New Computer Help

[Ian C]

Yep, consider getting an SSD drive as well as your 1TB drive. A 120GB SSD drive is pretty inexpensive.
Install Windows on the SSD and just windows alone. No other programs.
Then, change your Program Files registry entry to point to your normal drive.
All your programs will then be installed into your other drive.
You will get a super fast boot-up, and all programs will run like silk.
Also, if you increase the page file size on Windows, the empty SSD space will cope with any maxing-out of video memory or RAM super-fast.

[Skwerl]

Guys,

With your much appreciated assistance, here's what I've settled on:

HP 850 SE
4th generation i7 5820 hex core CPU
3 TB Hard Drive
256 GB SSD Drive
16 GB RAM
500 Watt Power Supply (this is the only option offered with this package)
Liquid cooling
NVidia GTX 970 graphics card
Windows 7 Professional 64 (with a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it comes out)


Any last thoughts?  I'm going to pull the trigger on this tomorrow.

Thanks again for all your help!

[JasonPratt]

Seems legit! Power may be a little low...? Can't quite tell, but like you said the only option available.

(I'm glad someone mentioned the SSD, especially for your OS drive -- I meant to include it but got distracted.  :-[ )

[Father Ted]

Yeah I'd worry about the PSU as well

[Gusington]

I too would try for a 600 or 650 watt PSU but other than that it is identical to what I am going to purchase, more or less.

[Skwerl]

I just rechecked.  Apparently the power supply is 600 Watts.  Will that work?

[Bison]

Seems good even though I have no idea what an HP 850 SE is :)

[Huw the Poo]

Minimum power requirement for the GTX 970 is 500W.  Do you know which manufacturer it is, or is it just a vanilla nVidia model?  Either way, 600W should be OK if you aren't doing anything too exotic with your PC, especially since you've gone for liquid cooling.  I'd be a little more comfortable at 650W but that's with future-proofing in mind.

Anyway, your proposed spec is excellent.  It's definitely high end and you won't have a problem running anything, and it should serve you for a few years easily.  I'm jealous. ;)

[Bison]

Minimum power requirement for the GTX 970 is 500W.  Do you know which manufacturer it is, or is it just a vanilla nVidia model?  Either way, 600W should be OK if you aren't doing anything too exotic with your PC, especially since you've gone for liquid cooling.  I'd be a little more comfortable at 650W but that's with future-proofing in mind.

Anyway, your proposed spec is excellent.  It's definitely high end and you won't have a problem running anything, and it should serve you for a few years easily.  I'm jealous. ;)

I bet he doesn't sully it all up with that Linux stuffs :P

[Huw the Poo]

I bet he doesn't sully it all up with that Linux stuffs :P

Hahahaha, quite an ironic comment, considering Windows PCs are invariably loaded with crapware and NSA backdoors etc. :P

[Bison]

I bet he doesn't sully it all up with that Linux stuffs :P

Hahahaha, quite an ironic comment, considering Windows PCs are invariably loaded with crapware and NSA backdoors etc. :P

I like to only put up a minimal resistance against the all knowing overlords.

[Skwerl]

Again guys, thanks for all the help!!

[LongBlade]

Again guys, thanks for all the help!!

Any time. That's one of the reasons Grogheads was created - to help the gaming community.

[Gusington]

^And donuts.

Skwerl did you purchase yet?

[FarAway Sooner]

I'd just add, as Dell screwed me on this one a while back:  Make sure your PSU is a "standard form" type (meaning, it's the same physical dimensions as everybody else's PSUs).  I got a PC with a non-standard form PSU a while back, and as I was looking at trying to upgrade it, I realized I'd need to pay about $200 more than for a standard-form PSU.

Or, if this is too much technical detail, you can just roll the dice.  I don't think non-standard PSUs are very common these days.