Help Wanted: FIRST BUILD — Gaming Build

[Asher0012]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to review my build <3

 

 

Goal — This build is a gaming machine that can run the next couple (hopefully longer) years big title games on Ultra / High at +60 FPS.

 

Thought Process:

• I plan to run it on one 2560 x 1440 @60hz monitor so I wanted at least a 780
• I plan to dabble in overclocking (I am new to all of this still)
• I plan to upgrade with an Dual SLI of GTX 780 -or- the newest GPU I can afford at the time
• I plan to upgrade to a second 1440p when I get the new GPU

Concerns:

• I don't know if the AMD cards would perform better at my intended resolution
• I am not 100% sure everything is compatible
• If I do run SLI, will the 860W be enough?
• Do I need the i7 if I mainly game—or would the extra $100 be better spent at an 780 TI?
• Am I missing components to increase efficiency?
• Is everything balanced?

 

Thanks for helping me out! I greatly appreciate it

Like I said, my main objective was to build a machine that could run the new generation of PC games at high end graphic settings while maintaining a minimum of 60 FPS

 

 

 

The Build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sB6B

 

 

 

—Asher0012

[WoodenMarker]

You need to post the permalink and not the url to the parts list.

There's no point getting the i7 over the i5 for gaming.

[TheNinjaNextDor]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($94.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($82.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($151.95 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card  ($699.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply:  EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.50 @ Amazon) 

Total: $1649.37

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 02:19 EDT-0400)

[Asher0012]

Opps! Sorry, here it is:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sB6B

[JLCitadel]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($189.99 @ Micro Center) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.98 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($59.99 @ TigerDirect) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($104.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($489.99 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply:  EVGA SuperNOVA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1229.90

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 02:17 EDT-0400)

 

i5 is all you need for gaming and this cooler should be sufficient for beginner overclocking

Motherboard supports OC + SLI Setup.

Gaming requires no more then 8gbs of 1600 ram.

SSD for OS + Games

HDD For Everything else

780 For Top Notch Gaming.

Case Low Price High Quality (Personal favorite)

PSU Is High enough wattage to support SLI and OC.

Make sure when looking to SLI you SLI the same GPU (780 with 3GB VRAM, not necessarily the same after market cooler)

The PSU is also fully modular to help with cable management to increase visual appeal and case air flow.

Gold efficiency to help save powerbill money.

[SAV1OUR]

Opps! Sorry, here it is:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sB6B

better you dont need 16gb ram and a i7 for gaming

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler:  NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($119.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard:  MSI Z87 MPOWER ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($174.99 @ Newegg)

Memory:  Kingston Beast 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($76.74 @ Amazon)

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($151.95 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card  ($699.99 @ NCIX US)

Case:  NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case  ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1723.61

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 02:20 EDT-0400)

[Grave]

The 780Ti isn't worth $100 more, it's more of an 'I have more money and need a better product, but am spending more to obtain that extra boost' thing. But yeah, if you need more performance, it's the way to go. At 1440p, you don't need more VRAM so the 780/780Ti is a better option than going with an AMD video card. None are worth it even with their recent drop in price back to something somewhat normal, at least when you're already planning on buying a 780/290X's level of performance.

i7 Haswells aren't really all too special, at least for their price. Even if you could benefit from more cores later down the line, you'd hate yourself for spending that much on those CPUs. the i5 4670k is pretty much all you'd need if you're wanting to look at the most recent Intel processors, and AMD doesn't have much more to offer for you at a decent enough price.

If you can afford it, go with 16GB of RAM. I'm a strong believer of 16GB being standard in the next 3-4 years, so yeah.. I'll edit this once you fix your link and I take a 2nd look at what you want to buy.

Edit: Guess you already posted the link again. Looks good aside from what I mentioned. The only thing I'd change is maybe the PSU since I think you're overpaying. You really only need ~750W and 80+ Gold is fine. EVGA has superb power supplies, you could save like $80-$100+. This includes a 2nd 780 down the line.

If you really want the absolute best performance, you're going to have to get the 780Ti though, and likely eventually SLI two. I don't think these GK110 or Hawaii cores are going to be any good for/after the next 2 yrs at Ultra, but you take what you can get. I'd recommend going with what works now, reselling at some point and buying the new tech. Dumping more money for a few extra frames on the 780Ti isn't worth it in my opinion.

Ninja sentence: Go with a 256/512GB SSD, not two separate 128s. That makes no sense.

[CoolBeans]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.49 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ TigerDirect)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($456.13 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($456.13 @ Newegg)

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($167.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Total: $1746.65

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 02:24 EDT-0400)

Went for 290 because of vram

[SAV1OUR]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.49 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ TigerDirect)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($456.13 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($456.13 @ Newegg)

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($167.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Total: $1746.65

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 02:24 EDT-0400)

Went for 290 because of vram

good good but why not a ud4h only a few dollars more?

[Asher0012]

Thanks for all the advice guys! It is really great not to go through this alone

 

I am a bit concerned about the potential for me to (in the future) run a dual monitor set up and how that would affect the build's efficiency?

[CoolBeans]

good good but why not a ud4h only a few dollars more?

Didn't see it, you could pick that if you want

[Asher0012]

good good but why not a ud4h only a few dollars more?

 

You'll have to excuse my novice-ness... What is a ud4h?

 

EDIT: Oh, the Mobo.

[SAV1OUR]

Didn't see it, you could pick that if you want

looks nicer anyway and goes with the red team theme

[SAV1OUR]

You'll have to excuse my novice-ness... What is a ud4h?

its fine man computers a odd things

the motherboard @CoolBeans said was a gigabyte z87-ud3h the step up is a ud4h its a better motherboard looks and feature wise 

[WoodenMarker]

Opps! Sorry, here it is:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sB6B

Why 2 ssd's, 16GB ram, and such an expensive cpu cooler?

Psu is overkill. A 750w is already plenty. 

Thanks for all the advice guys! It is really great not to go through this alone

I am a bit concerned about the potential for me to (in the future) run a dual monitor set up and how that would affect the build's efficiency?

How many displays you use doesn't make a difference as long as your gpu can support it. 

You'll have to excuse my novice-ness... What is a ud4h?

It's a motherboard. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz87xud4h

[jvkeizer]

i7 is unnecessary for gaming, get an i5 instead. Also 8GB of RAM is more than enough and get a single 250GB SSD instead of 2x120GB. Also I would get a cheaper CPU cooler and a PSU of 650W would be enough, or even 750 if you want some headroom. (I recommend the Corsair RM series.

[Asher0012]

Why 2 ssd's, 16GB ram, and such an expensive cpu cooler?

 

I was thinking 2 SSDs in Raid 0 for extra fast loading on my games and OS.

And as far as the cooler goes, I dont really know what "standard" is and the reviews I looked up was saying that was a top noch one.

 

Psu is overkill. A 750w is already plenty.

 

You know, I was thinking of doing SLI in the future with the GTX 780 and didnt know if a lower PSU would cut it.

 

How many displays you use doesn't make a difference as long as your gpu can support it. 

 

Ah, do you think one GTX 780 would support one, or even two 1440p displays? I was thinking it wouldn't—not sure though—so I was planning for an upgrade to SLI 780 later with the larger PSU.

[WoodenMarker]

I was thinking 2 SSDs in Raid 0 for extra fast loading on my games and OS.

And as far as the cooler goes, I dont really know what "standard" is and the reviews I looked up was saying that was a top noch one.

You know, I was thinking of doing SLI in the future with the GTX 780 and didnt know if a lower PSU would cut it.

Ah, do you think one GTX 780 would support one, or even two 1440p displays? I was thinking it wouldn't—not sure though—so I was planning for an upgrade to SLI 780 later with the larger PSU.

Are loading times that big of a deal? 

There's little point to getting more than a 212 Evo for a decent gaming oc.

They will support them just fine as long as you're not gaming across them. 

[Asher0012]

i7 is unnecessary for gaming, get an i5 instead. Also 8GB of RAM is more than enough and get a single 250GB SSD instead of 2x120GB. Also I would get a cheaper CPU cooler and a PSU of 650W would be enough, or even 750 if you want some headroom. (I recommend the Corsair RM series.

 

Yeah, I was just hearing that in the future, games will start taking advantage of more than four cores (say 3 to 5 years down the line) so I was thinking that the i7 might be a good investement (with the hyperthreading), but I think there may be more advanced CPUs at that time anyway and maybe I should just plan to upgrade once the i5 cant hold its own anymore? Really just trying to plan for the future—what do you think?

 

I was thinking about running the SSDs in raid 0 for faster loading—think it'll make that much of a difference? Or am I looking to boost performance in the wrong areas for my rig?

[Asher0012]

Are loading times that big of a deal? 

There's little point to getting more than a 212 Evo for a decent gaming oc.

They will support them just fine as long as you're not gaming across them. 

 

I was watching a video of someone using SSDs on World of Warcraft and he was able to load the maps for basically half the world in just a few seconds which seemed really huge to me and something that would be awesome in a new rig. Is the difference between Raid 0 load times and normal SSD loads too different? Or am I focusing on putting too much performance in the wrong places?

 

I would probably use one monitor for one game, and the other for Skype, browsing, work, etc.

[WoodenMarker]

I was watching a video of someone using SSDs on World of Warcraft and he was able to load the maps for basically half the world in just a few seconds which seemed really huge to me and something that would be awesome in a new rig. Is the difference between Raid 0 load times and normal SSD loads too different? Or am I focusing on putting too much performance in the wrong places?

I would probably use one monitor for one game, and the other for Skype, browsing, work, etc.

Unless loading times are a huge deal, I wouldn't bother with raid. 

Recommended edits: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sDe1

[Asher0012]

Awesome! Thanks so much for your help all and especially you, WoodenMarker! I'm excited to look over your edits!

[jvkeizer]

Yeah, I was just hearing that in the future, games will start taking advantage of more than four cores (say 3 to 5 years down the line) so I was thinking that the i7 might be a good investement (with the hyperthreading), but I think there may be more advanced CPUs at that time anyway and maybe I should just plan to upgrade once the i5 cant hold its own anymore? Really just trying to plan for the future—what do you think?

 

I was thinking about running the SSDs in raid 0 for faster loading—think it'll make that much of a difference? Or am I looking to boost performance in the wrong areas for my rig?

 

You can't really plan for 3-5 years from now, as you don't know exactly what's going to happen and the i7 that you might buy now might already be outdated in 5 years.