cores and cache for you. Cores: It's how many different "mini-parts" (at least, as far as the pc cares) your CPU actually has. 2 of them is more than enough for basic tasks and basic gaming, while 4 is recommended for some bigger game titles. 6-8 cores is for big rendering projects. Cache: this is like RAM, Random Access Memory. The CPU stores some REALLY useful stuff there automatically. It's not something you need to worry about. More cache is better, but don't pick a higher end CPU just for more cache (unless you have some very special software that needs allot of cache, if that even exists). Oh, and GHz stands for the processor frequency. It's not directly connected to the cache, it's just a measurement of the CPU's speed. The speed is measured in Instructions Per Second, which you achieve by multiplying processor frequency and IPC, Instructions Per Cycle. EDIT: after seeing that you also asked for IPC IPC is Instructions Per Cycle. It's basically how well engineered the CPU is. The better, the higher the IPC. Intel is known for his high IPC counts, thus each Intel core is better than an AMD core (AT THIS MOMENT, since AMD is releasing Zen in a year or two and that may change stuff up a little) Yet at this moment, AMD features more physical cores for a lower price point, so if you need physical cores more than Instructions Per Cycle, grab AMD.

It's alright on some areas, but on quite a lot of cases (at least at the time when I didn't give up on Razer), there were a lot of problems. Like when you required to go into services.msc and restart the Razer Synapse just to use it, and that sometimes even multiple times per pc boot IIRC.

Razer - Full machines. Some interesting laptops but ignore their concepts, it's just hype material. They OR cancel it OR never let us hear anything again. - Headsets/headphones. Don't. Just don't. It's bad. It's not worth it. It's horrible. - Mice. Good reputation afaik, yet watch out with Razer Synapse (the program to control Razer products), it's absolute horseshit. - Keyboards. Good reputation sometimes, yet there's a lot of stories of cheap knock off switches, so do your research. And same as above, Razer Synapse is shit.

I stand corrected, yet in my opinion it is still a neglectible difference, since not a lot of games support more than 4 cores AND the FPS differnce in hence games isn't enough to justify such a ehft price tag of 100$. I however edited my original post to be sure!

Alright, so first of all, are you sure you are missing CPU power and not GPU power? Your current CPU is more than decent at the moment to carry any game, and Matlab (as far as I know) is just a simple rendering program, nothing too advanced. Not to mention that ALMOST NO GAMES BENEFIT FROM AN i7 OVER AN i5, understand this people. (Some new releases are an exception to this, yet it is not worth the hefty 100$ price tag in my opinion) If you can specifiy what problem you feel with your computer, we can help you way better. (If it turns out to be CPU power you need, an i7-4790K is unlocked and has a high clock rate. If you wanna save a few bucks and can miss overclocking and 0.4 GHz, a 4790 will do fine too.) (Thanks to @Morgan MLGman and @manikyath for correcting!)

Oh damn, thanks for the info! I'll be sure to do my research about the ASUS models then. About the Krait though, isn't there a way to just use angled SATA cables to bypass this fault? I would maybe SLI/CFX later on. MSI Bazooka actually looks quite good lol, yet too small. Is it bad that the Z170 Pro equals the Pro Gamer? Z170-A still in consideration, Z170 Deluxe too expensive (I wish I could get it )

Hello, and thanks for reading this already! I'm looking for a Z170 Black and White motherboard, which ones are the holy grails? Ones I've heard of already (if you know about them, tell me if they are good!): ASUS Z170-PRO, looks good but no PS/2 in case of USB failures. ASUS Z170-A MSI Z170A Krait, looks good but complaints about SATA port orientation when SLI/CFX. Any other suggestions or info are of course welcome! Thanks in advance!

@jc980 @i_build_nanosuits aren't there 90 degrees Sata cables you can get?

(Both of you, stop fighting over a fucking game. You guys sound like 10 year olds screaming about eachothers moms in a FPS)

Hello, and thanks for reading this already! I'm looking to get a good bang for the buck headphone. Preferably open acoustic Comfortable, preferably no leather earpads, or at least replaceable Around 60-80 € / $ Will be used for rock, metal, a bit of electronic and game sounds. That's actually it, so if you have any good suggestions, let me know! Thanks in advance!

If it still has warranty and if it's still in good state, I would personally go for it. It's more recent, so that's a plus since drivers etc.

Looks fishy, he didn't even mention a motherboard or cooler... Is it someone you know online or IRL? If online, back off. If IRL, it's a good great deal. Not sure if it can play GTA V though.

Umm... Just copy the files?

The 2GB or 4GB stand for the Vram, Aka Video Random Access Memory. It's like RAM for the CPU, but instead dedicated to the GPU. Games require Vram too, and the standard was once 2GB, because of the low cost and it's generally good. But in these times, 4GB is way safer, seeing that heavier games are going over the 2GB Vram limit. If you reach your limit of VRam, the game will start to stutter and become nearly unplayable. You don't really want that to happen. Don't worry though, anywhere from 3 - 4GB, you will be just fine for 1080p. Yet, on higher resolutions, 4GB is the bare minimum.

DON'T BUY THE HEADSETS DON'T (I have the Carchairas. It needs to be USB powered, has a static noise, has popping if you connect or disconnect, and it doesn't sound that good.)

First of all, AMD isn't bad. AMD shines at things where more than 8 cores are useable, in stuff like rendering. Yet, because of a low IPC they don't function as well as Intel for gaming in the price range. Second, the 'lags' you are talking about is you confusing two things again (it's not being dumb, don't worry. It happens to me oftenly too) Lag is when your internet connection causes you to not getting realtime information anymore. High ping, or high ping peaks (sudden increase of ping) is an example of lag. (Ping is the amount of milliseconds it takes for the server to get the information to you). Lag can only be caused by anything involved with internet. The server, your internet service provider, ethernet port etc. What I guess you mean is bad framerate or framerate drops. A bad framerate is usually defined in the pc world as when you don't reach the standard of 60 FPS, aka Frames Per Second. Framerate drops is when you suddenly lose a lot of FPS, causing stuttering. Framerate drops look a lot like lag to, so it's important to know where the issue lies. Look at your ping and FPS to know what is peaking or dropping. (Keep in mind that Ping drops and FPS peaks aren't bad, yet Ping peaks and FPS drops are bad. It's complicated ) If it is indeed framerate problems and only caused by adjusting graphical settings (this includes resolution), than it is 90% sure that it's your GPU, unless it's some frankenstein game. On the R9 380, it may be a good choice for you. I would however ask in the New Builds / Graphics Cards subforum to make sure that nobody notices a possible bottleneck.

Don't overclock something if you don't have any tools to fix it... Yeah, just grab the TV, or if your monitor or motherboard has a freakish way to fix it, do it.

No problem, and welcome to the PC Master Race! There's a few factors to consider here. Graphics card (subforum).A gtx 960 (200 USD), as well as a Titan X (1000 USD) can run GTA V. But as you can guess, there's a difference. A GTX 960 should be able to handle high or very high settings at 1080p. But a Titan X can run it on 1440p very high. So it comes down to what you want. You can check some benchmarks of your current GPU, and see if it can handle what you want. If it doesn't, or you feel like upgrading, you need to know for yourself what resolution and what graphical settings you want, as well as what games. You can look at some benchmarks to see what's the best. Processor (subforum).You may want to go to my CPU guide to learn a thing (almost anything you need to know) about processors (link in my signature). What you currently have may be okay, I would reocmmend to look at some benchmarks and see how it performs in the game you would like to play. Keep in mind that upgrading a processor may mean RAM and Motherboard upgrade too. Power Supply (subforum) (a swell guide)You don't need to upgrade your power supply. But if you are going to be handling some more heavy stuff like overclocking and/or SLI/Crossfire (multiple graphics cards working together), you want the best stability you can get. Case (subforum (the same as power supplies))Make sure your case fits your graphics card. Some are longer than others, etc. This should answer most of your questions. You can also ask for help in the new builds subforum, or come back to me. Or do both (use @Stijncat to tag me if you make a thread in the new builds though!)

^That is true. Yet this is not the case with every laptop, so it remains important to do your research. But you look like you know your stuff, so OP, if you go for laptop, take advice from @don_svetlio!

(If you like Dragon Nest, try Mabinogi, same publisher and more solid imo #OffTopic) But I digress. If those two genres are your stuff (MOBA and MMORPG), you'll be fine with your current build. But if you want to begin stuff like GTA V, Fallout 4, Guild Wars etc, you may want to upgrade later on if you want better graphical settings or framerates. Side note: Since I just realised you thought it was a bottleneck, that means you are confusing two things. A bottleneck occurs if one component is holding back the other. For example, if your processor was a 1 core running at 1GHz (something that's so old that it doesn't or shouldn't exist anymore) while you have a 1000€ Titan X graphics card, than you would still get shitty framerates. Since your processor would be holding back the graphics card. Basically, it's like asking a sportscar to drive at the same pace as a tricycle What I presume that you think a bottleneck is, is that if your system is too weak for what you want it to handle. That's just a... well, weak system

That is correct, but keep in mind that these also can be lower quality and aren't replaceable unless you go external too, so that's a factor to consider!

It depends. Pro's of a desktop: More bang for your buck. As @Arwanell said, a PC can easily outperform a laptop at a lower price (at how much lower depends). Upgradeability. If you need to swap out a component, go ahead. This makes upgrades cheaper and parts reusable or sellable. (Yes, something like the MSI GT80 Titan Laptop can be upgraded. But a GTX980M laptop upgrade chip costs 800 USD, while you can get two desktop 980's (which are more powerful or a single 980Ti (which is extremely powerful)) Overclocking (as far as I'm aware, laptops can't do this. But I wouldn't do it on a laptop anyway) It can look better It can cool better It can be more silent Pro's of a laptop: Easier to transport It can go without a charger for a while But that was it. So if transport and battery is important to you, get a laptop. But if not, I would advise getting a desktop everyday. However, a Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX system (as @Arwanell mentioned too) is easy to transport too. Yet, I would advise against using it without a desk anyway, seeing you need to move a monitor with you too.

No real bottleneck here. However, there's a lot of room for upgrading if you want to get into more intensive gaming. Every build is unique, and is custom fit to it's user and his needs. So what do you do with your computer?

It's discrete. It's small. But you can make it powerful. It's like a silent fart in the couch. A silent killer. Leaving all your friends impressed. Wishing they could have a silent killer like that. That's why I want the Zotac ZBOX MAGNUS EN970. It is a majestic, orange fart.