So I'm looking to update my PC soon and I thought I'd ask for some advice on what would be the best current components. I use my PC as general-purpose and especially for gaming. My old monitor (24" Samsung) should serve well enough for now, so it's not a priority, and I can reuse things like keyboard/mouse. So basically what I need is the case and everything inside (although I could probably reuse my current DVD drive too).
Now for qualifications. My desired benchmark is at least being able to smoothly run Skyrim with tons of mods (both graphics and scripts), and preferably a setup that will be suitable for gaming for the next few years. Essentially I need recommendations for a motherboard, CPU, graphics card and HDD (my 1 TB one is getting full, so I think I need to go for a bigger one). I'm likely going to use Windows 7 as I'm not convinced of 8's worth.
So, any advice?
My starting reference point performance-wise right now is:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P
GPU: GeForce GTX 770 with 2 GB
Still need advice on appropriate motherboard for these, as well as good HDD/SSD combo.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 04, 2014, 10:57:00 AM
So I'm looking to update my PC soon and I thought I'd ask for some advice on what would be the best current components. I use my PC as general-purpose and especially for gaming. My old monitor (24" Samsung) should serve well enough for now, so it's not a priority, and I can reuse things like keyboard/mouse. So basically what I need is the case and everything inside (although I could probably reuse my current DVD drive too).
Now for qualifications. My desired benchmark is at least being able to smoothly run Skyrim with tons of mods (both graphics and scripts), and preferably a setup that will be suitable for gaming for the next few years. Essentially I need recommendations for a motherboard, CPU, graphics card and HDD (my 1 TB one is getting full, so I think I need to go for a bigger one). I'm likely going to use Windows 7 as I'm not convinced of 8's worth.
So, any advice?
CPU: AMD FX-8350
MB: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 or ASUS M5A99X Evo R2.0 if price is more important (90$ less)
Graphics: Radeon 280x is around 300$. If it's too much, either go for Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon 270/270x.
SSD: Crucial M550 240gb or Samsung 840 pro.
Hard drive: Western Digital Black 2TB WD2003FZEX
DDR3 desktop memory: 16gb RAM of Corsaire Dominator GT or Corsais Vengeance.
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2014, 12:24:46 PM
CPU: AMD FX-8350
Not heard of this. I'm usually partial to Intel CPUs, how does this compare?
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2014, 12:24:46 PM
Graphics: Radeon 280x is around 300$. If it's too much, either go for Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon 270/270x.
I'm looking at GTX 770, Radeon R9 290, or maybe even GTX 780 atm.
Oh High End.
Why a 3550P over a 4770K?
Not that it matters much, this will have amazing performance either way.
What's your go to resolution? That will affect how much Video card you need to buy.
Don't listen to Viper, at your price points AMDs are irrevelents.
I'm just trying to triangulate on a CPU that's going to perform well enough to run intensive games. From what I read, Intel tends to have better performance. Insane number of cores is probably not necessary as most games don't benefit from it atm, 4 cores should be more than enough?
My monitor's resolution is 1920x1200, so that's what I'm aiming for. Mainly I want enough power and VRAM to run games on high settings and/or with graphics mods (e.g. Skyrim with plenty of texture mods).
My price range is around €800-900 (though I can go a tad higher if it's gets me a performance increase at reasonable ratio). This includes case, CPU, GPU, motherboard, hard disks and a PSU; already have a monitor.
SSDs. SSDs. SSDs.
Then a 770 is plenty of card.
I know, I'll probably get a SSD for the OS installation.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 04, 2014, 10:57:00 AM
I'm likely going to use Windows 7 as I'm not convinced of 8's worth.
I have 8 but have it boot to Win7 like desktop. One thing I've noticed with my computer (got in August last year) is that it now nearly immediately boots. I assume that has something to do with 8 but can't confirm that.
Quote from: garbon on May 05, 2014, 12:23:07 PM
Quote from: Solmyr on May 04, 2014, 10:57:00 AM
I'm likely going to use Windows 7 as I'm not convinced of 8's worth.
I have 8 but have it boot to Win7 like desktop. One thing I've noticed with my computer (got in August last year) is that it now nearly immediately boots. I assume that has something to do with 8 but can't confirm that.
Yes. 8 cheats with shutdowns.
Ah! This?
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 05, 2014, 06:23:01 AM
Why a 3550P over a 4770K?
How useful would a i7-4770K would be compared to, say, i5-4670K?
Quote from: Solmyr on May 04, 2014, 01:46:04 PM
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2014, 12:24:46 PM
CPU: AMD FX-8350
Not heard of this. I'm usually partial to Intel CPUs, how does this compare?
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2014, 12:24:46 PM
Graphics: Radeon 280x is around 300$. If it's too much, either go for Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon 270/270x.
I'm looking at GTX 770, Radeon R9 290, or maybe even GTX 780 atm.
I didn't notice your second post before writing mine, sorry.
Comparisons: it looks like this AMD processor is slightly faster than the Intel you picked, it's about the same as an i7-3770k, for a similar price to the i5.
As for the video cards, imho, the R9 290 is a bit overpriced for the real life differences. Do you intend to game on multiple monitors? If so, it's worth it. But a simple monitor in 1920x1080p? the 280 will be perfect. I have less than that, and have no problem playing Crysis 3 at full resolution on a single monitor.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 04, 2014, 10:57:00 AM
I'm likely going to use Windows 7 as I'm not convinced of 8's worth.
Personally, I'd recommend Windows 8, because it's the latest OS, and it's "future" proof for a few years.
With all the latest patches and the free upgrade to Windows 8.1, it has become a decent OS. But you will need to install either Start8(5$) or Classic Shell (Free) to get your regular "start button" in the desktop interface.
I came up with these specs. Any comments?
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 770 Twin Frozr IV Gaming OC 2048 MB
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.4 GHz LGA1150
Mobo: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming OR Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H (not sure yet which)
RAM: 2x Kingston Valueram 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 64 MB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA III (6 Gb/s)
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120 GB 2.5" SATA3
PSU: Fractal Design Tesla R2 650W, 80 PLUS Gold
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX
Quote from: Solmyr on May 05, 2014, 12:12:55 PM
I'm just trying to triangulate on a CPU that's going to perform well enough to run intensive games. From what I read, Intel tends to have better performance. Insane number of cores is probably not necessary as most games don't benefit from it atm, 4 cores should be more than enough?
My monitor's resolution is 1920x1200, so that's what I'm aiming for. Mainly I want enough power and VRAM to run games on high settings and/or with graphics mods (e.g. Skyrim with plenty of texture mods).
My price range is around €800-900 (though I can go a tad higher if it's gets me a performance increase at reasonable ratio). This includes case, CPU, GPU, motherboard, hard disks and a PSU; already have a monitor.
I run Skyrim with lots of graphics mods, and have a gtx 780 (not the Ti kind), and it barely breaks sweat. A 770 with a nice factory overclock and a custom cooler is more than enough.
As for the i7 4770k, it creates a lot of heat. I would seriously consider closed-loop water-cooling for it. I use the Corsair h100i.
These comparisions are helpful:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html
CPUs:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html
As you can see, AMD offers decent value vs performance, but I would stick with Intel.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 05, 2014, 01:08:34 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 05, 2014, 06:23:01 AM
Why a 3550P over a 4770K?
How useful would a i7-4770K would be compared to, say, i5-4670K?
In games? Not even noticeable.
The I5s like 2500k and 3570k have performed better than their big brother previously.
SSD recommendations:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html
Motherboards, well, I would go for this one if you go down the Intel route:
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Z87A/
ASRock offers some very good motherboards for across platforms too.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 07, 2014, 02:04:12 PM
I came up with these specs. Any comments?
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 770 Twin Frozr IV Gaming OC 2048 MB
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.4 GHz LGA1150
Mobo: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming OR Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H (not sure yet which)
RAM: 2x Kingston Valueram 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 64 MB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA III (6 Gb/s)
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120 GB 2.5" SATA3
PSU: Fractal Design Tesla R2 650W, 80 PLUS Gold
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX
Good GPU, great CPU, unsure about the mobos, and get more RAM. Two sticks of 8 GB at higher clockrates. SSD is great, but 120 GB fills up fast even just with OS. Of course, this will probably break your budget. ;)
Quote from: Norgy on May 08, 2014, 02:41:55 AM
SSD is great, but 120 GB fills up fast even just with OS.
:huh: My current Windows 7 folder is 34,5 GB.
Thanks for the other advice. :)
Why so cheap of a case?
It's a nice case, I own one but you are putting pretty awesome hardware into a 1988 Chevelle.
It had good reviews, and does the price of a case really matter if it has all the important bits?
Btw, as an alternative GPU I'm considering Palit GeForce GTX 770, apparently it has factory overclocking and three fans.
I find it flimsy & I was very disappointed by what passes has Fan mounts on the case.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 07, 2014, 02:04:12 PM
Mobo: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming OR Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H (not sure yet which)
Pick the one wich has a return facility in your country, ideally, if you need to send it back under warranty.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 08, 2014, 05:00:58 AM
Quote from: Norgy on May 08, 2014, 02:41:55 AM
SSD is great, but 120 GB fills up fast even just with OS.
:huh: My current Windows 7 folder is 34,5 GB.
Thanks for the other advice. :)
If you go the Windows 8 way, it is bigger, and all Windows 8 apps are installed on the C drive, no way to move them elsewhere without breaking something.
For your SSD, I'd recommend either the OCZ Vertex 460 240gb or the Samsung Evo 250gb, depending on the price, pick the cheaper one.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 08, 2014, 09:34:20 AM
It had good reviews, and does the price of a case really matter if it has all the important bits?
My own case is similar to this one:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002073
I love having the USB slots on top of the case, and it has great ventilation.
Quote from: viper37 on May 08, 2014, 04:54:46 PM
My own case is similar to this one:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002073
I love having the USB slots on top of the case, and it has great ventilation.
Does this one include a PSU?
Also, anyone have experience with the Palit GeForce? This one gives a good review: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/55865-palit-geforce-gtx-770-jetstream/
I bought a 120GB SSD a year ago and now wish I had bought a bigger one.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 08, 2014, 05:02:28 PM
Quote from: viper37 on May 08, 2014, 04:54:46 PM
My own case is similar to this one:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002073
I love having the USB slots on top of the case, and it has great ventilation.
Does this one include a PSU?
Also, anyone have experience with the Palit GeForce? This one gives a good review: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/55865-palit-geforce-gtx-770-jetstream/
Palit generally makes great cards according to reviewers, but I have no experience. Check out their warranties. I have used MSI, Sapphire, eVGA and Asus myself, and I like the warranty on eVGA's cards, but the coolers have been better on the others.
As for cases, I'd say Fractal Design make some great ones.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 08, 2014, 05:02:28 PM
Quote from: viper37 on May 08, 2014, 04:54:46 PM
My own case is similar to this one:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002073
I love having the USB slots on top of the case, and it has great ventilation.
Does this one include a PSU?
Also, anyone have experience with the Palit GeForce? This one gives a good review: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/55865-palit-geforce-gtx-770-jetstream/
One of their model includes a PSU, but most other don't. If you're looking for a seperate PSU, I'd recommend Antec True Power Gold, 650w.
I'm still in serious doubt why I would need more than 120 GB SDD. I'm literally only going to have Windows on it and nothing else, everything else will be on the HDD.
So after some tweaking I've ended up with this possible setup:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.4 GHz LGA1150
Mobo: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming
RAM: 2x G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3 1600 Mhz 4 GB
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 770 Twin Frozr IV Gaming OC 2048 MB
Case: Cooler Master CM 690 III
PSU: Fractal Design Tesla R2 650W, 80 PLUS Gold
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120 GB 2.5" SATA3
HDD: Verbatim 2 TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB - 3,5"
It's over my original budget but hopefully worth it and will last me some years in the future. Any comments?
Quote from: Solmyr on May 11, 2014, 03:49:21 PM
So after some tweaking I've ended up with this possible setup:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.4 GHz LGA1150
Mobo: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming
RAM: 2x G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3 1600 Mhz 4 GB
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 770 Twin Frozr IV Gaming OC 2048 MB
Case: Cooler Master CM 690 III
PSU: Fractal Design Tesla R2 650W, 80 PLUS Gold
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120 GB 2.5" SATA3
HDD: Verbatim 2 TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB - 3,5"
It's over my original budget but hopefully worth it and will last me some years in the future. Any comments?
I bought a 128GB SSD 3 years ago. I soon found that it was insufficient. Ended up buying an additional 500GB SSD a few months ago.
Does C:\Windows really take up that much?
You will want to install programs on it too. Take advantage of that SSD speed.
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 12, 2014, 07:17:08 AM
You will want to install programs on it too. Take advantage of that SSD speed.
Not a big deal for me, I don't use programs that require super speed. As I said, I really want nothing but Windows on the SSD.
Then don't buy an SSD. You'll be over spending for shedding 30seconds on boot up.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 12, 2014, 06:13:51 AM
Does C:\Windows really take up that much?
No, but SSD makes everything faster and more quiet. So I put as many frequently used programmes there as possible.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 12, 2014, 08:04:35 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 12, 2014, 07:17:08 AM
You will want to install programs on it too. Take advantage of that SSD speed.
Not a big deal for me, I don't use programs that require super speed. As I said, I really want nothing but Windows on the SSD.
Trust me, you will want the speed of an SSD for Skyrim with mods.
Quote from: Norgy on May 13, 2014, 05:27:30 AM
Quote from: Solmyr on May 12, 2014, 08:04:35 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 12, 2014, 07:17:08 AM
You will want to install programs on it too. Take advantage of that SSD speed.
Not a big deal for me, I don't use programs that require super speed. As I said, I really want nothing but Windows on the SSD.
Trust me, you will want the speed of an SSD for Skyrim with mods.
Well I'm definitely not putting my Steam game directory on the SSD, I'd need a 1 TB one. :P
Quote from: Solmyr on May 13, 2014, 12:35:03 PM
Quote from: Norgy on May 13, 2014, 05:27:30 AM
Quote from: Solmyr on May 12, 2014, 08:04:35 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 12, 2014, 07:17:08 AM
You will want to install programs on it too. Take advantage of that SSD speed.
Not a big deal for me, I don't use programs that require super speed. As I said, I really want nothing but Windows on the SSD.
Trust me, you will want the speed of an SSD for Skyrim with mods.
Well I'm definitely not putting my Steam game directory on the SSD, I'd need a 1 TB one. :P
You can have a Steam directory on multiple drives. I have most games on my HDD, but some are on my SSD as well.
There is a drop down menu to select when you are downloading/installing a game.
I went with a 120 GB SSD. Not going to shove everything possible on it, just Windows and a few select programs. I'm generally fairly happy with the HDD speed.
It's a good size.
For steam use this : http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 13, 2014, 03:16:14 PM
It's a good size.
For steam use this : http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover
But Steam does that itself now.
Maybe not the moving of existing games though.
Not all games support it either.
Question: I have quite a bit of stuff on my current HDD and copying it all manually would take forever. Will I be able to just plug the old HDD into the new PC and access the data? It's just images and documents mainly, obviously I will not be moving the OS or anything.
Without knowing any details I would guess yes you can just move it. I moved an HDD from 2 other PCs into this one when I built it.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 14, 2014, 01:41:56 PM
Question: I have quite a bit of stuff on my current HDD and copying it all manually would take forever. Will I be able to just plug the old HDD into the new PC and access the data? It's just images and documents mainly, obviously I will not be moving the OS or anything.
Of course.
YOu can sometimes run into issues with trying to run a program that s in a different drive location than it thinks it should be, but accessing images and documents is no problem.
An HD without the OS should be just plug and play.
If you run into any issues, say so. I'm fairly sure I can help. :)
First test has gone well, the PC is turning on and getting to BIOS. Now just waiting for the rest of my parts from Amazon.de (SSD and Windows), when I can fully finish it.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 14, 2014, 01:41:56 PM
Question: I have quite a bit of stuff on my current HDD and copying it all manually would take forever. Will I be able to just plug the old HDD into the new PC and access the data? It's just images and documents mainly, obviously I will not be moving the OS or anything.
Yes, but you may not want to.
If you buy a new computer, it will have UEFI instead of the legacy BIOS, and if you have Windows 8.1, it should start faster (theoritiaclly), and it will enable secureboot in Windows 8, an extra layer of protection against viruses. The caveat is, you need to install it in UEFI mode, wich means installing a new windows copy on a GPT partionned hard drive/SSD from a USB key that you will boot in UEFI.
Otherwise, if you don't want to bother with that, you can use the free Mini-Tool Partition Wizard (http://partitionwizard.com/index.html) for HDD to HDD transfer, or, if you move to a SSD, I'd recommend the 20$ Paragon Migrate OS to SSD (http://www.paragon-software.com/technologies/components/migrate-OS-to-SSD/).
Partition Wizard can copy one partition (or an entire disk) to a new hard drive, bigger, smaller or the same size, as you wish. It works from Windows first, then reboot to complete the process before Windows runs.
Note that you can make it work, apparently (I've never succeeded), for free:
Link to free version (http://www.howtogeek.com/97242/how-to-migrate-windows-7-to-a-solid-state-drive/)
Quote from: viper37 on May 17, 2014, 11:35:48 AM
If you buy a new computer, it will have UEFI instead of the legacy BIOS, and if you have Windows 8.1, it should start faster (theoritiaclly), and it will enable secureboot in Windows 8, an extra layer of protection against viruses. The caveat is, you need to install it in UEFI mode, wich means installing a new windows copy on a GPT partionned hard drive/SSD from a USB key that you will boot in UEFI.
I have no idea what you just said and why it would prevent me from plugging in an extra HDD. :P
Quote from: Solmyr on May 17, 2014, 04:52:19 PM
Quote from: viper37 on May 17, 2014, 11:35:48 AM
If you buy a new computer, it will have UEFI instead of the legacy BIOS, and if you have Windows 8.1, it should start faster (theoritiaclly), and it will enable secureboot in Windows 8, an extra layer of protection against viruses. The caveat is, you need to install it in UEFI mode, wich means installing a new windows copy on a GPT partionned hard drive/SSD from a USB key that you will boot in UEFI.
I have no idea what you just said and why it would prevent me from plugging in an extra HDD. :P
Extra HDD with only data: no problem.
Transfering Windows from old HDD to new SSD: no problem, but no UEFI, nor Secure boot. Hence, better to reinstall. You probably can use the Windows transfer thingie to restore some stuff after the install.
UEFI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#Advantages
Secure Boot:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824987.aspx
As I said, I'm only going to transfer data on the old HDD, I'm installing a fresh Windows 8.1 on the new PC.
The old function of exporting files and settings is probably still available. Windows Easy Transfer. Hardly ever completely flawless, but works in a pinch.
And should you ever need to move a system drive to a new rig, there's a function to make it hardware neutral. Has worked (well, bordering on semi-well) for me. Even with UEFI BIOS.
Quote from: Solmyr on May 19, 2014, 04:34:22 AM
As I said, I'm only going to transfer data on the old HDD, I'm installing a fresh Windows 8.1 on the new PC.
If you currently only have one hard drive, then it's easy:
- Plug only your new drive
- Install Windows 7/8 on this drive
- Perform all the Microsoft updates
- Update to Windows 8.1 (if you installed Win8)
- Perform all the Microsoft updates.
- Replug your old HDD
- Delete everything you don't like from this drive, keep only what you want.
If I misunderstood and you are reinstalling Windows on your current drive and transfering your data from this drive to another drive, than either use Teracopy (http://codesector.com/teracopy) which will let you copy files faster than Windows, or use Windows Easy Transfer as suggested by Norg.
WEA will ask you for a USB key or a USB drive or a DVD, I think. So:
- use it to copy everything over to this media
- double check everything is there
- If it ain't your system drive, delete partition from this drive, otherwise, boot with Windows installation media (DVD most likely), make sure you boot in UEFI.
- Delete the partition, recreate a new partition, if it asks wich type choose GPT
- Install Windows
- Proceed with everything I said above i.e. updates
- Replug your old hdd (the data drive)
- Insert USB key, DVD, plug USB drive
- Start Windows easy transfer
- Pray everything is right, let it recopy your stuff to where you want it.
What I want to do is:
- install Windows 8.1 on a SSD
- have a new 2 TB HDD for most stuff
- plug in my old 1 TB HDD into the new PC, move my data from it onto the new HDD, then reformat the old HDD and use it as secondary drive
Quote from: Solmyr on May 21, 2014, 03:16:50 PM
What I want to do is:
- install Windows 8.1 on a SSD
- have a new 2 TB HDD for most stuff
- plug in my old 1 TB HDD into the new PC, move my data from it onto the new HDD, then reformat the old HDD and use it as secondary drive
Right now, on your current system, before anything else, pick one of 3 methods:
Method #1:- Plug your new 2TB hard drive
- Boot into Windows, download and install Teracopy (free) as described above
- Copy the directories you want from your old drive to your new drive
- Shutdown the computer, unplug your 2 hard disks, keep only the SSD
- Install Windows 8, all updates, Windows 8.1, all updates
- Once everything works, double-check you have everything you want. If so, you can either reinstall Partition Wizard and use the command to wipe your drive (fill it with zeros and ones, so the data can't be recovered) or simply delete the partition and recreate it, since you are keeping your drive.
Method #2:- Plug your new 2TB hard drive
- Download and install Mini-Tool's Partition Wizard Personal Edition (free)
- Copy your entire 1TB drive over to the new 2TB, select the option to adjust the partition size as it copies the drive. PW will ask you to reboot your computer to complete the process because the drive is in use, do so, it will copy your entire drive.
- Clean up/delete what you don't want on the new drive
- Modify the partition of the new 2TB hard drive, using Partition Wizard to make it 'inactive' (right click on the drive, select modify at the bottom of the menu and select inactive; if it's greyed, you're already ok, no need to do anything else)
- Once everything works, double-check you have everything you want. If so, you can either reinstall Partition Wizard and use the command to wipe your drive (fill it with zeros and ones, so the data can't be recovered) or simply delete the partition and recreate it, since you are keeping your drive.
- Shutdown the computer, unplug your 2 hard disks, keep only the SSD
- Intall Windows as above.
Method #3:- Use Windows Easy Transfer (type it in your start menu) on your current computer. This procedure will not work once you install Windows 8, it requires moving from one OS to another OS on a different machine.
- It will transfer user accounts, documents, music, emails (if you use Outlook), pictures, videos, assuming they are in Windows default directories (i.e. My Music, My Videos, My Documents, etc).
- Make a copy of your stuff on a USB drive
- Unplug your drives
- Install Windows 8 as above
- Right click on your documents, music and videos, etc folders, select "Location", point to the desired location (i.e. "D:\Data")
- Start Windows Easy transfer, point to your USB drive, let it retransfer your files, they
should be located in D:\My Documents, My Videos, etc.
- If they are not, you need to repeat the step above and change the location, Windows will ask you if you want to move your files, you say yes.
Personally, I prefer method #1, it's the easiest, and possibly the fastest too for transfering simple data.
If you don't use Outlook, you need to check on how to transfer your e-mails to your new computer. Thunderbird has an add-on for generating backups, otherwise, it's a real pain in the butt to transfer everything. If you use something else, look for it on Google. If it's Hotmail or Gmail, no problem, your e-mails are stored on the server. Just don't lose your passwords ;)
(btw, there is a nifty little tool called Lastpass, a browser add-on, compatible with IE, FF and Chrome that stores all your passwords on an encrypted server, all you need to remember is one master password for all, I highly recommend it, it makes reinstalls a lot easier)
As a precaution, I would recommend waiting 1-2 weeks before deleting the old drive. Just let it sit beside your computer, in case you forgot to copy something.
Also, don't forget to keep any software license key you may require in a print form for reinstallation on your new computer.
I prefer method #4 - pay someone to do it. :blush:
Also, surprised nobody's mentioned the fun little scenario of having lots of things in the user-specific documents directories on the old drive (e.g. C:\Users\Jim\Documents and Settings\My Photos). Permissions will still be set to the users for the old install of Windows, so you have to take ownership of the directories before you can copy the documents out of there. Thankfully, there are a few prefab scripts out there that you can just click to do the job for you, but it's definitely a nuisance when you're trying to migrate data to a new hard drive.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 21, 2014, 10:51:56 PM
I prefer method #4 - pay someone to do it. :blush:
I tried that last week. I was charged 70$ and told I need to format my drive and reinstall Windows. Veeeryy useful.
I need a new machine.
AMD.
Lot's of fast ram, SSD, decent (not expensive) video, dual video cards.
Idears?
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on July 04, 2014, 08:49:03 PM
I need a new machine.
AMD.
Lot's of fast ram, SSD, decent (not expensive) video, dual video cards.
Idears?
RAM:16 gb should be plenty enough for now. I have this kit here (http://www.corsair.com/en/dominator-gt-with-dhx-pro-connector-1-5v-32gb-dual-channel-ddr3-memory-kit-cmt32gx3m4x1866c9), but I heard G-Skill has some interesting models too. Just make sure it's DDR3 1866mhz, it will leave you some room for overclocking.
CPU:
AMD FX-8320 or higher (9370 and 9590 are the two latest models and they are very pricey for the performance you have, I don't recommend it for now).
Motherboard: If you plan on doing some serious overclocking, go for Asus Sabertooth 990FX v2.0. Otherwise, most 990FX boards will offer similar performance, at better price, but they will have reduced overclocking capacities/easyness.
Video card:Radeon R9 270x would be decent (north of 200$). Ideally, 280x (north of 300$). I personally don't see the need for dual video cards unless you have more than one monitor for gaming?
SSD:Samsung 850Pro or OCZ Vector 256gb, for both. OCZ Vertex 4 is still a good SSD, but it's over a year old, so it will most likely not receive any future firmware updates. Depends on the price you find :)
The G-Skill sticks are the best ones I have had. Far easier to get to work properly than Corsair or Kingston RAM.
They cost a bit, though.
Quote from: Norgy on July 11, 2014, 02:39:06 PM
The G-Skill sticks are the best ones I have had. Far easier to get to work properly than Corsair or Kingston RAM.
They cost a bit, though.
Kingston are alright, provided you stay away from the VR models. Corsair might as well be radioactive, though. While I was servicing PCs, you wouldn't believe how many problems I saw come through due to dead sticks of Corsair.
I'll second the G.Skill recommendation, though- the Ripjaws in my current rig haven't given me any trouble, ever.
Think I have the Ripjaws as well. Low profile 1866 mHz ones.
So Corsair basically ship out crap? Good to know for later.
I notice there's a new Z97 series out in motherboards and an i7 4790k. I am tempted to spend money on: Stuff I don't really need.
:ph34r:
Do it NOrgs. Do. It.
Quote from: Norgy on July 22, 2014, 12:03:43 PM
Stuff I don't really need.
But you do. It will please you. Pleasure is good. Ergo, just do it :P
As much as I would like to, I have a hard time shelling out the sums they demand for the better Z97 motherboards. I paid a premium for my current one.
The processor is a different matter, as it seems as if Haswell Refresh ones run a bit cooler than the original Haswell ones. The 4770K that I have would've fried if not for watercooling. Still even with that, it gets dangerously warm when overclocked to anything above 4.2-4.4 gHz.
Of course, performance-wise, it's the best thing I've seen.
Quote from: Norgy on July 25, 2014, 02:17:56 PM
As much as I would like to, I have a hard time shelling out the sums they demand for the better Z97 motherboards. I paid a premium for my current one.
Unless I have an urgent need, I usually try to wait 6-8 months after the release of the new chipset. Most bugs are fixed in BIOS upgrades and prices are a tad lower.
I need a new video card but the 970s are too expensive
:( :(
Quote from: Grey Fox on October 16, 2014, 08:28:23 PM
I need a new video card but the 970s are too expensive
:( :(
I got a Radeon 290x for a little under 400$ on E-bay the other day. Check the deals there.
Right now, they are between 300-400$ on the low side.
What is your budget?
~230$ plus tax.
Look for a Radeon 280x on Ebay.
Like this one (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gigabyte-Radeon-R9-280X-REV2-OC-1100MHZ-3GB-GDDR5-Video-Card-/281441144421?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4187330e65)
Or:
230$ + 5% GST on NCIX (http://www.ncix.com/detail/xfx-radeon-hd-r9-280x-ff-91053-1246.htm)
It's going to be an hard pill to swallow, getting an AMD card.
Going to wait for the Black Friday deals.
Quote from: Grey Fox on October 20, 2014, 07:09:57 AM
It's going to be an hard pill to swallow, getting an AMD card.
I am not that familiar with Nvidia's products, I haven't bought such a card in a while.
However, it seems the GTX 760 offers similar performance to the 280x:
GTX 760 OC (http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-geforce-gtx-760-directcu-de-85679-1246.htm)
220$
Personally, I favor the Twin Frzr cards:
GTX 760 @ 190$ on Ebay (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MSI-GeForce-GTX-760-OC-Twin-Frozr-IV-1150MHZ-2GB-GDDR5-Video-Card-85445-2-/151445336668?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item2342d8725c)
Yeah, A Twin Frzr is what I have right now.
Why is NCIX selling stuff on Ebay?!
Quote from: Grey Fox on October 20, 2014, 10:08:03 AM
Why is NCIX selling stuff on Ebay?!
Lots of stores do, and with better prices than on their websites. I don't really know why.
It could be:
- they want to generate interests for their store, i.e. buy a low priced item on Ebay, come back to visit the store later
- they have overstock of some particular parts
- they sell returned (opened box) items.