Safari's Gaming Rig

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Hello to Family and friends,

yell’s out to wake up @Alphea was that loud enough to get your attention?

The purpose of this message thread is to help me get the best bang for my buck in building me a Brand Spanking New and Shiny Gaming PC.

Shiny is the most important aspect and to have loads of fun and laughs along the way. Anyone can input idea’s and suggestions to debate pro’s and con’s for particular hardware selections.

I tried to find the right place to post this about 10 times but kept getting side tracked by other posts. So I’m dumping it right here. I know the old forums had a dedicated area for technical talk of this variety.

My Favorite colour is pink and will accept purpley-pink as an alternative for LED colour options. The Budget is set at $3219AU, but must be inclusive of OS and assembly costs. Shipping doesn’t need to be factored in. The entire budget is for the box, except one little item (see pic below hehehe).

I don’t need Monitor mouse or keyboard either as I still have my Razor Black Widow II(green LED) and my gaming mouse. Still squeezing the last bit of life out of the RBW-II(Green LED)keyboard, but have the Logitech G710+ brand spanking new unopened still in its box. (I learned the hard way that gaming equipment will die–or I kill it --beyond resuscitation when the shops are shut).

Maybe someone remembers the night the poor thing became the second casualty after the first Razor Black Widow I(blue LED), died from same trauma. This one with green lights almost died when I fell asleep in front of the computer and spilled my coke over the keyboard.

I kid you NOT it was the exact same death as RBW-I(Blue). That’s when I purchased the backup Logitech one, but turns out green lights one wasn’t totally dead it was just faking it and still lives on with some disability.

I was determined to get more life out of it because it was still very new when it happened and I worked around the malfunctioning keys. I swear it must have decided to work again after it spotted its Shinier new replacement. Isn’t it part of Murphy’s Law on technology? You would think I would have learned my lesson after the first keyboard death before I started buying expensive gaming keyboards, but Noooooooo, the lesson imparted was to keep backup equipment instead of

  • don’t have open drinks near computer
  • don’t fall asleep with open drinks near the computer
  • better yet don’t fall asleep in front of the computer at all.
  • go to bed if sleepy.

I have covered all eventualities to keep me gaming til the day I die. :grin: except breaking my back doh! Sorry it took me so long to come back after I recovered from it. There’s a long long story about what I’ve been doing since then but I’ll save it for a different thread.

Oh and the ODD $219 in the budget is for this absolutely must have headset.

Screenshot_2020-05-02-20-33-10
Screenshot_2020-05-02-20-33-10480×854 80.2 KB

So in summary:

  • budget is $3000au including OS and assembly costs
  • I love shiny things
  • fave colour is pink (purpley-pink is acceptable)
  • place I shop at is

www.ple.com.au

Hugs from Safari
PS: PLE do have pre-built options and I am not fussed about hardware being the newest available, just very good functionality and reliability. I’m partial to GeForce over Radeon and Intel over AMD and also don’t touch anything with ACER, it might have cooties.

Edit my link didn’t work attempt #1

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Hi Safari, long time no see. Glad to see you back in the game.

I have a decent rig that has been repurposed by my long-time technician who reused my old AZZA box by building with separate pieces to make a whole. In other words, I reused my old box and my tech rebuilt my system with compatible hardware (so as to not conflict with one another) and it runs great.

Maximus VI Hero Socket LGA 1150 ATX Intel Motherboard
Core i7 4770 3.4GHz
16GB RAM - MEM 8Gx2|GSKILL F3-10666CL9D-16GBXL
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB Internal SATA III Solid State Drive
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 2070 Super GAMING OC 3X 8G Graphics Card, 3 x WINDFORCE Fans, 8GB 256-Bit GDDR6, GV-N207SGAMING OC-8GD Video Card
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/EPS12V v2.92 80 Plus Bronze Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

New Monitor Sept 2019: Asus ROG Strix XG32VQ 31.5" WQHD 144Hz HDMI DP FreeSync Curved Gaming LED Monitor

Keep in mind, I knew my technician for some time and trusted his abilities to keep my system in good shape. I was impressed with his knowledge and ability to the point that I asked him to build my rig for me using the parts I purchased separately (some on sale). Also I am a fanatic about cable management and so is my technician.

I really did not want to purchase an entire rig pre-built from a store because I don’t trust them to use the most rigorous standards. And on top of what I have, my rig can be improved with replaced parts or fans, or anything else necessary, without any major adjustments because this particular box is large enough to expand without problems of not enough space.

Note: My technician guarantees his work and all parts were registered for their replacement guarantees as well. Only found two items that, upon installation, failed and had to be sent back for replacement to the manufacturer. But due to the quality of these items I had new parts delivered and used those boxes to return malfunctioning parts without cost to me. In the interim, my technician just kept old parts in place so I could still use my system until those replacements were received and installed.

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Hello @Lyn ,

Thank you for the suggestions. I love the way you think. I agree. I’m not seeking a pre-built system, they often have dated components that are harder to sell individually, but I trust my vendor implicitly :grin: . LoL no one dodgey gets a cent from me.

But yes I’m getting a whole new system. My husband is going to inherit my old pc and I’ve finally convinced him to play SWTOR. But he will only be playing very minimally because he has other things he wants to do before he kicks the bucket.

Hugs Safari

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Safari,
As you know I’ve been building my own computers for over 30 years, so I went through the website you gave and put together a build for you that fits your budget and includes available items.
Very soon Intel’s next generation of processors will start finding their way into the market , but for your situation its not worth waiting as they will be quite expensive. The current generation will be more than powerful enough to run any current and future games you wish.
Wish I could build your computer for you, but logistically that wouldn’t be practical.
I’ve uploaded the part list, hope it helps.
Safari Build.docx (323.9 KB)

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I was just reviewing the build document I uploaded and realized the version of Windows I listed was the dvd version.
You will need the usb media version.
The version I selected from PLE was the only Windows 10 Pro version they had, so you may have to find your OS from another source.
Here is a link to a pricing website for Australian retailers for the usb version of Windows 10 Pro.
https://www.shopbot.com.au/pp-microsoft-windows-10-pro-3264bit-retail-usb-price-523272.html
The prices listed are actually cheaper anyway.

Other than that the only other part I’m having second thoughts on is the case. I think the case will suite your aesthetic, but the rgb will have a separate control from the cooler and memory so it adds an extra degree of difficulty when you want to synchronize your color scheme.

Here is the Corsair case from PLE: Corsair iCue 465X RGB Smart White Mid Tower Case


The price is identical to the one on the uploaded list.
The only reason I didn’t choose it from the start is it has a glass front which will inhibit the airflow somewhat and reduce the cooling effectiveness of the front fans. It has gaps around the edges of the front for airflow, but tests have shown its not as efficient as a direct uninhibited intake from the front. Though it should be good enough for your purposes. The cooler I previously selected should still work with this case. In both cases you would keep the default fan configuration and install the radiator and fans in the top mount. Your assembly technician should be able to figure that out.

If you get a Corsair case with iCue rgb control then it will all be controlled form the same application and synchronized. Then in the future if you need another keyboard I would recommend Corsair K95 and it will all be unified. I use the K95 myself and have the colors set to identify different key groups, and across the top there is a band of LEDs that I have set to the temperatures of the cpu cores and gpu so a they heat up the LEDS change from blue to show they are cool then progressively goes yellow, orange then red as they heats up.

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I think that’s clever about the colour scheme adapting to the running temperature.

Oh I forgot to say that DVD OS is fine and preferred, I don’t want Blu-Ray player though. But I need to have a DVD player on the computer for all my US country coded dvd’s that cannot play in a region locked Blu-Ray. Oh and I like the glass cover. :smiley: I think they look awesome with all the lights.

This will be the last computer I buy so it is okay to go slightly over budget. So better off to fill those ram slots up and go off with a bang. My nephew will be getting it when I kick the bucket myself. If he wants it.

I need to surround myself with pretty and more pretty. YaY I can’t wait to get it.

Thank you for the time you put in for me. I love you lots. Oh I was going to say you can always fly over and assemble it. LoL but I don’t think it’s allowed right now even if we could organize it.

Thank you again Duvago you are the best. I’ll even think about ESO maybe. No promises.

Hugs from Safari

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In that case I’d recommend the following:

  1. Get the usb version anyway
    • It’s the current preferred method for installing Windows OS
    • It’s cheaper
  2. Get an external usb dvd drive
    • Almost noone builds desktop PCs anymore with dvd drives built in.
    • The cases I suggested for you don’t have front facing drive bays that would accommodate a dvd drive (most modern cases don’t)
      You could get a different case that does have a front facing internal drive bay that could accommodate a dvd drive, but it would reduce the airflow from the front of the case and wouldn’t look as nice. You should be able to find a decent external dvd in a white enclosure to match your case.

For the memory, sure go ahead and get 2 of the memory kits I selected if you can afford it.

For gaming, ESO was just a suggestion that I thought you’d be most likely to be interested in. I have other games I’d like you to try. For example, right now I’m spending a lot of time playing Fallout 76. It’s not high fantasy with lots of bright colors, but it has an extensive base building system for making your own home, and a lot of appearance customization options with outfits and equipment, and in general the game has a lot of interesting places to explore with great environmental story telling.

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Okay I’ll get an external DVD drive. At least then I can use it when I go to hospital. That netbook I bought for out of house use doesn’t have DVD Rom either. Those bastards charge a fortune for tv hire or network access, do they think patients are loaded or something?

If I was loaded I would NOT use that shitty hospital. I’d use the awesome private hospital. Their food is spectacular in there. I recall from when I was a teenager and had surgery there. LoL my folks paid that bill.

Oh the reason for my post… I got side tracked a little there hehehe.

I got an email from PLE yesterday telling me I can pre-order the new processor they are going to release them from the 21st of May. But holy moly they are sooooooooooo NOT cheap. $999 from the top end of the scale.

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A few days late… and lots of dollars over budget. =P

I rebuilt my own computer about 6 months ago. I am more of an AMD CPU, Nvidia GPU, and tend to trust Gigabyte components in my computer builds. That said, I did try to make a decent Intel suggestion via the PLE Custom Computer Build website for you to consider.

I did my best to make a computer build that would offer as close to what you listed (Intel, Nvidia, LED for shiny, and $3000 budget). The link below is a White case and hardware with LED for sparkle. I tried to keep as much of the components in the mid to high range gaming quality. Performance should be above average with no need to learn advanced over clocking techniques. Just turn it on, plays games, and have fun.

The white color scheme would make Pink/Purple LED lighting look better, but white components cost a bit more. This limited funds for a second storage drive.

I did a second build that uses AMD Ryzen, Nvidia, less shiny, and sparkles. This is a gaming performance build that is as close to my current computer system. I just thought it might help for comparison.

The AMD Ryzen offers similar performance, but cost is lower. This allowed for a second drive with more space for games.

I will put a few specific suggestions below that I have learned from my computer build…

  • Your OS drive should be SSD. NVME is better, but pricey. SATA SSD is good, and is 5 times the speed of the best mechanical hard drive. A mechanical hard drive is still okay for most gaming, and is still the most cost efficient for large storage capacity.

  • The Nvidia RTX 2070 Super is the best cost to performance. The Nvidia RTX 2060 Super is okay if you only plan to use 1080p resolutions with high settings. The Nvidia RTX 2080 Super is pricey, and does not add much more performance. The Nvidia RTX non Super GPUs offer less performance, and have not been reduced in price to account for this fact. MSI brand has good utility software named Afterburner that I have used for years. EVGA brand has good mid to high end cards for affordable prices.

  • System memory at an affordable price for performance is confusing. High speed is better, but costly. Decent speeds are around 3200 MHz to 3600 MHz. Then a low CAS Latency is suggested, but again is costly. Around CAS 16 is pretty good. There is a equation that uses the Speed and CAS Latency to help determine the best performance. I found that it just gave me a headache, and made my wallet lighter. Just find some memory that you can afford, and if looks matter you like the appearance.

I was more of a power user with my older computers. My current computer I have gone for a balanced build that performs well, and keeps things simple. My last few months have been great. No overheating, crashing, odd problems, and far less swearing at my computer. I will admit the new components are more user friendly, and most gaming components are designed to self over clock as needed. Most experts also claim that computer hardware is 4+ years ahead of software, so in theory most current computers have 5 years of use before performance seems reduced.

So I hope this might help if you are still deciding on what to buy/build. Honestly the primary rule is that you are happy with it in the end. So I hope you can make it shiny, sparkles, pink/purple awesomeness.

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AMD made bad design choices, and now has a class action lawsuit for the FX-8xxx and FX-9xxx series processors. That is how I was able to afford an AMD Ryzen upgrade due to owning 3 of the wrongly labeled CPUs. They were functional, but the AMD FX CPU were not 8 cores as stated. Still was a decent 4 core with extra sub cores that spread the work out. AMD Ryzen are slower per core speeds, but uses more cores to handle the work load. They do also heat up fast if over clocked to extremes. I view Intel and AMD as two hard workers that use very different tactics to get a job done. Neither is overall better, but aspects of each is better in certain areas. Intel is still masters of single core work load, and that is still important for gaming.

A $4000 budget will make the Intel build better. I made some changes that increase the Intel CPU to I9 9900K, a NVME OS drive, a 2 TB SSD secondary, and upgrades to some white Corsair LED sparkles for the case and CPU cooler. The 9th generation I9 Intel is a favored gaming CPU. The 10th generation I9 Intel are also good, but being so new it has the dreaded “early adopter” tax.

Oh and not sure if this might be an option but…

Pink Kitty Ear Headphones ???!!! =P

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This is my current video card and I can attest to its quality. I’ve had no problems with it and I think you would enjoy its performance as much as I do. So I recommend this particular video card if you can get it. I purchased it last year during the black Friday deals and ended up paying $100 off its listed price. Definitely a good option if you can afford it.

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@Lyn - It’s decided that is the card I’m going to choose when I place the order. There’s still a couple of things to tweak yet. Plus I was being a little thrifty when @Duvago mentioned the new generation CPU’s are coming soon, I thought this would make the previous generation even better for a bargain.

Kelryth taught me how to multi-quote what a shame there’s no badge for this skill set. :stuck_out_tongue:

I love that term, did you make it up @JGP or is it another one of those things I’ve never come across before?

With regards to the Kraken kitty pink headset. You created a monster JGP (I think my husband wants to have a serious talk with you). I was just about to get a set because they were only $40 dearer then the ASUS ROG PNK Headset. But then something stopped me and decided to go compare some specs. I’m not sure if the kraken kitty has 7.1 surround sound. They might even be a down grade from my current set. But either way not getting them. Because of what I found when researching the difference.

Here in lays the monster. OMG OMG OMG
#1 Headset - $9.05 cheaper than at PLE pats JGP on the back husband is pleased at this minute saving.
Screenshot Headset

#2 Keyboard big big sigh that poor poor brand spanking new Logitech G710+ will be staying in it’s box as a backup keyboard for when hardware breaks when the shops are shut. thumbs up for JGP - Husband might take this keyboard for himself (the Logitech NOT the pink monstrosity) but he knows his wife well and is more likely to get the malfunctioning Razer Black Widow II (with green lights)
Screenshot Keyboard

#3 Mouse
Screenshot Mouse

Just to get a little crazier
#4 Mouse Pad - I’m not sure I’m this crazy, but maybe if I got @Valfera to print and paint me one on his flash 3D printer the postage cost would equal the same value anyway.
Screenshot Mouse Pad

#5 Kitty Ears sold separately - Now now don’t be rolling your eyes at me you’ve known I’m a weirdo for many years now.
Screenshot Kitty Ears

Ummm well at least my very last computer ever is going to be extra shiny extra awesome and just extra everything, most importantly it will be extra special because the friends that mean sooooooooooo much to me will have had a hand in putting it together. And it will be PINK!

Thank you everyone it means a lot to me. But I think I’m in for more sleepless nights yet.

@Alphea and @Senzoba what do you think? Oh if you can believe, I did buy the Pink PlayStation 2 when it was released.

Hugs from Safari <— still a rebel

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@Safari I love and can’t wait and when are you joining discord I keep looking for your name but don’t see it

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Very very very very soon. Duvago is going to help you with Path finder Achievement. Do you want me to tell him you’re online. We have to remember that he has actual Real life work to do from home.

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I know me and him play after he gets off of work and i’m skipping pathfinder achievement me and him have been playing on alts in classic wow

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Bloomin’ RatBag’s just couldn’t wait :stuck_out_tongue:

Okay bed time for me.

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We’ll be playing with you on our main chartacters

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Viewing all your new upcoming rig build, one would assume you like the color pink… :grin:

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That’s a very true thought. It is my favourite colour. Even my car’s number plates are(were) Flamingo PINK. Had to change the colour when bought a different car. The pink didn’t look good with the burgundy paint. So ordered matching plates. Can’t afford to be too choosy when purchasing second hand cars :smiley: