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Thinking About Building a New PC
Sincerbox
Posts: 2,279 Member
Why? Well...I don't really need one. My current PC is just two years old. It does a decent job of playing TS3 with all its expansions without too much lag. I guess this is mostly for the fun of it. What I really like to do is build the most powerful machine I can reasonably afford in the smallest, lightest and quietest case possible. I like small because I have difficulty lifting anything heavy and I like to be able to do things myself without assistance as much as possible.
My current PC is built on a micro-atx motherboard in the smallest case I could find 2 years ago for what I wanted. It is a Silverstone Sugo SG09. Any smaller than that and I didn't think I would get decent enough airflow to cool the graphics card. I recently had some trouble with my machine which took me quite a while to troubleshoot. All my USB devices were dropping out. I couldn't tell if the problem was defective hardware or a driver issue.
It took me a couple of weeks to figure out that somewhere along the line the USB Controller Driver that was originally working when I first installed it was the problem. Just like with TS3 expansions that used to work but quit working correctly after that last patch my best theory is that some updates to Windows made a driver that used to work fine no longer work. Once I figured out which driver was the problem I was able to find a driver that worked. But in the course of troubleshooting that problem I found myself taking my machine apart more than once and swapping out devices and fans and whatnot. I discovered that I really hate working in the SG09. Once the system is put together it runs great...and I never want to open that box up again!
So keeping that in mind I still want a small case but I want it to be easier to work with than the Sugo. So those are my criteria. Small. Powerful. Lightweight. Easy to work with. Fun. And let's throw in interesting/pretty for added measure. When I say pretty I am not talking about a pink case. I am talking about a case that isn't boring. That doesn't look like an eyesore. I know everyone has their different sense of aesthetics in this area. So I will give an example of what I have been looking at recently. Lian-Li PC-V359WG.
Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions or discussions about your own recent or current builds welcome in this thread.
Oh. And of course it goes without saying that this new PC should be able to run TS3 with all its expansions and stuff packs and loaded down with Store Content. But anyone reading this knew that already, right?
My current PC is built on a micro-atx motherboard in the smallest case I could find 2 years ago for what I wanted. It is a Silverstone Sugo SG09. Any smaller than that and I didn't think I would get decent enough airflow to cool the graphics card. I recently had some trouble with my machine which took me quite a while to troubleshoot. All my USB devices were dropping out. I couldn't tell if the problem was defective hardware or a driver issue.
It took me a couple of weeks to figure out that somewhere along the line the USB Controller Driver that was originally working when I first installed it was the problem. Just like with TS3 expansions that used to work but quit working correctly after that last patch my best theory is that some updates to Windows made a driver that used to work fine no longer work. Once I figured out which driver was the problem I was able to find a driver that worked. But in the course of troubleshooting that problem I found myself taking my machine apart more than once and swapping out devices and fans and whatnot. I discovered that I really hate working in the SG09. Once the system is put together it runs great...and I never want to open that box up again!
So keeping that in mind I still want a small case but I want it to be easier to work with than the Sugo. So those are my criteria. Small. Powerful. Lightweight. Easy to work with. Fun. And let's throw in interesting/pretty for added measure. When I say pretty I am not talking about a pink case. I am talking about a case that isn't boring. That doesn't look like an eyesore. I know everyone has their different sense of aesthetics in this area. So I will give an example of what I have been looking at recently. Lian-Li PC-V359WG.
Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions or discussions about your own recent or current builds welcome in this thread.
Oh. And of course it goes without saying that this new PC should be able to run TS3 with all its expansions and stuff packs and loaded down with Store Content. But anyone reading this knew that already, right?
Origin ID: Barbara917
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Comments
If you're looking for help regarding computers then @Colton147147 is probably the person to ask
My Dad built a Pc for me last year, a pretty good one that was capable of playing The Sims 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV
Also if you're looking for a computer case maybe you could try: http://www.novatech.co.uk/
I'm not sure where you live but they sell pretty good cases on that site, as well as ones which have good cooling
Matthew.
I have built one desktop so far and I'm already planning a second build. I had so much fun and I will never buy pre-built again. I used the website pcpartpicker.com to put together a list. That is something chester can help you out with. Mini builds are generally hard to build with and keep cool but that's the trade off of having a small compact build. A mid tower case is the next step up. Some even come with handles on top all though I don't know how trust worthy that is. You can get cases with a window on the side and led fans to light it up. It doesn't cost that much more but then you might want to color match everything to complete the look.
I spent two weeks watching YouTube videos while I waited for my parts. These are some tech channels that I follow:
LinusTechTips
JayzTwoCents
Awesomesauce Network
Paul's Hardware
Here is a recent budget build guide by LinusTechTips:
S3 simblr: http://simplysimming.tumblr.com/
S4 simblr: http://simlogic.tumblr.com/
@Simasaurus09 - Thanks for the nice suggestions. I watch a lot of those videos as well although I do not subscribe to those channels. I basically start with an interesting motherboard and research it by both reading the manuals, information on the internet and all the helpful youtube DIY videos that you also watch. I stumbled onto interest in the Lian-Li PC-V359WG by watching this video.
But please feel free to use this thread to talk about the computer you built. What works for me is not necessarily what works for everyone and I read what others do with their builds to figure out what I want to do. And, yes. I had so much fun building my last computer I will always want to build my own as well. I know how you feel.
I'm not really an expert on everything, but I think if you want small but powerful, you should invest in better cooling to compensate for reduced airflow. I watched a video on setting up a liquid cooling circuit, and it's a lot of work, so you might not like that. But I think there are simpler cooling solutions that you can try.
And upgrading is kind of timely, because the new Skylake Intel processors just came out recently. Some people online have said that the improvement is only marginal, so if you have a slightly older Intel CPU, there's no need to upgrade. But assuming you're getting a new motherboard, I think you should get one with the new socket (LGA 1151) so that you don't lock yourself out of newer hardware in the future.
As for the GPU, I don't really know all the models. I did a search on "small powerful GPU" and this is one of the results: http://gizmodo.com/amds-powerful-new-r9-nano-graphics-card-fits-in-small-p-1726863272
It looks promising. Don't know if heat would be a problem, but a few Google searches here and there should tell you what you need to know.
I picked out some parts last year for a computer that can play DA: Inquisition, and I upgraded my CPU a few weeks ago. I now have:
An i5-6400 on an Asus H170m-E D3 motherboard (it's a micro-ATX board; one possible mobo to choose from if you plan to get a Skylake
A Radeon R9 270X Powercolor edition with 2 GB of VRAM
8 GB of RAM
It plays Inquisition and GTA V pretty well on decent settings. I plan to try Fallout 4 on this one when I have the time.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Prior to the R9 270X, the last GPU I bought was a Radeon 9250. It rendered The Sims 2 pretty well alongside our then-new Pentium IV CPU.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
What is your country of residence so I can tell your currency.
They are more roomy than most from what I have seen and would sustain more upgrades in the future.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139021&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130877&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
I second that colton DOES NOT BUILD and never has @chesterbigbird
STOP PLEASE
http://www.amazon.com/Nanoxia-Silence-Micro-ATX-Motherboard-Controllers/dp/B00DSFEQKY
This is a great small case.
ALSO :
http://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Enthoo-Aluminum-Computer-PH-ES314E_BK/dp/B00NZI5T0U
do you have a budget for a full build?
16GB hyper X fury
MSI GTX 1080
MSI gaming M5 mobo
Evga 750 supernova
Corsair hydro h110i GT
Corsair obsidian 750D
500GB SSD
6TB Seagate Barracuda Pro
LG 34" ultra wide
Yeah. Although smaller might mean increased temperatures, so there's that to consider.
The GPU has always been my favorite hardware; I'm a very visual person. That's why I didn't skimp on the GPU last year. I got a cheap AMD APU at the same time to save on costs, but I decided to upgrade this year to reduce the bottleneck when a PC game renders frames.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
@chesterbigbird - Those are both nice looking cases. The Nanoxia is just too big for what I want. Much of the space is used up by drive cages that I will never have a need for. I would certainly look at it if I were looking to build a server with lots of room for drives and a high demand for storage. The Phanteks is also a good looking case but it looks to me that it is better suited for a closed loop water cooling solution rather than air cooling. It also looks like it might be a little to big for me. I did find it odd that the optical drive bay was on the back and it would have been better just to leave that off.
@phoebebebe13 - Not sure what is going on here. Must be something I don't know about.
@icmnfrsh - You are absolutely correct that smaller can cause increased temperatures if the cooling is not intelligently engineered. Some cases look to me like they are better suited for CLP's and some for air coolers. The Lian-Li case looks like it will do well going either way. I like the fact that it has the option to focus two 120MM case fans directly at the GPU. My instinct is to overbuild on the CPU and Motherboard and initially skimp on the GPU as the GPU is easier to upgrade down the line. Neither do I have any plans to upgrade past 1080p resolution in the near future. A lot of the higher end GPU's these days are being engineered for 4K Ultra and multi-screen applications. And I play The Sims. I don't play games like Battlefield or Skyrim.
wow you do want it small LOL.
If your only playing the sims then i wouldn't go overboard on a pc.
A simply GTX 960 card and a 6th gen i5 will get the job done.
You may want to look into silverstone cases and fractual design.. both make excellent micro towers.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352034&ignorebbr=1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163186&ignorebbr=1
16GB hyper X fury
MSI GTX 1080
MSI gaming M5 mobo
Evga 750 supernova
Corsair hydro h110i GT
Corsair obsidian 750D
500GB SSD
6TB Seagate Barracuda Pro
LG 34" ultra wide
@chesterbigbird - LOL I guess you missed this part of my OP. The SG09 is 8.5 in W x 11.5 in H x 14 in D. I am making a major concession on size here by scaling up to a chasis like the Corsair Carbide Air 240.
My current Sugo is air cooled by a Silverstone Heligon tower heatsink that takes up the free space of the body of the chasis. The Heligon heatsink has 140mm fan pulling/pushing air through the heatsink directly into the 120mm outtake fan at the back of the case. In addition, there is a 200mm intake fan at the top. On the left side panel I have 3 120mm case fans intaking air straight into the GPU. The case is a marvel of small but powerful engineering but after 2 years it has become just no fun to work in any longer.
Two and a half years ago NCIX Tech Tips did a build in it with dual GTX 680 graphics cards in SLI.
I am not quite that crazy.
PS your thread is in off topic and not a good place to ask for computer advice. It belongs in the tech threads where you will find expert help there
Im just not a fan of the smaller cases, I don't like to be restricted in what i can upgrade, and i don't like having soo much heat in such a small amount of space. I prefer the Mid tower. I don't mind the weight of it because its not often moved (only when cleaning and upgrading.)
When i get a base pc then i like knowing that i can upgrade it without restrictions, i generally upgrade twice before buying all new again.
I personally would never have a sli setup in such a small case.
Also not a fan of the micro motherboard.
16GB hyper X fury
MSI GTX 1080
MSI gaming M5 mobo
Evga 750 supernova
Corsair hydro h110i GT
Corsair obsidian 750D
500GB SSD
6TB Seagate Barracuda Pro
LG 34" ultra wide
pcpartpicker.com is great because it will give you a list of compatible parts and shows you the best prices available along with average rating. I start out with the GPU and then make a list from there but you could start out with the case and see what the website comes up with for compatible parts. It's a fun site to mess around with even if you're just bored.
S3 simblr: http://simplysimming.tumblr.com/
S4 simblr: http://simlogic.tumblr.com/
I understand your points about the ability to upgrade in a larger chasis on ATX motherboards. I don't criticize your ideas on that. Because they are based on what you feel you will need to do with your computer down the line. All I would say is that we have different requirements. Where weight and size are not an issue for you they are a primary issue for me. I am a person that has difficulty lifting and managing that tiny Sugo you see in the above NCIX tech tips video. And as I don't ask anyone's help and do everything myself wasted size and space means everything to me. That does not mean I don't admire the builds of mid-tower ATX builds and see their purpose. There is a lot in them that I can learn from. I just have no need for a chasis that uses space for more than a few SSD's.
As far as heat in a small chasis is concerned, you are not wrong that it can be an issue if the chasis is not properly ventilated. But I would also say that if the chasis is not properly engineered some mid-tower cases can have worse ventilation than my little Sugo. I posted the NCIX Tech Tips video to illustrate that point. Small when properly engineered can be properly ventilated. If you watched that video through to the end you will see that he over-clocked that build and still maintained adequate temperatures. Despite that I wouldn't want to put dual graphics on a micro-atx board either. I wouldn't want to deal with the nightmare of finding space for the cables. For my own purposes, I just don't ever see the need to run dual graphics. Which gets me back to my point of different requirements. Your statement that you are not a "fan" of micro-atx boards is understandable given your requirements (which are not mine.)
As far as upgrading. I don't do a lot of it. I tend to overbuild and then never need to upgrade. The only thing I plan on upgrading on this is the GPU but for that all I intend to do is swap out the initial GPU I use for a better one. I built my first computer back in 2009 for TS3 when it was first released. It can still play it with all the expansions with my old Radeon HD 5850 but it really struggles. I can no longer deal with the slow speeds of mechanical HDD's. Don't think I will ever use one again.
For why I am building this new PC. My current PC is doing great. I don't need a new one. But my son's is old and he is poor. I was actually thinking of giving my Sugo to him and letting him do with it what he will. It's a good little machine and uses an I7-4770K on a Z87 micro-atx motherboard. This way I get the fun of building a new PC for myself with a chasis that will be easier to work in and my son will get a very nice used PC for Christmas.
Yes. The Air 240 is really cute and small which is why I liked it. I saw it at MicroCenter yesterday on Black Friday. The two things I didn't like is that the exterior plastic panels are kind of cheap and looked really worn on that display model and it doesn't include a 5.2" drive bay for an optical drive. I would still want one optical drive. I like to use it to watch movies on DVD's. Of course, I could always get an external optical drive which I haven't ruled out.
@phoebebebe13 - My thread is off-topic? This is the off-topic chat forum. My thread was intended to be social and doesn't relate to needing technical help playing the The Sims 3 or The Sims 4. I would have thought a discussion about building my own PC and wanting to hear about other people's computers would be off-topic there. My apologies if I misunderstood the meaning of off-topic.
It is kind of you to be looking out for me as far as thinking some members are misrepresenting themselves. I try to listen to everyone's ideas with respect but then I form my own opinions after learning from as many sources as I possibly can.
S3 simblr: http://simplysimming.tumblr.com/
S4 simblr: http://simlogic.tumblr.com/
Thats ok but Your thread really belongs in tech not off topic. Most people when they ask for build advice or buying computers post in tech and where you will find more of the builders in this form. I help in the tech threads but dont build, why I called in chester for you. Most of us that help in the tech threads dont frequent the off topic section so you might get advice from some who dont know what they are doing. Yes there are people in this forum who misrepresent themselves.