When can I expect this technology?

[steamboat]

Hey guys.

I haven't bought a computer/laptop in 6 years and I want to upgrade soon. My main problem is that I have certain needs, which aren't necessary, but seem to be keeping me from buying a new PC.  

I do heavy CAD, MATLAB, Java, planning on learning C/C++, a bit of basic photoshopping and I'm interested in a bit of video making and rendering.

The games I play on my brother's computer are: World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Civilisation V, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 4 (rarely), Dota 2 and I might play Heroes of the Storm. 

 

- Since Skylake is being released next year I figure I would skip Broadwell and just get Skylake. 

- I'm extremely interested in buying Nvidia's Pascal architecture. I've long been a fan of the idea of stacked memory and while some of the literature hasn't been released yet, I can see the huge potential for developers. 

- I want a motherboard with PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 support. 

 

The reason I am so careful about what I want is because I am still at university (2 years to go) on a student's income, so I want to buy the right computer.

Would anyone be able to give me an ETA on when all this technology will be released?

I am currently not able to play any games on my current 6 year old laptop due to overheating issues and outdated hardware, so I am trying to weight up if it's better to buy a simple gaming computer now or just wait until all my requirements are met. 

 

Regards, 

steamboaT

[79wjd]

Hey guys.

I haven't bought a computer/laptop in 6 years and I want to upgrade soon. My main problem is that I have certain needs, which aren't necessary, but seem to be keeping me from buying a new PC.  

I do heavy CAD, MATLAB, Java, planning on learning C/C++, a bit of basic photoshopping and I'm interested in a bit of video making and rendering.

The games I play on my brother's computer are: World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Civilisation V, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 4 (rarely), Dota 2 and I might play Heroes of the Storm. 

 

- Since Skylake is being released next year I figure I would skip Broadwell and just get Skylake. 

- I'm extremely interested in buying Nvidia's Pascal architecture. I've long been a fan of the idea of stacked memory and while some of the literature hasn't been released yet, I can see the huge potential for developers. 

- I want a motherboard with PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 support. 

 

The reason I am so careful about what I want is because I am still at university (2 years to go) on a student's income, so I want to buy the right computer.

Would anyone be able to give me an ETA on when all this technology will be released?

I am currently not able to play any games on my current 6 year old laptop due to overheating issues and outdated hardware, so I am trying to weight up if it's better to buy a simple gaming computer now or just wait until all my requirements are met. 

 

Regards, 

steamboaT

Just get the best gaming computer you can afford that is able to play all the games you want at acceptable settings. Neither DDR3 or PCIe 3.0 is bottlenecking any current consumer hardware.

[Megazero]

Hey guys.

I haven't bought a computer/laptop in 6 years and I want to upgrade soon. My main problem is that I have certain needs, which aren't necessary, but seem to be keeping me from buying a new PC.  

I do heavy CAD, MATLAB, Java, planning on learning C/C++, a bit of basic photoshopping and I'm interested in a bit of video making and rendering.

The games I play on my brother's computer are: World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Civilisation V, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 4 (rarely), Dota 2 and I might play Heroes of the Storm. 

 

- Since Skylake is being released next year I figure I would skip Broadwell and just get Skylake. 

- I'm extremely interested in buying Nvidia's Pascal architecture. I've long been a fan of the idea of stacked memory and while some of the literature hasn't been released yet, I can see the huge potential for developers. 

- I want a motherboard with PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 support. 

 

The reason I am so careful about what I want is because I am still at university (2 years to go) on a student's income, so I want to buy the right computer.

Would anyone be able to give me an ETA on when all this technology will be released?

I am currently not able to play any games on my current 6 year old laptop due to overheating issues and outdated hardware, so I am trying to weight up if it's better to buy a simple gaming computer now or just wait until all my requirements are met. 

 

Regards, 

steamboaT

A system like this, as low as 1200$ (can come even lower since the games your play dont require much GPU power except BF4) should already satisfied all your work:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.97 @ OutletPC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.66 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($86.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.82 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1158.36

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-21 02:52 EDT-0400

TO go extreme with the DDR4 and all other stuff, your need heavy gun like i7 5960X, X99 mobo, DDR4 which cose about 2-3 grand just for those 3, other stuff you mention dont have an ETA yet, and I think a computer like this 1200$ should easily stand for 3-4 years for your university work and even real world work

[Victor Golf]

All that new stuff is realistically only going to give about a 10-20% improvement in performance over the current offerings, and that is speculation.

Really, if you want to wait for these new technologies there will be more new technology when all of the stuff you waited for has been released too.

[TheRetiredSlave]

The biggest issue with technology is that, since it takes so long to develop and bring to market, there will always be something better on the horizon, no matter how advanced we get.. If you try to wait until the best thing comes out, you'll be waiting indefinitely because there will never be a "best" thing.

 

You specifically say you want Skylake and Pascal.. Why? By the time those are released, there will be newer and better things on the horizon which would just make both Skylake and Pascal obsolete.. By the time those newer and better things come out, there will be even newer and even better things on the horizon. And so on, and so on, and so on..

You want PCIe 4.0 and DDR4? Why? Soon we will hear whisperings of PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 (actually, probably not "soon", but you get my point). After that there will be PCIe 6.0 and DDR6 (probably). 

 

 

The fact is, if you need a new system now, buy a new system now. If you don't, don't.

[steamboat]

A system like this, as low as 1200$ (can come even lower since the games your play dont require much GPU power except BF4) should already satisfied all your work:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.97 @ OutletPC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.66 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($86.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.82 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1158.36

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-21 02:52 EDT-0400

TO go extreme with the DDR4 and all other stuff, your need heavy gun like i7 5960X, X99 mobo, DDR4 which cose about 2-3 grand just for those 3, other stuff you mention dont have an ETA yet, and I think a computer like this 1200$ should easily stand for 3-4 years for your university work and even real world work

 

 

All that new stuff is realistically only going to give about a 10-20% improvement in performance over the current offerings, and that is speculation.

Really, if you want to wait for these new technologies there will be more new technology when all of the stuff you waited for has been released too.

 

 

The biggest issue with technology is that, since it takes so long to develop and bring to market, there will always be something better on the horizon, no matter how advanced we get.. If you try to wait until the best thing comes out, you'll be waiting indefinitely because there will never be a "best" thing.

 

You specifically say you want Skylake and Pascal.. Why? By the time those are released, there will be newer and better things on the horizon which would just make both Skylake and Pascal obsolete.. By the time those newer and better things come out, there will be even newer and even better things on the horizon. And so on, and so on, and so on..

You want PCIe 4.0 and DDR4? Why? Soon we will hear whisperings of PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 (actually, probably not "soon", but you get my point). After that there will be PCIe 6.0 and DDR6 (probably). 

 

 

The fact is, if you need a new system now, buy a new system now. If you don't, don't.

 

Thank you guys for all your help. I live in Australia, so the prices for each part can be up to 30% more. 

This is the parts list for one of the cheapest places in Australia. 

If I do get a computer now here are some of the things I want. 

- I want a good 2k monitor with G-Sync compatibility, modular power supply, I don't plan on putting more than 1 graphics card in the computer, a 240+ GB SSD and a sound card would be great. 

 

Would you be able to tailor a build for me?

PARTS.pdf

[Megazero]

Thank you guys for all your help. I live in Australia, so the prices for each part can be up to 30% more. 

This is the parts list for one of the cheapest places in Australia. 

If I do get a computer now here are some of the things I want. 

- I want a good 2k monitor with G-Sync compatibility, modular power supply, I don't plan on putting more than 1 graphics card in the computer, a 240+ GB SSD and a sound card would be great. 

 

Would you be able to tailor a build for me?

Give us a budget first~ PcPartPicker have a part for Australia too so we will still be using that

Well let's say there's no limit for the budget but let's keep it dont from the extreme stuff, I'd say this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($389.00 @ CPL Online)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.00 @ Mwave Australia)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($198.00 @ CPL Online)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($105.00 @ CPL Online)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($135.00 @ Centre Com)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.00 @ Centre Com)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ CPL Online)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ CPL Online)

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($165.00 @ CPL Online)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($135.00 @ CPL Online)

Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($999.00 @ CPL Online)

Total: $3265.00

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-21 17:24 EST+1000

You can swap the 2 970 for 1 980, it will be about 200 AUD cheaper I think?

[TheRetiredSlave]

Thank you guys for all your help. I live in Australia, so the prices for each part can be up to 30% more. 

This is the parts list for one of the cheapest places in Australia. 

If I do get a computer now here are some of the things I want. 

- I want a good 2k monitor with G-Sync compatibility, modular power supply, I don't plan on putting more than 1 graphics card in the computer, a 240+ GB SSD and a sound card would be great. 

 

Would you be able to tailor a build for me?

 

Yeah, we can figure out a good build for you.

 

What's your budget? (if you don't have a specific number, just give us a generic range)

When you say "2K" what resolution are you referring to? Some people say that 2K should mean 1920x1080, while others say 2K when referring to 2560x1440 (which would technically be 2.5K).. In any case, the only 2560x1440 G-sync monitor on the market right now is the ASUS PG278Q, which costs $1000 in Australia.

Dedicated soundcard? Many motherboards nowadays have pretty good built-in soundcards, so unless you're a hardcore audiophile it may be better just to stick with onboard.

[steamboat]

Yeah, we can figure out a good build for you.

 

What's your budget? (if you don't have a specific number, just give us a generic range)

When you say "2K" what resolution are you referring to? Some people say that 2K should mean 1920x1080, while others say 2K when referring to 2560x1440 (which would technically be 2.5K).. In any case, the only 2560x1440 G-sync monitor on the market right now is the ASUS PG278Q, which costs $1000 in Australia.

Dedicated soundcard? Many motherboards nowadays have pretty good built-in soundcards, so unless you're a hardcore audiophile it may be better just to stick with onboard.

My budget is $2000, but I'm willing to spend more if it would mean I would get a 1440p monitor. I didn't realise that there is only one 27" G-sync monitor on the market, so I guess I can forget about G-sync. 

I'll figure out the sound card later since I have an amp already. 

[TheRetiredSlave]

My budget is $2000, but I'm willing to spend more if it would mean I would get a 1440p monitor. I didn't realise that there is only one 27" G-sync monitor on the market, so I guess I can forget about G-sync. 

I'll figure out the sound card later since I have an amp already.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($389.00 @ CPL Online) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($39.00 @ Mwave Australia) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($198.00 @ CPL Online) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($105.00 @ CPL Online) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.00 @ CPL Online) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($62.00 @ Centre Com) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX Video Card  ($459.00 @ CPL Online) 

Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.00 @ CPL Online) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($134.00 @ Centre Com) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($107.00 @ CPL Online) 

Total: $1731.00

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-24 07:52 EST+1000

 

With what you said about your uses in your first post, I figure an i7 is probably a better choice than an i5. With things like the i7-5820K out of your budget (considering the substantially more expensive motherboard/RAM that would need to go along with it), the i7-4790K should be the best balance of price and performance.. Since it's clocked higher than the 5820K, the 4790K will outperform the 5820K in certain tasks..

Depending on how much RAM your CAD programs and other software might need, it may not be a bad choice to step up to 16 GB.. I left some wiggle room in your budget for this purpose.

The GPU is kind of a tricky thing.. It will probably be complete overkill for several of the games you list, but the only thing that cheaper is the GTX 770. Since the 970 is substantially stronger (especially at 1440p) than the 770 and you wouldn't save that much by going with the 770, it seems like the best balance.

The case is a bit of a personal thing. I tossed in the Corsair 300R just for being a very good case that's not expensive, but you can always change that if you don't like the aesthetic or if you have something else in mind.

 

As for the monitor, I don't know of any super affordable 1440p displays from the major manufacturers (though that's maybe just a sign of my lack of knowledge, rather than there not being products out there (probably))..(this is another reason why I left some room in the budget). Over the last year, there's been a trend of small Korean companies selling reasonably good IPS or PLS 2560x1440 monitors on ebay for low prices. The one I personally use is the QNIX QX2710, which has served my very well for about a year. The stand isn't very high quality (it can wobble a bit if I type too aggressively), but the screen itself is probably the best looking that I've personally owned.