Bonesy

Wow did this thread go haywire quickly! On-Topic: I agree with what has been stated. I would venture to say the majority of us enjoy DLC content/features. We get hooked on a game or community, and then DLC gets released - most of us jump on it. As opposed to you being excited about a game coming out, and they already have their next years' worth of DLC ready-to-go. The biggest difference (IMO) is the mindset of the customer: DLC at a later time gives the appearance that you received a FULL game with EXTRA content you may now purchase. DLC at launch gives the appearance that you received a PARTIAL game with MISSING content you may/must now purchase. One way feels like you lucked out, and got extra content for the game you love. Well worth the $10 or w/e it might be. The other way feels like you need to pay the DLC price, to get the standard content(generally speaking). Off-Topic: As for PC's vs consoles - it's an asinine topic for both parties involved; there is no winner. Yes, PC's can potentially perform better and give you more options than a console - they will also take more money, patience and understanding to accomplish this. If you build a truly "Console Killer" rig, than you will lose out on many of the things that make a console enjoyable. i.e: I now get 60 FPS @1080p instead of @900p, but now i couldn't afford bluetooth, wi-fi, controller, nice case, etc etc. Maybe most importantly though is the ecosystems themselves. PC users fall into so many different categories(called PERSONAL computers for a reason). While, Console users generally fall into one of two categories: Casual Gamers - Just want to pick up a controller, race a track or two, finish a quest or two...then start getting dinner ready. Community Gamers - Just want to pick up a controller, put on a headset, and game with their friends - in arguably, the easiest/most seemless method we currently have. I love PC's and technology in general, they are simply fascinating to me. I still remain in awe that 0's and 1's can represent so thoroughly, our many different cultures and desires. Finding new ways to explore that relationship/mechanism further is why I love PC's so much - as my curiosity runs away in my mind, my PC can keep up(mostly). That being said, sometimes I don't wanna do a damn thing but vegetate on the couch and run into a wall or ten, as I hopelessly try to improve my laptime. I don't see either platform going anywhere until we truly get to a ubiquitous state in our technology and home entertainment integration. So if we have the "#PCMASTERRACE" on one side of the fence, and the "#CONSOLEPEASANTS" on the other....guess I'll be straddling the fence as a #PCPEASANT.

I don't mean to be rude, so please don't take it as such, but the activities you will be using the computer for are fairly intensive. You simply won't be able to tolerate trying to encode a video using integrated graphics and an atom processor(like with the surface 3). If you want a laptop, then you want a "full" laptop to accomplish the tasks you need. I'm not sure what reasons you have for avoiding the pro 3, but it really is the far better option for your workload. Moving away from the surface, I don't think the zenbook is what you're looking for either, as again; it's based off a mobile platform...(intel core m, integrated graphics, etc.) Personally, I'm a fan of the Dell XPS 13/15...great form factor, reputable company, and the price is reasonable for the performance you receive. That being said, i don't work with laptops as much as I do desktops; maybe someone more "mobile-focused" has some differing/better options for you.

So, as I have been using Vessel lately to watch LTT's videos; I wanted to see what others thought/felt about the service. Personally, I am of a mixed mindset about it currently. I seem to always run into buffering issues(only for a second) throughout videos, which I swear gets more annoying as time goes on. I have a wired 150mbps connection, and never experience this issue otherwise. so I'm fairly positive it's a vessel bandwidth concern. Does anyone else run into this issue or similar? I also seem to have "issues" with the quality, albeit it's mostly gripe.....at the "high" setting(which I assume is 1080p), the quality seems slightly less than the youtube variant(like aliasing or something, just slightly less defined, and by no means a deal-breaker). Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me being well...me? I do however prefer the overall aesthetic design of the site, as well as the CORE functionality; and although I wish I had settings like I'm used to (profiles, favorites, etc etc) - I don't find myself going back to youtube for those features specifically, so I guess it's not that big of a deal. I also prefer that right now it is "small" and therefore much easier to find QUALITY videos from creators I enjoy, rather than the hundreds/thousands/millions of videos that just tend to float around on the dark side of youtube. That being said, youtube is still the only place to go when you want to go on a "recommended video" binge, and end up watching a video on how to shave a duck, because well...you can. I guess largely my opinion aligns as follows: I prefer the "general use" of Vessel, but the quality/speed(As well as not working on browsers like Vivaldi), leave a sour taste in my mouth when contemplating using this as my daily video driver. Do any of you have similar concerns, or do you have a different perspective/outlook? Also, how do you feel about the paid service? I don't like that currently i'm using the free trial of the service, and still get ads on every video. If I were to pay for the service, I would hope that the ads would disappear with that, and I would think the "free trial" should follow those same guidelines, or it's not really a trial(IMO). If it will remain this way even after being a paid member, does that bother you? So I guess overall, I like the service for being easy to use, both in navigation and content searching, but I miss the "big company" perks like the bandwidth, video quality, and "advanced" features. Do yo share a similar viewpoint, or what are your thoughts?

I think it depends on you honestly. If you want a set-it-and-forget-it solution...throw in a 980 and you're done. No, you won't be getting the same performance of 2x970's; but you won't have to deal with the general SLI frustration on certain titles/drivers/etc. Also, leaves you the ability to toss in another 980 down the road if you need the extra GPU power. However, if you don't mind the potential hassle/frustration of dealing with an SLI setup, you just want the most bang for your buck, grab 2x970's and thoroughly enjoy. I can see both sides of the coin, so choose the side that best fits you.

Something similar to this would suit you well: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($284.50 @ shopRBC) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.98 @ DirectCanada) Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.95 @ Vuugo) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.59 @ DirectCanada) Storage: A-Data XPG SX900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($75.97 @ DirectCanada) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.95 @ Vuugo) Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX) Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I ID ATX Mid Tower Case ($53.25 @ Vuugo) Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($56.99 @ NCIX) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) ($107.92 @ shopRBC) Monitor: BenQ GW2765HT 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($477.95 @ Vuugo) Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K50 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($69.99 @ Memory Express) Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($69.98 @ DirectCanada) Total: $1868.01 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-30 18:32 EDT-0400

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($416.98 @ DirectCanada) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.98 @ DirectCanada) Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.95 @ Vuugo) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.59 @ DirectCanada) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($145.95 @ DirectCanada) Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($154.98 @ DirectCanada) Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($661.98 @ Newegg Canada) Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ NCIX) Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($56.99 @ NCIX) Keyboard: Rosewill RK-9200BU Wired Slim Keyboard ($94.98 @ Newegg Canada) Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($69.98 @ DirectCanada) Total: $1992.35 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-30 18:24 EDT-0400 Black and Blue build

I think this is a sweet looking black and white build, and leaves you plenty of room to decide where you want the money spent. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.98 @ Newegg) Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.75 @ OutletPC) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.75 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($314.99 @ Newegg) Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($104.50 @ Directron) Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($47.50 @ Newegg) Total: $1057.43 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-30 16:36 EDT-0400

Agreed, Vapor-X

What is your budget?

Well, if you have a spare HDD lying around, this is what I would go with: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor (£821.94 @ Aria PC) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.99 @ Amazon UK) Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard (£156.99 @ Amazon UK) Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£163.47 @ Amazon UK) Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£47.65 @ More Computers) Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card (£258.99 @ Amazon UK) Case: Cooler Master K280 ATX Mid Tower Case (£21.48 @ Amazon UK) Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£47.64 @ Scan.co.uk) Total: £1543.15 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-30 19:48 BST+0100 Obviously, can swap around RAM, GPU, etc as needed for his uses.

I do not have any personal experience with the monitor. I generally think ASUS makes great monitors, but that one specifically I chose because I remember it mentioned a few times as particularly nice, as well as OC'able past 75 Hz to like 98 or something

60 Hz and 75 Hz monitors are both in the link - I couldnt find any decent 120Hz or 144Hz monitors at 1080p via pcpartpicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Q4Ytbv EDIT: oh ya, and I'd swap out that SSD to another brand if possible, v300 not so reliable

Well as far as "best" I think this little guy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121912, Still aftermarket cooling, but small form factor for easy placement in many cases, and one fan to help isolate the temps a little better for exhaust than dual/triple fans. My opinion though

Well to be honest i'm a little confused about the issue(sorry), but the reported capacities seem fine. It's a 1TB hdd, but you only get that 930GB or so due to formatting/overhead of the drive itself. Same with your SSD, ~30GB instead of 32GB. If you're sure that the 3rd drive in question is 750GB, then that shouldn't appear as 931GB...but would be normal for a 1TB drive

Given your options, here are my thoughts: CPU - Core i5 4460 - Best bang-for-buck without OC'ing CPU (IMO) Mobo - Any z97 board; the ASROCK Anniversary and the MSI PC MATE are both inexpensive RAM - 2x4GB of any 1600Mhz+ Case - Up to you Storage - I dont particularly care for Kingston SSD's - other similarly priced options are available GPU - With the prices in your area, I'd go with a 960...but if you can find a better deal on the 970, go for it PSU - If going with a 960, almost any PSU will work just fine...if using something more demanding like a 280x/970/etc...than I'd recommend a 500w+ 80 bronze