Cyankeesfan

Okay, so I have all the parts except the AM4 bracket from bequiet and it just occurred to me that I don't have enough fan headers. I have one 4 pin CPU header, 1 4 pin Chasis header and an RGB fan header (which i thought could be used for fan power but, it can't). So I have 2 PWM fan splitters, but I have a couple concerns about using them: first, there are actually 5 fans in the system because the dark rock pro 3 has two, but they are already joined into one 4 pin connector, and second will I be able to control all of these fans still? The rear fan and 2 CPU cooler fans are PWN, but the two front included chassis fans are only 3 pin. Thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated before I start building hopefully on Tuesday if the bracket arrives.

A Strix card would be ideal because silence is important most of the time, but I'm sure there will be times when I need all the power I can get and will be able to accept fan noise for performance. As of right now, Amazon has a 6GB Strix 1060 for $325 which is so tempting...

I didn't even know those existed, thats so cool! Maybe I'll pick one up in the future, but for now, I'm hoping the stock cooler is quiet enough.

I did not know that, thank you - I will now seriously consider buying the 1700x ( after all, its only about $30 more than the 1700). That is very reassuring! Like I said, whether I get the 1700 or 1700x, I may still overclock it a little bit, I just don't plan to max it out

Greetings All, I am an architecture student who realized that my current laptop, a Gigabyte P35k-CF1, which has served me well for the past 3 years, is now a limiting factor in my productivity, so its time for an upgrade. My workload involves 3D modeling, 3D rendering, 2D graphics, occasional video editing and uses the following software: Autodesk Revit Autodesk AutoCad Adobe Phototshop Adobe InDesign Adobe Illustrator Adobe Premire Adobe Sketchup Lumion I am also planing to start using Rhino and VRay this fall and possibly ArcGIS in the future. My priorities/objectives with this system: 1. Functionality - If it doesn't increase performance in at least one of the software programs listed above, or doesn't improve multitasking performance (something I often do), then it probably isn't worth it to me. I generally don't have time to play games, so please don't cite improved gaming performance as a reason for selecting a particular component (but on the rare occasion that I do get to play a game, it will probably be Fallout 4, Civ V or VI, Rocket League or Elder Scrolls 6 if it ever comes out - all games that should be run just fine on high settings at 1920x1200 with the hardware required for my workload.) 2. Reliability - I really can't afford to be troubleshooting my system when I have a deadline thats approaching. If I overclock, it will only be a little so I don't risk instability issues. 3. Upgradability/"Future proofness" - I have two years left in undergrad and am likely to spend two more years in graduate school for Urban Planning so I would like this system to last me that long for intensive work. 4. Silence - My current laptop would ramp up the fans to obnoxious levels whenever I was rendering, using Revit for a while, or playing games and there is not much I can do about it, so that's something I want to change when I have a desktop. With those criteria in mind, this is the part list I have selected: Architecture Student Build CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 - A somewhat controversial choice, but it is what I believe to be the best compromise between single and multi-threaded work loads as well as price/performance ratio CPU Cooler: BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 3 - I've had my eye on this cooler for almost as long as I've been interested in PC Hardware or watching Linus Tech Tips (in fact, this build, is my adaptation of the $2000 Silent Workstation Build Linus did four years ago!) Although it may not outperform all AIO liquid coolers or beefy heatsinks, but it looks the best to me, and performs well enough to do overclocking if I ever want to and looks awesome. (I do know that I will have to request an AM4 bracket from BeQuiet) Case: Fractal Design Mini C (w/window) - Again, I have loved Fractal Design Cases since first seeing one, then they released an mATX case, and I feel like it is the perfect size to not have a lot of wasted space, but still have lots of juicy airflow. The window may be contradictory to the objective of silence, but if I'm going to spend this much on a PC, I want to be able to see the hardware Motherboard: ASUS B350 A/CSM AM4 - My least confident selection. Its mATX and AM4 and ASUS, so it will work, but I don't know if its the best option so suggestions are certainly welcome RAM: 32GB 2400 DDR4 Corsair Vengence LPX - Adobe products eat about as much RAM as you give them, so the more the better; also I do a lot of multitasking so extra RAM helps out there too. The 2x16 configuration will allow me to expand to 64GB if need be in the future Video Card: 6GB GTX 1060 - Again, another debatable decision; I definitely don't think that any Quadro I could afford (even used) is better than a GeForce series card in this price range ($300-$350). Lumion does use the GPU to render and VRay has a GPU render option, but I don't know if it's wise to spend more money on the GPU when I can render using an 8 core CPU. Storage: Samsung 850 Evo 500GB SSD and 2TB WD Black HDD - Pretty mundane and balanced storage solution PSU: Seasonic G 550W - Semi-modular, 80+ Gold efficiency, and highly rated by Jonny Guru Peripherals: I already have a Logitech G602 mouse (which I love), a Dell U2415h 1920x1200 IPS monitor (which I like so much that I want a second one and a dual monitor arm, but thats not quite in my budget at the moment), and a K800 Logitech keyboard. Budget: $1500 USD I plan to place my order within two weeks so that I can have it assembled, tested, and set up as well have time to RMA any broken parts if necessary before I go back to school. My country of residence is the United States and my preferred retailers are Newegg and Amazon, but am open to other retailers or Ebay if the price is lower. If you've made it this far, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this post and greatly appreciate any advice or comments that you have to offer EDIT: Im also looking for suggestions for a wifi adapter (I will used a wired connection most of the time, but there will be times when thats not an option). And does anyone know when "Back to School" or end of summer sales start at Newegg or other retailers? I know they currently have Early back to School and the usual daily deals, but I'm looking for the optimal time to buy. UPDATE 08-13-17: I have purchased all the parts except for the processor, extra fan, and wifi adapter (but I will be doing that very soon) and the other parts should be arriving this week with the exception of the AM4 bracket from BeQuiet which I was told would take 10-14 days! Unfortunately, even if all my other parts arrive before the bracket, I won't be able to test anything because I don't have a CPU cooler and all of the "X" series of Ryzen chips don't come with one. On the upside, I got 2666mhz RAM for the same price as I had expected to get 2400mhz, a free copy of Rocket League with the 1060 Strix, and other sales so that's great! I will update again once all the parts come in.

I love the look about Fractal's Define series, and this is no exception. I had pretty much settled on the R5/S for my college/workstation build, then I saw this... I immediately envisioned a little, quiet, ITX, X99 system with a 5820K (or skylake hex core if I wait that long) but soon realized that ASUS doesn't make the ws board that I love in ITX (just ATX and mATX), and that large air cpu coolers (such as the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3) wouldnt fit since its 163mm tall (Fractal's site lists 160 as the maximum) and that even if the height wasn't an issue, the heatsink would be sitting on the GPU backplate. The obvious next solution is to go to the Define Mini right? Nope. It too has the 160mm maximum on CPU coolers, and seems to have more room between the motherboard and front case fans. Because Im not all that into water cooling (right now), and dont have a need for 2 5.25" bays and 3 or 4 3.5" extra drive bays, I simply dont need that much space there. The drive layout on this case is perfect for me, two SSDs behind the motherboard, and support for 2 3.5" drives for mass storage if I need them. Oh and I dont see myself getting any other expansion cards besides a gpu, so the 2 pci slots found on ITX boards and cases is fine with me. This case just doesn't quite make the cut for me. What I would like to see is an mini ITX case that caters toward air cooling for extremely quiet operation. Sure I could throw in a AIO liquid cooler to avoid the CPU cooler height requirement, but those will always produce pump noise and run the (small) risk of leakage. If anyone has any suggestions for a case based on this comment, Id love to hear them. Otherwise, I still look forward to seeing a lot of new builds in Fractals latest case.

I just purchased the monitor and an hdmi to display port cable, I'll let you all know how it works out for me. Thank you once again.

wow. Thank you for the quick responses, and thats great to hear.

Hello, I will be entering my second year of architecture school this fall and I've decided that I need a slight upgrade in my computer hardware. I currently have the Gigabyte P35k laptop, with its very nice 15" 1920x1080 ips display, but after using it for Revit for a while, I found that its really not sufficient (otherwise its good, except the fan noise, but thats another topic...). The monitor that I am looking to buy is the Dell U2415: its a 24" ips display that has a resolution of 1920x1200 (that extra real estate is the primary reason for selecting this particular monitor) and a super thin bezel. The only thing I need to know is will I have any trouble taking advantage of the full 1200 vertical pixels if I am only using it alone (with the laptop lid closed)? My hope is that this monitor lasts me through school, and at least until when I build a desktop in a year or two. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Update: I recieved the monitior (but not the DP to HDMI cable,that should be here tomorrow). I tried to connect via HDMI, but get nothing. I've downloaded drivers and checked for video card driver updates. Can anyone tell me whats going on? I now use an HDMI cable, plain and simple. Update 12/17/2015 I have successfully completed the fall semester and loved using my Dell U2415 everyday. The extra height put to great use no matter what I was doing, whether it was simply surfing the web, writing a paper, using Revit, Autocad, Photoshop or any combination of those. The variety of adjustibility was super useful and made me the envy of my friends in terms of monitors; I even found myself switching to portrait mode to work on 24"x60" presentation board design! (but having that feature also makes plugging cords in so much easier). I have no regrets about this purchuse and highly recomend it to any one else looking for a new monitor for productivity, or general use (maybe even gaming, I've played fallout 4 recently and had no issues with it). I just wish I had bought a second one...

Really? Well thats exciting to hear. I know I watched a video of one of the newer versions and the person still complained about the fan noise... Is this problem only fixed by buying a new version of this laptop or is there a software patch that I could get now?

I currently own a "nearly perfect" realistic laptop, the Gigabyte P35k-CF1. It looks beautiful, and a business like aesthetic that doesn't scream "gaming laptop" but still has great hardware. It has quad core i7, 8GBs of ram (but could be upgraded to 16GB), a GTX 765m, a 15" 1920x1080 IPS display, and is super thin. BUT, here's the catch: noise. The fan noise on this laptop while gaming is too much for any sort of area with other people around. Oh, and the keyboard feels a bit mushy. If Gigabyte allowed for precise fan speed adjustments (even if it meant a slight loss in performance) and improved the feel of the keyboard, it would be my perfect laptop. And given the fact that right now, the current version of this laptop costs around $1300, those improvements could easily be made within the $2500 limit.

I too plan to play a lot of ESO and I ordered a logitech g602. It seemed like the perfect balance between an MMO mouse and an fps mouse because it does the 6 "G" keys on the side (keep in mind you can only slot 5 active abilities and 1 ultimate ability on your hotbar at once so 6 is the magic number, so 6 macros right?) plus the 2 "G" keys on top which are set to adjust dpi as default but its not too cumbersome for playing and fps game. Also the left and right buttons are rated for 20 million clicks each and it has an advertised 250hr battery life in performance mode and 1400 in endurance mode using 2 AA batteries (or 1 if you prefer less weight). With that being said, I have yet to use the mouse, but I still recommend it because I bought for playing ESO primarily. However you may also want to look into the razer naga hex because it too has 6 side buttons.

As far as RPGs go I've played morrowind, oblivion, skyrim, and fallout new vegas. I absolutely love skyrim; I have over 100 hrs on my main, am level 74 (i think), but never beat the main quest... I've heard that MMORPGs like Rift and Terra are good. But the MMORPG that I am most excited for is Elder Scrolls Online. It comes out in the spring of 2014, but I've been following its development for probably 10 months now- I can't wait! So I recommend looking into Skyrim and ESO.

I am in a similar situation, and I found the gigabyte p35k. It is a bit more expensive but, it doesn't have as much of the exterior gaming aspects, unlike the ge60, and it has a 4700mq and gtx 765, and lots of storage options.

I love this headset and its excellent set of features; the swappable cable system, the ability to dismantle the headset, and the double braided cable. However $86 is a bit more then I wanted to spend on a headset. Are there other sets with similar features but closer to maybe $50?