I buy all my hardware and software from Cycom. If you have any issues with support from Cycom, please do let me know, and I will try to see if I can help.

Yes, DVD will be provided (32-bit and 64-bit), but in terms of installing multiple times, it will be similar to the OEM licence, I have installed about 2 to 3 times on some of the licences I purchased, over a period of 2 years, and have had no issues with activating all the re-installs. Of course, this has to be on the same PC. Installing on multiple PCs will violate the EULA.

This post has been edited by mykchin8: Mar 31 2014, 05:58 PM

Yup, if there is a failure before with Samsung, then Lite-ON and LG will be good alternatives.

For RM2.5K on your rig, looks like you will be getting a 1920x1080 gaming rig, so I would recommend that you stick with 23"/24" ... 27" monitors should be next level up at 2560x1440, and that should require more than RM2.5K for the rig, as you will need at least an i5 and GTX 770 to achieve a balanced build.

Gaming at 27" is definitely going to be more immersive compared to 24", but I care about picture quality, so from that viewpoint, 27" with good picture quality will cost too much money, or maybe it is better to spend slightly more money on two 23" monitors. I do not have any experience on dual monitor gaming, but some people I know think it is really good. Maybe some other forum members can share their experience.

I normally recommend IPS panels, and based on what I know, the Dell 27" S2740L IPS model for about RM1090 is one of the better ones, but the resolution is only 1920x1080, so it might not be as sharp as a 23" 1920x1080 monitor.

This post has been edited by mykchin8: Mar 31 2014, 06:08 PM

That is pretty unusual, first time I am hearing of one RAM slot not working on a new motherboard, though I also have not used Asrock motherboards before.

Please do let us know how it goes, hopefully the vendor you are dealing with will offer you a one-to-one exchange since you just bought the motherboard, and technically have not used it at all. If you go through the RMA process, it could take a few weeks for the motherboard to be replaced.

You can actually buy a Win8 Pro upgrade DVD for RM210. This is limited stocks for now, but so far Cycom still sells at this price to me.

This post has been edited by mykchin8: Apr 1 2014, 10:55 PM

No, the Win8 Pro Upgrade does not need any software to be installed first. In any case, even when you upgrade from any OS to another OS, it is always a good practice to format the hard disk, and re-install the whole OS from scratch.

holoman, I have experienced HP, Canon, and Epson, and so far the Epson seems most reliable. If you want a fax, then WF-2538, if no fax then ME-301. If you want an alternative, then Canon is also not bad, I have seen a MG-3170 give reliable service for more than 3 years. Ink might not be as cheap, though.

Buying Win8 OEM for RM309 is too much, better to buy Win8 Pro Upgrade pack for about RM220.

Technically it was meant for upgrades from previous Windows as you mentioned, however, you can also fresh install it without using the old Windows product key, and this is the best way to install it.

This is a limited edition from the very first release of Win8 in Oct-2012, where Microsoft wanted to promote Win8, and offered this special upgrade price, and Microsoft does not sell this product any longer (stopped since 1-Feb-2013). What I was told is that a few of the Low Yat PC suppliers pooled their resources, and purchased a LOT of those upgrade packs, and are continuing to deplete that original inventory. So this is very limited edition at this price, if your favorite seller still sells it, buy it now before it runs out, because the price will go up after that.

Eugene, if you can find MSI, Asus, EVGA, and Gigabyte, then consider MSI TwinFrozr for the GPU ... if not, then Asus DCII. MSI, Asus, and Gigabyte are good solutions for GPUs.

This is another classic question that always gets asked. Should I buy a matte screen or glossy screen? It all depends on how you use the monitor, and what are your preferences.

Matte screens are good in bright rooms, when you do not have a choice to place your monitor in an optimum position, or you cannot control the lighting. However, the downside is that matte screens will make the picture look duller in color, and less contrast, resulting in lower perceived image quality.

Glossy screens have more vivid color, and better contrast, as there is no anti-reflective coating to alter the light, but you will need careful control of the environment lighting.

My current monitor is a Dell UH series, and it is quite good for my room where there are two large windows, which I can control using blinds.

If you are not sure, just go for a monitor with IPS panel, and ensure you buy from a reputable brand, like Dell, or Asus, or others.

This post has been edited by mykchin8: Apr 6 2014, 11:53 PM

If you overclock your CPU by more than 20% of its base frequency, then I think you will need better CPU cooler. If you do not plan to overclock, then a extra cooler is not worth it. Also the Xeon you have is not easily overclocked, so for your case, I recommend using the Intel provided cooler to save money.

Yes, an i3-4130 is sufficient for now for most games running at 1920x1080 resolution. Most games today use mainly 2 threads, and the i3 has two cores so it is sufficient.

Moving into the future, there are new APIs that will be more efficient, like Mantle and DX12, and this will further help to reduce the CPU overhead for games. Hopefully, developers are happy to transition as soon as they can to the newer more efficient APIs, and your i3 will be able to last longer.

PCI WiFi is more stable compared to USB WiFi as mentioned by Sentinel92, but in the end there is still more latency, so for gaming, I would say use LAN, which is the best. Also note that PCI is obsolete, although PCI WiFi is still being sold, it is better to buy PCIe WiFi to ensure the card has more useful life.

If you cannot get LAN, then you can try to consider HomePlugs, which is more stable than WiFi and depending on the house electrical wiring, will also have lower latency. Otherwise you can borrow and test out USB Wifi first, before considering to buy PCIe WiFi which is less flexible for future use.

For PCI Wifi cards, I have bought TP-Link before, and they have not given me any issues, and TP-Link has great warranty support. It was quite some time back, and I have been buying USB WiFi since that time when I needed WiFi on a desktop. I have not bought PCIe WiFi cards before, so cannot give you an input.

This post has been edited by mykchin8: Apr 15 2014, 12:06 PM

CrimsOn, yes you are right, the BF4 is one of the very few games that can utilize more than 2 threads ... and if your CPU has more cores/threads like the FX6300 or i5-4440, then you can take advantage of the additional capability.

However, please do take note that BF4 is also a very graphically demanding game, and there should be very little difference between an i3-4130 and i5-4440 playing BF4 using a high end GPU like R9 290 or GTX780 at 1920x1080 resolution. The graphics card would still be the bottleneck at these conditions.

For i3-4130/GTX760 combo running at 1600x900 resolution, you should have no issues at all achieving a smooth frame rate that will allow you to enjoy almost any game that you play.

Generally, at lower resolutions, the GPU is less bottlenecked, and if you have a very high end GPU, the CPU might be the bottleneck. This can also be measured as well. But if the frame rates are high (usually it will be at lower resolution), then it doesn't really matter, since you will not notice any difference, and the game will be smooth.

In the end, the main objective of a gaming rig is to get smooth gaming experience, not the highest frame rate. And you want to achieve this at the lowest possible cost, with the highest reliability and maybe lowest power consumption and lowest noise as well.

Thanks, CrimsOn for the link ... wow, it is good information, and it is important people know that i3 CPU is one of the best value for money CPUs ever for gaming.

I just did a quick google, and here is another good report that shows data that modern CPUs have very little impact to AVERAGE frame rates for BF4 at 1920x1080 resolution:

http://www.techspot.com/review/734-battlef...arks/page6.html

This is another really interesting report showing how much impact Mantle can be to the CPU performance ... even a lowly AMD A10 will improve a lot by using Mantle.

http://techreport.com/review/25995/first-l...battlefield-4/2

It is important to keep sharing the fact that even if the CPU is bottleneck for BF4, the frame rates are so high, that it doesn't make a difference to how you experience the game, you will not be able to see or feel a major difference.

At full HD resolution, the R9 280X is more than sufficient. Buying a GTX780 will not make a large difference to your playing experience, maybe allow you to run at higher levels of AA. But the price of a GTX780 is high, and I suppose you have to decide if the higher level of AA is worth it for you. I do not think it is, especially if your monitor is 22" in size.

If you can, please help to share what was the reason your R9 280X is RMA'ed? What model is the card? It is not normal for GPUs to fail, so I would like to learn, if possible.

Haha ... yeah, looks like you have a different approach then, focusing on the CPU first, and then GPU second.

My focus is on achieving a good gaming experience at the lowest cost thus I try to balance out both the CPU and GPU (two of the most expensive items in any gaming rig). I have seen that more often it is the GPU that is the bottleneck when it comes to gaming, so I place more importance on the GPU. The i3 is a very good CPU for the money, and sufficient, most of the time.

Of course, if budget is larger, then it is always better to buy a better CPU and GPU to balance it out.

Thanks for the information. It is good to know. I almost always specify Intel/Nvidia combos now for the builds I help out with, so this is good information for me.