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Question

Buying a new desktop. HELP!

Feb 6, 2015 9:03AM PST

Hello, I was currently considering upgrading my desktop. I currently have a Samsung touch screen computer(not sure the model exactly) But the Computer has a core i3 processor. All though the computer will surf the net fine and I can watch videos very easily. Once I start opening multiple windows the response i get from the computer is slow. It takes 3-5 seconds after I click on a tab to open up that certain window. And if I am in a skype call while trying to watch live streams and surf the web i can pretty much give up on that. The browser almost freezes completely and the browser crashes. So i decided to check out cyperpowerpc.com. I have about $1,200.00 to spend. So i decided to get a configurator and build my own.

*BASE_PRICE: [+475]
CASE: CYBERPOWERPC X-Saber w/ USB 3.0, Large Side Panel Window [+6] (Black with Red LED)
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (RED COLOR [+9])
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4790 3.60 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 [+244]
CS_FAN: Default case fans
FAN: Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Extreme Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
FLASHMEDIA: None
HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-P ATX w/ GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 4x SATA 6Gb/s (Pro OC Certified) [+16]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional [+135] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 350 Watts - 350W Power Supply
USBX: NZXT Internal USB 6-PORT Expansion Module [+19]
VIDEO: EVGA FTW Edition NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card [+112] (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1185)

I was pretty much looking for some feed back. I will be using the computer to watch multiple live streams, surf the web, listen to music all simultaneously. Also I was looking to playing some online games and maybe edit some videos here and there. I was questioning myself and wondering if i really needed an i7 processor or should i upgrade the graphics card? I just want some feed back if this is really what i should get considering what i'll be using it for, but i'll take any advice/recommendations anyone has. I listed all the specs. If i forgot something important let me know. I appreciate ANY feedback! Thanks Grin

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Several small items in question
Feb 6, 2015 10:53PM PST

That's a bottom end PS, for one. As well, why a Z series MB instead of an H series if your CPU won't OC and you have no desire to? I'd get the H series motherboard and a larger power supply. You can stick with a standard CPU fan if gaming will be limited and you don't OC. I'd put the saved money into a second hard drive to use for backup as well. Many folks will probably add that the i7 CPU can be scaled back to an i5 without significant loss of performance but to get a decent video card instead. I'm not a gamer so can't offer anything in that regard from experience. My two cents.

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that place sure does...
Feb 7, 2015 7:42AM PST

....get a lot of advertising here, doesn't it? Another person needing help picking something out from cyberpower, tsk tsk. You'd think that place wouldn't abandon their customers questions leaving them to seek help on forums.

My advice is to try some other computer assembler, one that will address ALL your questions and not leave you needing to seek answers elsewhere. Any business that does that should be avoided at all costs.

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How about this?
Feb 8, 2015 5:19AM PST

I changed somethings up and didn't leave any specs out this time, so this one might be a little longer...
I down graded the CPU and went with i5 and upgraded the video card. I also upgraded the power supply to 430 watts. All i will mostly do on this computer is watch multiple streams and surf the web simuntainisly, I'll also be playing few computer games. The total price is $1,200 USD. Let me know if you guys think this is a good investment and worth the money. I want something powerful and very long lasting.


*BASE_PRICE: [+475]
BLUETOOTH: None
CAS: Cooler Master Elite 431 w/ USB 3.0, Side Panel Window [-7]
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLUE COLOR [+9])
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified) [+184]
CS_FAN: Default case fans
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Enermax ETS-T40-BK Black CPU Cooler w/PWM 120mm Twister with TB Apollish Blue LED [+13]
FLASHMEDIA: None
HD_M2SATA: None
HDD: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+29] (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-P ATX w/ GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 4x SATA 6Gb/s (Pro OC Certified) [-13]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional [+135] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 430 Watts - Corsair CX430M CX Series Modular 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply [+12]
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Maxwell) [+195] (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1201)


Also could someone tell me if i can run HDMI from the back to my monitor? My monitor only has an HDMI port

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For me, I'd bump the PSU. Why?
Feb 8, 2015 5:28AM PST
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Simpler Terms
Feb 8, 2015 6:04AM PST

Could you rephrase that in simple terms? Lol, I have no idea what you're talking about. Ik Ik, I'm a noob.

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Sure.
Feb 8, 2015 6:08AM PST

The +12V rating is a little low. Try a bigger PSU with the +12V rating in the 500W range. That's not the total size of the PSU. I supplied links why I'd bump this up.
Bob

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Bob
Feb 8, 2015 6:20AM PST

Thanks Bob, How do my overall specs look? Is this a good setup for what I am going to be using it for?

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Looks overkill for what you wrote in top post.
Feb 8, 2015 6:25AM PST

"surf the net fine and I can watch videos very easily. Once I start opening multiple windows the response i get from the computer is slow. It takes 3-5 seconds after I click on a tab to open up that certain window. And if I am in a skype call while trying to watch live streams and surf the web i can pretty much give up on that. The browser almost freezes completely and the browser crashes."

That sounds more like some browser add on, security or a bottlenecked internet connection. For me I can see the need for max RAM (we go for 16GB) and little need for the high end gaming GPU.

Moving to a mid size 240GB SSD would really give it some kick. I don't see why you need terabytes of HDD space given what you noted for use.
Bob

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Bob
Feb 8, 2015 7:25AM PST

So I decreased the hard drive size from 2TB to 1TB and added 64GB ADATA SP900 SATA-III 6.0Gb/s - 550 MB/s Read & 505 MB/s Write.
Does this sound better? Any other recommendations?

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Bob :)
Feb 8, 2015 7:35AM PST

Overall Specs, I added a 64 GB ssd, so that should improve the performance. Please take a look at all the specs and let me know what I should add/drop to improve the price a little. I truly appreciate all your help buddy Grin

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Bob here are my specs.
Feb 8, 2015 7:37AM PST

Overall Specs, I added a 64 GB ssd, so that should improve the performance. Please take a look at all the specs and let me know what I should add/drop to improve the price a little. I truly appreciate all your help buddy Grin

*BASE_PRICE: [+475]
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CAS: Cooler Master Elite 431 w/ USB 3.0, Side Panel Window [-7]
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified) [+184]
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Enermax ETS-T40-BK Black CPU Cooler w/PWM 120mm Twister with TB Apollish Blue LED [+13]
FLASHMEDIA: None
FREEBIE_TB: None
GLASSES: None
HD_M2SATA: None
HDD: 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+4] (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
HEADSET: None
HS_HANGER: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: 64GB ADATA SP900 SATA-III 6.0Gb/s - 550 MB/s Read & 505 MB/s Write [+59] (Single Drive)
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR: 24" Widescreen 1920x1080 ASUS VS247H-P 1080P (23.6" Viewable) 2ms LED Backlight, DVI, HDMI Input [+169] (Single Monitor)
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-P ATX w/ GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 4x SATA 6Gb/s (Pro OC Certified) [-13]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional [+135] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 550 Watts - Cooler Master V550 80 Plus Gold Semi Modular Power Supply [+60]
RUSH: Standard Process Time: Ship within 8 Business Day
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Maxwell) [+195] (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1274)

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Still the Z series board and K type CPU?
Feb 8, 2015 8:33AM PST

The advantage to this combination is that it's OC capable. If you've no plans to do so, I'd look at an H series MB and your choice of CPU without the K. See if the money savings is worth it or can be better spent elsewhere.

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Cheaper and better?
Feb 8, 2015 8:45AM PST

*BASE_PRICE: [+999]
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CAS: CyberPowerPC X-Nova Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Side-Panel Window
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified)
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Extreme Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
FLASHMEDIA: None
FREEBIE_TB: None
GLASSES: None
HD_M2SATA: None
HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
HEADSET: None
HS_HANGER: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory (ADATA XPG V3)
MONITOR: None
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX w/ GIGABit LAN, 2 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 1x M.2, 6x SATA 6GB/s (All Venom OC Certified)
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional [+31] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Standard 80 Plus Certified Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready
RUSH: Standard Process Time: Ship within 8 Business Day
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Maxwell) (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1030)


This machine is about $200 cheaper. Would this also be good for what i am using it for?

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Odd move. 64GB boot drives are hard on folk.
Feb 8, 2015 7:59AM PST

They complain about having to manage 128GB boot drives and you are going for less.

+12V@45A looks fine now. Should stand up for years.
Bob

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Performance?
Feb 8, 2015 8:04AM PST

How well do you think the computer will perform while watching 2-3 live streams at the same time while browsing the web? I also down graded the graphics card to a GeForce GTX 750Ti 2GB GDDR5. Is that a good graphics card to watch live streams on and maybe play some H1Z1?

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Poorly. Why? More of a factor of the internet connection.
Feb 8, 2015 8:08AM PST

My old Lenovo Core2Duo T60 could watch 2-3 live streams without issue on a 35+ megabit ATT Uverse connection and your machine is 10x that.

Some of your original issues sound like low ram or browser addon/infection troubles rather that CPU/GPU bottlenecks.

For example that old T60 has an Intel GMA so it's not a GPU thing.
Bob

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Current Computer
Feb 8, 2015 8:26AM PST

My current computer is a Samsung Touch screen with i3, I use Chrome to watch all the streams. It does start lagging after i put on both streams. I just want to know if there is going to be a huge improvement since im about to spend $1,200. So in your opinion do you think this $1,200 investment is really worth it? Or am i paying to much?

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Final Build
Feb 8, 2015 9:48AM PST

*BASE_PRICE: [+475]
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CAS: Cooler Master Elite 431 w/ USB 3.0, Side Panel Window [-7]
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified) [+184]
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Enermax ETS-T40-BK Black CPU Cooler w/PWM 120mm Twister with TB Apollish Blue LED [+13]
FLASHMEDIA: None
FREEBIE_TB: None
GLASSES: None
HD_M2SATA: None
HDD: 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+4] (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
HEADSET: None
HS_HANGER: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: 64GB ADATA SP900 SATA-III 6.0Gb/s - 550 MB/s Read & 505 MB/s Write [+59] (Single Drive)
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR: 24" Widescreen 1920x1080 ASUS VS247H-P 1080P (23.6" Viewable) 2ms LED Backlight, DVI, HDMI Input [+169] (Single Monitor)
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-P ATX w/ GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 4x SATA 6Gb/s (Pro OC Certified) [-13]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional [+135] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 550 Watts - Cooler Master V550 80 Plus Gold Semi Modular Power Supply [+60]
RUSH: Standard Process Time: Ship within 8 Business Day
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card [+11Cool (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1197)


I'm thinking this is the machine im going to buy. Any final thoughts/ suggestions ?

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Answer
Just for yuks
Feb 8, 2015 12:32AM PST

Change the mix a little and price it out.

Cpu...I5-4690...stock air cooling.
Psu...450/500w....single rail.

Unless you need more than 8 usb ports toss the usb card.
Unless there is some feature in W7 pro you need back it up to the home premium.

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Answer
Some folk get hung up on one or another browser. However.
Feb 8, 2015 8:42AM PST