Looking for some info for first build

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5 Also, I watched a video where guy said that if you use a Kaby Lake CPU in a Sky Lake motherboard, you'll need a BIOS update.  I don't know if my B250M-DS3H (I've decided to save the overclocking for a later build) is a Kaby Lake or Sky Lake since I can't find that infomation anywhere on Gigabyte's website.  How do you update the BIOS if it turns out I need to?

[Cereal5]

2 hours ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

Would that extra 2 GB of VRAM help with that kinda thing?

No. Either one is fine.

 

2 hours ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

I don't know if my B250M-DS3H (I've decided to save the overclocking for a later build) is a Kaby Lake or Sky Lake since I can't find that infomation anywhere on Gigabyte's website.  How do you update the BIOS if it turns out I need to?

100 is sky lake, 200 is kaby lake. So you're good.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

11 hours ago, Cereal5 said:

100 is sky lake, 200 is kaby lake. So you're good.

Thanks.  I saw a guy who said my particular board was skylake so I wanted to make sure.  Also thanks for all the help.  I know it's frustrating to help someone constantly changes their mind like me.

[Cereal5]

7 hours ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

Thanks.  I saw a guy who said my particular board was skylake so I wanted to make sure.  Also thanks for all the help.  I know it's frustrating to help someone constantly changes their mind like me.

Yeah I don't know why they would think that... It's a pretty easy naming scheme. And no problem

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5
So thanks to your help, this is what my build now looks like; 
CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX
RAM: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB DDR4-2400
Storage: ADATA - Ultimate SU800 256 GB 2.5"
Video Card: MSI - Radeon RX 580 8 GB ARMOR OC
Case: Deepcool - TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower
PSU: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan: Corsair - CO-9050016-BLED 52.19 CFM 120mm Fans
Monitor: Acer Nitro VG220Q bmiix 21.5" Full HD (1920 x 1080)

Should come in at a final price of about 980 USD.  It'll be amazing to look over and see a near 1000 dollar piece of hardware sitting by me.

I guess now I only have one more, very minor question.  Does Freesync work with any HDMI cable?  Cause for the life of me, I can't find what spec of HDMI my GPU or monitor is.  I can't imagine either of them is below 2.0 since it's been 5 years since that was released and RX 580 was released back in April of 2017. It's nothing big since I'll probably not use it all that much but it'd still be nice to know.  Though, fun fact, it's kinda funny because on their page, Acer says my Acer Nitro VG220Q comes from them with only a VGA cable.  XD Like, boy how many people that buy a 1920x1080 Freesync enabled gaming monitor are gonna be using VGA anymore lol

[Cereal5]

45 minutes ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

Like, boy how many people that buy a 1920x1080 Freesync enabled gaming monitor are gonna be using VGA anymore lol

Don't get ahead of yourself lol

 

This goes for HDMI and DisplayPort: The cable doesn't matter. It's the revision of the port in the actual monitor and GPU that matter (there are exceptions but you don't need to worry about it, as long as your cable isn't like 10 years old (either way, it will drivel 1080p no problem)). VGA and DVI are different stories though.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

19 hours ago, Cereal5 said:

It's the revision of the port in the actual monitor and GPU that matter

Yeah, now I remember.  Also, I now realize that both the RX 580 and the monitor both say they're Freesync capable so why I was thinking either of them was incapable of using it, I'll never know. lol

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

EDIT:  So I think I answered my own question, atleast partially.  I think I'm going to get a hub or splitter that pulls directly from the PSU.  I wasn't quite sure what molex was but after looking at my PSU's cables, I realized they're what come out from the PERIF cable.  I also have plenty of SATA connectors (two plugs in the PSU that each split 3 ways) so I can also use a hub or splitter that uses them too.  So being able power all my fans isn't a problem.  Still curious on how many I should have though.  Putting this up top so you see it before the rest of my post.

@Cereal5 Oh that little JayzTwoCents.  Here I am thinking my system is all planned out and finalized and then I came across and watched one of his videos about case fans. *sigh*

So of course, I looked into mine.  I knew my case had one and I was gonna buy a couple more (I changed my choice to a couple of be quiet! - SilentWings 3 PWM 50.5 CFM 120mm Fans each for 20 bucks.)  But then found out my mobo only has one system fan header (I really messed up with my mobo choice it seems).  So as usual, my guess was wrong and I have another question.

How many fans would be recommended for my system and would it be better to use a splitter or a hub that draws straight from the PSU?  Noise isn't really a factor as I've read SilentWings 3 fans are quite quiet (guess that's why the company's called be quiet! lol) even at full bore so not being able to control their speeds isn't a big deal for me (even if they weren't quiet, it wouldn't bother me).  Also, I believe on their website be quiet says each fan only draws .12 amps (I included a screenshot of the electrical specs) and if so, then I should be able to have up to 7-8 fans drawing from it without problem .  Though that last line I'm not sure of and no, I don't plan on buying 8 fans lol

[Cereal5]

52 minutes ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

I really messed up with my mobo choice it seems

Hm... Just giving you shit lol. But only half joking as always. Ok maybe less than half.

 

It increases exponentially, more or less, when you add fans via splitter. I would say 5, but good luck finding a 5 way splitter lol. Most 4+ have molex power anyways. Just get a 3 fan splitter and run it behind the mobo with two in the front and one in the back. You should only need 3 fans anyways. Or 2. Or 1. The case may or may not have one included anyways.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

7 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

Just get a 3 fan splitter and run it behind the mobo with two in the front and one in the back. You should only need 3 fans anyways. Or 2. Or 1. The case may or may not have one included anyways.

That was my original fan layout, only one in the back, one in the front, and one on the side because my case has one back, one front, two side, and two top fan placements.  Plus I just found a 4 pack of Courgar Turbine 120s for a little over what those be quiets were going for.  Slightly higher RPM and noise level but then also more air flow.  Not PWM but they shouldn't be much louder anyway.  Also, I'm getting this thing (sorry for long link)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999309&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Accessories+-+Case+%2F+Rackmount-_-N82E16811999309&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxs3gBRDGARIsAO4tqq2qfNwe7E_CZOvBzu9nC6nm_KPtnGV3rSDH2BBpCC9TYOrws7KO-ugaAr_ZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

So that if/when I do a new build that requires more fans than I have headers and I need to control the fans, I'll already have it.  I just got paid so I think I'm going to get all this small stuff bought so I can't change my mind again lol

Thanks again oh mighty master PC builder.  Your help is once again more than appreciated *glances at ground, unsure whether or not to kneel*

[Cereal5]

3 minutes ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

(sorry for long link)

stop apologizing.

 

3 minutes ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

Plus I just found a 4 pack of Courgar Turbine 120s for a little over what those be quiets were going for.

Extra fans are always good to have around, never know when you need one. Weird your case only has one front fan mount though.

 

Glad I can help.

On 12/12/2018 at 4:57 AM, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

Does Freesync work with any HDMI cable?  Cause for the life of me, I can't find what spec of HDMI my GPU or monitor is.  I can't imagine either of them is below 2.0 since it's been 5 years since that was released and RX 580 was released back in April of 2017. It's nothing big since I'll probably not use it all that much but it'd still be nice to know.  Though, fun fact, it's kinda funny because on their page, Acer says my Acer Nitro VG220Q comes from them with only a VGA cable.  XD Like, boy how many people that buy a 1920x1080 Freesync enabled gaming monitor are gonna be using VGA anymore lol

Not sure. The GPU should be 2.0, but the monitor might be 1.4. Who knows with monitors honestly. HDMI is garbage anyways lol. If I had a third displayport cable I wouldn't need to use it at all... alas. Also, freesync is essentially free to add to any monitor, since it uses a standard protocol included in every TV/monitor, so it's basically just a selling point for anyone that wants extra street cred, yo.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

3 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

stop apologizing.

Sorry  XD

3 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

Weird your case only has one front fan mount though.

I bought the case a long time ago, before I knew anything really about building a PC.  I think I was following a build guide from the PCMR reddit but then over time, I changed it.  I didn't even realize it had a front mount till I read the online manual.  It's a intake (atleast that's what they say on the manual) that sits in front of the four 3.5" trays.  It took me 10 minutes for me, my brother, and my friend to find lol You have to pull the front panel off to get at it.

4 minutes ago, Cereal5 said:

so it's basically just a selling point for anyone that wants extra street cred, yo.

Then of course I need it dwag.  I needs all the cred I can get my hands on after this mess of a thread lol

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5
Just a quick update so don't worry lol.  I just ordered my case fans and fan hub from the Amazon.  The listing for the fans wasn't quite right as there was no indication it was a four pack of fans but a guy in the reviews was complaining he got four fans instead of one so lol.  Also, PCPP lied to me and claimed Amazon was also selling my monitor for 129.99.  LIES ALL OF IT LIES.  The lowest seller on there wanted like 170 plus taxes (I live in PA, I hate our governor).  So, just on the off chance I could get a better deal, I went looking and wouldn't you know, Newegg (NEWEGG! You know, one of the major sellers on PCPP) was selling them for 127.19 shipped so jokes on PCPP.  Of course, PCPP didn't have my monitor (or my fan hub for that matter) so I had to create a custom entry so it's not really surprising.  Though even when I use Newegg's link for the custom part, they still claim B&H is the only seller and now even removed Amazon's listing.  B&H was selling them for 109.99 but they're on back order and I'm not waiting till after Christmas for that monitor so I ponied up some extra money.

Now all's that left is the CPU and graphics card, which will be gotten at a later date.  Also, I almost forgot the most important bit.  Thermal paste.  I knew for me it really didn't matter but after some research, I tossed in some MX-4 in my Amazon order.  It's only 7.77 extra so yeah.  The grand total for everything save the CPU and graphics card is 522.86 USD.  If the prices don't change drastically for the CPU and graphics card, then I'm over the hill on my build in terms of money.  Strange though to think two little items are (in my case) 49% of the cost.  Though after hearing how CPUs are made, I'm not surprised.

Again, I must thank you for your help.  Without it, I might have settled for crap that was only slightly cheaper than the good stuff.

[Cereal5]

Like I said, glad I can help. The more people with good PCs, the less consoles! Jk I’m not that slob-y lol. It’s crazier to think some people budget up to or over 50% of their build money on a GPU alone. A $2000 might have a 2080 Ti, and those are $1200 lol. Weird about the monitor, but not surprised. There are so many monitor model numbers that who knows. MX-4 is a good paste. Stock TIM is usually fine but you’ll get a couple degrees off with that.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5 Well I got an update on my PC and it's not a good one.

I just got fired from my decent paying job.

I'm completely devastated.  I was so close to finishing this PC how I wanted it.We're pretty sure we'll be able to pick up the pieces but it leaves Keara, the new name for my intended system, in limbo.  I'm praying I'll be able to get going again before I have to return the RX 580 I bought mere hours before I got fired because it came with a 2 free game deal that includes REmake 2, which I want very much and would buy if I didn't get it free.  I can only take advantage of that offer, however, if I have my system up and running before April with a RX 570 or RX 580 in it.

Assuming I can keep my shiny card, all I have left is the CPU.  The i7-7700 is out of the question.  Whatever job I do get, it won't pay enough to afford it, not with my inability to save more 50 dollars before that impulse of having to spend it hits.  I know that.  Whatever CPU I do choose, I won't be able to go higher than maybe 60 dollars.  That knocks most new (and I am still buying new to avoid rip offs) quad cores off the market.  I do know I can get a 2.9GHz dual core Celeron G3930 for about 40 dollars.  What do you think?

EDIT:  So a quick edit.  In the 50 minutes since I first wrote this, I talked to a few people and they convinced me to buy used but only on Ebay.  The deals can be great and if I do get ripped off, Ebay's protection should cover me.  With my current position, I guess it's the best I'll get.  So now I'm eyeing a Pentium G4560T that's got 10 hours left and is at 36 dollars.  I might try if I can get it for 40.

[Cereal5]

Well... That sucks. Sorry to hear that.

 

Nothing you find for $50 will be better than an i5-7400, assuming you can still get that. The only thing that would be an "upgrade" would be an i5-6600 or 7600, and all it is is better clock speeds. An i7 would be the real upgrade. I'm glad you're considering used, as your new options have now shrunk to a laughable selection.

 

If you can't afford a 7400... Well like I said, $50 isn't much. A G4560 is better than a G4560T. I have a hard time recommending anything under an i3. Can you save up for an i3-7100 or 7100T? Or 6100/6100T? Also 6300/7300 with or without the T. Honestly your gaming experience on a dual core processor will not be worth the money spent. But it's up to you.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

Well I got that 4560T for 49 dollars.  The auction ended around 1 PM EST and I only just got up, else I might've been able to talk things over.  You must've replied minutes after I shut down for sleep.  I looked around and even the cheapest auction for a i5-7400 started at 100.  I know dual core isn't great but I have already had experience dealing with worse for longer so buying something half ass and upgrading later, what I'm gonna call a temporary solution, is more of a viable plan because I'll have to use the CPU for months before even the remote chance I'll have enough to buy something better comes around.  Don't worry, I will something get something better.  It's mostly wanting the chance to save 70 bucks by claiming my two free games.  I've waited years to see all those computer parts sitting on my dresser and I'll be damned if a shitty company is going to pull that dream out from under me, even if it means I have to waste 50 on a half ass CPU now just so I can get the thing up and running to claim some games for later use.


So the above was written several hours ago.  I accidentally exited the tab and just didn't bother coming back.  Point is, I got the 4560T, though I would've preferred the non-T version but right now, I'll just take what apples God decides to throw at my head from the heavens.  On a side note, there is a chance I'll get a job at Wal-Mart pushing carts and that should pay about 9 something an hour.  I think they work full time and if that's the case, then I'd probably go back to making close to what I did (I worked 5PM-1AM for 5 days a week at 10.50 an hour).  But that's an if.  I'll update later if it develops (pray/hope/cheer for me).

As for the computer, if I'm lucky atleast I'll get to keep the 580.  Least it's better than a Geforce2 MX400, which you can still buy brand new from Amazon for only 10 bucks less than I did for my Q1'17 CPU lol XD
https://www.amazon.com/GeForce2-MX400-64MB-Video-Card/dp/B0034D7CMO

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5 Just a quick question.  So I kinda dropped my CPU from about 5 feet up and it landed butter side down so to speak.  There's only this tiny smudge looking thing around three of the pads and I don't know if it was there beforehand.  Think I'm going to have any problems and if I do, is there anything I can do?

[Cereal5]

On 1/4/2019 at 3:37 AM, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

@Cereal5 Just a quick question.  So I kinda dropped my CPU from about 5 feet up and it landed butter side down so to speak.  There's only this tiny smudge looking thing around three of the pads and I don't know if it was there beforehand.  Think I'm going to have any problems and if I do, is there anything I can do?

Butter side down? uh... IHS or contact pads? Face up or face down lol. Just rub it with some isopropyl alcohol and it should be ok. Next time, don't keep your brain where you can drop it lol.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

5 hours ago, Cereal5 said:

Butter side down? uh... IHS or contact pads?

Contact pads down.  I'm in the middle of the build right now.  If it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5 Well, I built my computer and my CPU is working good.  I installed Windows and am in the process of getting everything updated.  Just thought I'd let you know everything was good.  Gotta buy a new power cord for it so I can use my new 1080p gaming monitor but hey, least I got my new pc up and running.

[Cereal5]

8 hours ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

@Cereal5 Well, I built my computer and my CPU is working good.  I installed Windows and am in the process of getting everything updated.  Just thought I'd let you know everything was good.  Gotta buy a new power cord for it so I can use my new 1080p gaming monitor but hey, least I got my new pc up and running.

Congrats, I'm glad everything has worked out so far. It'll be a welcome upgrade coming from a potato, that I can say from experience.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

@Cereal5 We filmed our building.  It'll take me a bit to get it edited and put up on Youtube but when I get it done, I'll post the link.  It's probably entertaining because we clearly have the most basic understanding of what we're doing (also it took us 13 hours, including the 3 hour nap we took XD).  For example, I installed my cooler only to then find out that the mobo puts the CPU power so close to the socket, it was covered by the cooler XD So I had to remove everything, plug that power in, and route the cord so it wouldn't sit on my hot cooler then reinstall the cooler.  Of course, that meant removing the CPU and cleaning it.  XD I don't think I've gripped something that hard before in my life to keep from dropping it into the socket.  Now, any decent builder probably would've noticed right away lol Not me.

Still, it was a enjoyable experience and while I've mostly been busy getting all my stuff all set up, put together, and transferring all the important stuff off my laptop's HDD so I can format it and use it for storage of things I don't need access to a lot, I did manage to get a quick level in on Men of War Assault Squad.  On settings that were far higher than what I had them set to on my 'tater, I was still managing 30 FPS while looking into the distance.  A little settings mixing and it's now 40-45 or good enough for me.  I can't wait to see how the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout games look.

This is more out of curiosity than anything.  For my hardware, what do you think a decent "idling on the desktop" heat would be for my CPU?

[Cereal5]

1 minute ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

also it took us 13 hours, including the 3 hour nap we took XD

Lol

 

1 minute ago, GuyWhoGamesOnA2011Laptop said:

This is more out of curiosity than anything.  For my hardware, what do you think a decent "idling on the desktop" heat would be for my CPU?

Depending on CPU, cooling, and ambient temps, anywhere from 28-40C is pretty normal. For a G4560T with what I'm assuming is a stock cooler, I'd say probably mid 30s to low 40s. However, idle temps don't matter much. Load temps matter much more. Though... Pentiums are already pretty low power, and the T-SKU only makes it lower power so you probably won't have any cooling problems.

[GuyWhoGamedOnAn2011Laptop]

9 hours ago, Cereal5 said:

stock cooler

It's a Cyrorig H7 XD  I'm getting about 27-35 C, though I prefer to use F.  Basically, my rig is cooler than I am.  Not to mention, I have 5 case fans running XD 2 intake and 3 outake.  She's always humming next to me but that's ok.