13 wrote As far as I'm aware, you're going to need an i7 or an unlocked and overclocked i5 to reach 120-144FPS in BF1 at higher settings, but that doesn't really matter if you get the QX2710 since it's 1440p and will OC to like 100-120Hz, so you'll still be able to get decent FPS and take advantage of the monitor OC. If you do decide you want an i7 in the future, you can just buy an i7 and swap the i5 out for it, then resell the i5 to make some money back.

No, all GPUs are going to be the same to install, and perform similarly. Just whichever you think looks nicest. I just double checked, the EVGA card I included doesn't have a backplate. The Windforce definitely doesn't have a backplate. The G1 Gaming has a backplate. These also have backplates;
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and I'm not sure, but I think this one has a backplate;
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as for RGB LEDs, I'm not sure so if that's important to you, you'll need to double check product pages before buying. The G1 is a nice card and it definitely has a backplate and RGB LEDs so that wouldn't be a bad shout. EVGA are very well known for their great customer service, so that's a reason to lean towards them. Really though, just buy whichever you think looks nicest, or is cheapest if you'd rather save money.

Let me ask you this, if I wanted to go dual monitors, connect a camera, and stream - would the current system suffice @ 1080p Ultra Settings or could it go higher? I'd most likely want to upgrade to an i7 correct. I've heard of people having two PC's to stream and all that, or just have one monstrous PC.

(I'm just asking the boundaries of this build, would I ever actually stream? Probably not, but it's just nice to know what I'm working with. Sorry for the random questions)

I'm not too into the whole LED lights and stuff, one color would be cool but if it's not lit at all I wouldn't mind. Maybe the more I make upgrades to this, whenever I would - I'd get into the i7's and LED lights and possibly 4k when it becomes more affordable.

TaigaAisaka wrote

13 wrote I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

Adding onto this. Microsoft still offers the free Windows 10 upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies. You don't even have to use any such thing, just click their upgrade button and you have an active Windows 10 on your computer. I don't know if it's Windows 10 Pro or Home, but still a free OS. If you search on Google assistive technologies windows 10 upgrade it will be the first link from Microsoft (not sure if I'm allowed to link to this, so what to type in will suffice.)

Thanks man!!!

TaigaAisaka wrote

13 wrote I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

Adding onto this. Microsoft still offers the free Windows 10 upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies. You don't even have to use any such thing, just click their upgrade button and you have an active Windows 10 on your computer. I don't know if it's Windows 10 Pro or Home, but still a free OS. If you search on Google assistive technologies windows 10 upgrade it will be the first link from Microsoft (not sure if I'm allowed to link to this, so what to type in will suffice.)

Does it give you a key to access it or something? How would I get to the Windows 10 link on my new computer if I don't have an OS in the first place? Isn't an OS required for the PC to boot up?

imbarnett wrote

TaigaAisaka wrote

13 wrote I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

Adding onto this. Microsoft still offers the free Windows 10 upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies. You don't even have to use any such thing, just click their upgrade button and you have an active Windows 10 on your computer. I don't know if it's Windows 10 Pro or Home, but still a free OS. If you search on Google assistive technologies windows 10 upgrade it will be the first link from Microsoft (not sure if I'm allowed to link to this, so what to type in will suffice.)

Does it give you a key to access it or something? How would I get to the Windows 10 link on my new computer if I don't have an OS in the first place? Isn't an OS required for the PC to boot up?

You can POST without it. You can't boot into a operating system without one, but you can POST. There are plenty of ways to get a cheaper legitimate copy of win 10.. There are some sites that see for the $20 and under range, unless you have a genuine copy of 8/8.1 for the free upgrade.

Or do above with the assistive technologies.

Intel i7 7700K is a must if you want to stream...more than likely will help loads with recording /playing/facecam. You can't stream and play with an i5, well you can if you wanna run 25p lmao

bo3iscancer wrote Intel i7 7700K is a must if you want to stream...more than likely will help loads with recording /playing/facecam. You can't stream and play with an i5, well you can if you wanna run 25p lmao

That's not remotely true.

OP- Whether you'll be able to stream or not depends more on your internet connection than specs. The system I suggested would be perfectly capable of streaming at 1080p, assuming your internet speeds are sufficient. Yes, an i7 would be better and if you were streaming daily, the i7 would be worth the upgrade, but the i5 will be fine for it, especially since you're not even sure you'll do much/any streaming.

13 wrote

bo3iscancer wrote Intel i7 7700K is a must if you want to stream...more than likely will help loads with recording /playing/facecam. You can't stream and play with an i5, well you can if you wanna run 25p lmao

That's not remotely true.

OP- Whether you'll be able to stream or not depends more on your internet connection than specs. The system I suggested would be perfectly capable of streaming at 1080p, assuming your internet speeds are sufficient. Yes, an i7 would be better and if you were streaming daily, the i7 would be worth the upgrade, but the i5 will be fine for it, especially since you're not even sure you'll do much/any streaming.

Definitely won't be streaming daily, maybe recording a facecame and gameplay at the same time > actual facecam livestreaming. Like I said I'm just asking the boundaries of this rig, I'm a full-time college student with a part time job and all that good stuff so I really don't have time to dedicate to a YouTube channel - I just post an easy video every once in a while.

One last question because I'm sure you're a busy guy - the 1080p monitor I have for my PS4 currently is a http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/339221/Samsung-S22F350-215-Widescreen-LED-Monitor/, was just wondering if it's a piece of junk or are all 1080p 60fps monitors all relatively the same much like all 1070's are practically the same.

Sorry man, but thank you a lot.

There are no boundaries. You can do whatever you want with this system. There's nothing the i7 will do that the i5 can't, the i7 will just do it better/faster. You could game and edit and stream with a $50 CPU, it will just be a pain in the ass doing CPU heavy stuff.

The monitor is fine. It's not great but it'll do the job. All 1080p monitors are going to perform the same, but quality is going to be different with different monitors. GTX 1070s are all going to perform pretty much the same because they're all GTX 1070s, they all use the same chip. However, different 1080p monitors can use different panels, so some look better than others. For example, IPS panels have better colours and viewing angles than TN panels. That being said, a GTX 1070 is a waste for 1080p anyway so use your current monitor for now if need be, but definitely upgrade to a 1440p monitor like the QX2710, or something better ASAP.

13 wrote There are no boundaries. You can do whatever you want with this system. There's nothing the i7 will do that the i5 can't, the i7 will just do it better/faster. You could game and edit and stream with a $50 CPU, it will just be a pain in the ass doing CPU heavy stuff.

The monitor is fine. It's not great but it'll do the job. All 1080p monitors are going to perform the same, but quality is going to be different with different monitors. GTX 1070s are all going to perform pretty much the same because they're all GTX 1070s, they all use the same chip. However, different 1080p monitors can use different panels, so some look better than others. For example, IPS panels have better colours and viewing angles than TN panels. That being said, a GTX 1070 is a waste for 1080p anyway so use your current monitor for now if need be, but definitely upgrade to a 1440p monitor like the QX2710, or something better ASAP.

Thanks again man, I really appreciate the help - three/four days of research were summed up in pretty much a single conversation lol.

I'll try to upgrade to that 1440p monitor as soon as I can, might try to find one in store so I can see what they look like in person before I buy them. Also still debating on the EVGA or Gigabyte GPU - I know I'm really splitting hairs on that one.

If you're not going to upgrade to a monitor of greater resolution than 1080p, don't buy a GTX 1070. An RX 480 or GTX 1060 would be more than enough for 1080p, so if you're not going to upgrade to 1440p or 4k or something, the GTX 1070 would absolutely be a waste of money.

As for the GPU, aesthetics/price are the only things I personally consider when choosing between different variants. If you're having a hard time, maybe just look at reviews of them both to help you decide?