New Build. Need expert opinion, indecisive between choices.

[Kash_champ]

Hi Guys. I'm new here. This is my first post here. so please be generous to me.

I'm building a new Rig. So I need your opinions. I have done my researching and shorten the list but still a little indecisive. And I’m going to put all the components in one thread. So pardon me for that but feel free to answer whichever component you are comfortable with.

Rig purpose: Gaming 50%, Web surfing 25%, Media Playback 10%, Graphics rendering 5%, Office work & others 10% ( + prolonged use, multitasking 70% of the times)
Budget: $1600 (converting from INR. Things are a bit pricy here)

1. Motherboard: Gigabyte gaming 5 vs MSI gaming 5 (z97). Based on – performance under stress (hardcore gaming and prolonged use), Moderate OC performance, and recent brand value.

2. CPU + DRAM: i7 4790k + 16GB vs i5 4690k + 32GB. considering the Rig purpose and tight budget.

3. CPU Heatsink: Noctua NH-D15. Considering moderate OC and tight budget.

4. Graphics card: GTX 970 4GB vs R9 290 4GB ( + mild OC). From price point vs performance.

5. SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 2 x 128 GB RAID0 vs 256 GB. Based on real performance. ( 2 x 128 is $60 costlier.) Would a 256 GB do?

6. WD Black vs RED (cheaper). Considering price normal performance and RAID1 performance.

7. Rest would be taken from previous build (for now).

Sorry it got a little big. I really need expert opinions and I really do appreciate you reading through all this & your opinions. THANKS.

[VincentiusIV]

1. In terms of motherboards these Days, there is not much difference performance wise.

Go for the msi board, since they have better service.

2. I7+16GB, You can add another 16GB in the future

3.nh d15 is awesome. One of the best coolers, easy to mount and silent.

4.GTX 970, since it has double performance per wattage then the r9 290. And the features from maxwell are awesome

5.one 256GB ssd, This Will be,more reliable then 2 ssd's. Double the drives means double the failure rate

6.Black is the way to go. Red of your pc runs 24/7

7.ok

What are your previous specs?

[Captain_WD]

Hi Guys. I'm new here. This is my first post here. so please be generous to me.

I'm building a new Rig. So I need your opinions. I have done my researching and shorten the list but still a little indecisive. And I’m going to put all the components in one thread. So pardon me for that but feel free to answer whichever component you are comfortable with.

Rig purpose: Gaming 50%, Web surfing 25%, Media Playback 10%, Graphics rendering 5%, Office work & others 10% ( + prolonged use, multitasking 70% of the times)

Budget: $1600 (converting from INR. Things are a bit pricy here)

1. Motherboard: Gigabyte gaming 5 vs MSI gaming 5 (z97). Based on – performance under stress (hardcore gaming and prolonged use), Moderate OC performance, and recent brand value.

2. CPU + DRAM: i7 4790k + 16GB vs i5 4690k + 32GB. considering the Rig purpose and tight budget.

3. CPU Heatsink: Noctua NH-D15. Considering moderate OC and tight budget.

4. Graphics card: GTX 970 4GB vs R9 290 4GB ( + mild OC). From price point vs performance.

5. SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 2 x 128 GB RAID0 vs 256 GB. Based on real performance. ( 2 x 128 is $60 costlier.) Would a 256 GB do?

6. WD Black vs RED (cheaper). Considering price normal performance and RAID1 performance.

7. Rest would be taken from previous build (for now).

Sorry it got a little big. I really need expert opinions and I really do appreciate you reading through all this & your opinions. THANKS.

 

Hey Kash_champ and welcome to Linus Tech Tips forum

 

You seem to have planned this pretty well. Here are my two cents on this:

 

1. As long as the MOBO is z97, I don't believe the manufacturer has much to do with the performance, so it is really up to you (price and manufacturer preference). Just make sure it has enough ports (HDMI, USB 3.0, etc.).

 

2. A decent i5 would handle gaming perfectly well and since you are planning on OCing it, it would do good in editing and rendering. On the other hand, I don't think you would ever need those 32GB of RAM. I would say get the i5 with 16GB of RAM (even 8 would be enough IMHO). If it's "either or" situation without options to mix things up - go for the i7 - it would last longer and handle pretty much anything and 16GB of memory is more than enough for everything you are planning to do.

 

3. There are lots of good reviews on that one.

 

4. I would check benchmarks and feedback on both cards. As far as overall opinion goes, the 970 is regarded as the best price/performance ratio there is. I would say, depending on which MOBO you choose (if it supports SLI or Crossfire) and base on the price and the reviews, then make the choice. 

 

5. RAID 0 works great (nearly double the speed) with SSDs when it comes to game loading times, programs and work with files. In terms of cold booting of your OS (initial turning on of your build) it actually slows it down (I've seen people reporting up to 10 seconds slower, compared to a single SSD). RAID 0 also poses a big amount of danger to your data if you don't have any backup. If either SSD goes bad - you would lose all data on both of them. A single SSD is already pretty fast and I don't believe the risk of RAID 0 is worth the speed boost if you have important data on them. It is up to your needs and the amount of risk you would like to take.

 

6. If you are planning on doing a RAID 1, I must say that WD Red is the right choice since it was designed for RAD/NAS environments and comes with NASware and TLER, enabling it to be much harder for it to drop out of the RAID array and to get bad sectors. It runs much smoother in such environments, compared to all other consumer WD drives. WD Black are high-performance drives that are designed for gaming and heavier workloads, but they are not designed to work in a RAID.

 

7. Make sure to check all parts that you are reusing if they are reliable you don't want to risk your data.

 

Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask away

 

Captain_WD.

[Kash_champ]

1. In terms of motherboards these Days, there is not much difference performance wise.

Go for the msi board, since they have better service.

2. I7+16GB, You can add another 16GB in the future

3.nh d15 is awesome. One of the best coolers, easy to mount and silent.

4.GTX 970, since it has double performance per wattage then the r9 290. And the features from maxwell are awesome

5.one 256GB ssd, This Will be,more reliable then 2 ssd's. Double the drives means double the failure rate

6.Black is the way to go. Red of your pc runs 24/7

7.ok

What are your previous specs?

 

Thank you for your input.

 

Relating to RAM => Now its DDR3 era. coming very soon is DDR4 era. finding/buying DDR3 then would be a little hard.

My desktop usually run for atleast 2 weeks 24x7 inbetween any break.

[VincentiusIV]

Thank you for your input.

 

Relating to RAM => Now its DDR3 era. coming very soon is DDR4 era. finding/buying DDR3 then would be a little hard.

My desktop usually run for atleast 2 weeks 24x7 inbetween any break.

Coming very soon is DDR4 era? Yes it did already with x99

 

But it is not going to disappear in the coming 1-2 years, maybe even 3.

You should have plenty of time.

 

And above that, an i5 with 32GB doesn't realy make any sense since the extra 16GB is 9 out of 10 times used while rendering, etc.

The i5 is slow at rendering , but delivers amazing performance in games (roughly the same as the i7)

 

And i7 with 16GB makes more sense, and when ddr3 is starting to loose grasp in the mainstream market it will go on sale. So you can buy that second set from 16GB for much cheaper.

 

Don't know how long it will take, very hard to judge at this time of date.

[Kash_champ]

Parts from previous build =>

1. Chasis = CM HAF-X

2. PSU = Coersair AX850 Profesional gold series modular SMPS

3. Monitor = its a bit tricky. My old Samsung Syncmaster TN panel 1024x768 (4:3) is outdated and even if I wanted to use it, it will still take me to work around with a active digital to analog (VGA) signal converter. And I know that simply is a downright dumb thing to do after spending $1600 on a gaming (mostly) rig. But my pinch is my budget won't probably cover a decent monitor like Asus PA238q right now (monitors usually stays longer than rig parts, hence want a decent monitor). But right now I have a HDTV monitor which I plan on using just for the time being. But even after getting the monitor I still would use the HDTV in multimonitor setup.

 

I know HDTV is a bit of a tricky burgain when coming to gaming, but I'm willing to take the hit ( sometimes; you know when you are NOT on the edge trying to bust out others in multiplayer. It might be good to get that big ~50 inch experience.) Hence my inclusion of r9 290 against GTX 970 ( knowing full well the performance superiority of GTX 970). I hear AMD eayfinity gives slightly better sync/compatibility on multimonitor setup. [not too sure though. would like opinions on this]

{I couldn't explaiin all these on the original post coz it would have been too long for any ones interest. Sorry}

4. Other peripherals are good enough I belive. but I might get a new mechanical keyboard. (never had one before. Any input? Like Native MX Brown vs razers modified Mx.)

[Kash_champ]

Coming very soon is DDR4 era? Yes it did already with x99

 

But it is not going to disappear in the coming 1-2 years, maybe even 3.

You should have plenty of time.

 

And above that, an i5 with 32GB doesn't realy make any sense since the extra 16GB is 9 out of 10 times used while rendering, etc.

The i5 is slow at rendering , but delivers amazing performance in games (roughly the same as the i7)

 

And i7 with 16GB makes more sense, and when ddr3 is starting to loose grasp in the mainstream market it will go on sale. So you can buy that second set from 16GB for much cheaper.

 

Don't know how long it will take, very hard to judge at this time of date.

 

Please don't hold it against me. I didn't really mean any disrespect. By DDR4 era I meant when DDR4 will dominate the merket. Very soon I belive. And you are right in saying DDR3 will probably stay for 2 years. but I forgot to mention I'm from India wher IT market is growing but still is not as vast as in US. I agree with you on i5 & i7 choice (on budget) as also opined by Captain_WD. No disput on that.

Thanks again.

[Kash_champ]

 

Hey Kash_champ and welcome to Linus Tech Tips forum

 

You seem to have planned this pretty well. Here are my two cents on this:

 

1. As long as the MOBO is z97, I don't believe the manufacturer has much to do with the performance, so it is really up to you (price and manufacturer preference). Just make sure it has enough ports (HDMI, USB 3.0, etc.).

 

2. A decent i5 would handle gaming perfectly well and since you are planning on OCing it, it would do good in editing and rendering. On the other hand, I don't think you would ever need those 32GB of RAM. I would say get the i5 with 16GB of RAM (even 8 would be enough IMHO). If it's "either or" situation without options to mix things up - go for the i7 - it would last longer and handle pretty much anything and 16GB of memory is more than enough for everything you are planning to do.

 

3. There are lots of good reviews on that one.

 

4. I would check benchmarks and feedback on both cards. As far as overall opinion goes, the 970 is regarded as the best price/performance ratio there is. I would say, depending on which MOBO you choose (if it supports SLI or Crossfire) and base on the price and the reviews, then make the choice. 

 

5. RAID 0 works great (nearly double the speed) with SSDs when it comes to game loading times, programs and work with files. In terms of cold booting of your OS (initial turning on of your build) it actually slows it down (I've seen people reporting up to 10 seconds slower, compared to a single SSD). RAID 0 also poses a big amount of danger to your data if you don't have any backup. If either SSD goes bad - you would lose all data on both of them. A single SSD is already pretty fast and I don't believe the risk of RAID 0 is worth the speed boost if you have important data on them. It is up to your needs and the amount of risk you would like to take.

 

6. If you are planning on doing a RAID 1, I must say that WD Red is the right choice since it was designed for RAD/NAS environments and comes with NASware and TLER, enabling it to be much harder for it to drop out of the RAID array and to get bad sectors. It runs much smoother in such environments, compared to all other consumer WD drives. WD Black are high-performance drives that are designed for gaming and heavier workloads, but they are not designed to work in a RAID.

 

7. Make sure to check all parts that you are reusing if they are reliable you don't want to risk your data.

 

Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask away

 

Captain_WD.

 

 

Thank you. I really appreciate the detailed explanation.

MoBo, CPU, DRAM, Heatsink, SSD, agreed and confirmed. thanks.

 

Would like a little more clarification on GPU & HDD if you would please.

 

For GPU confusion kindly see my multimonitor setup confusion.

Regarding HDD = I do plan on doing RAID1 for back up (redundency) but was indecisive b'coz of the red series' intelipower (varing 5400 rpm) performance hit. I will be using the HDD mostly for data storage ( which I hold dear like a collector or something) and the OS and aplications and games will be on SSD ( hence increased failure risk by striping in RAID0 not a big headache). But still not wiiling to take signifiacnt transfer rate hit on the HDD. (waiting for 300GB data transfet to complete @ 25 mB/s is stress on my life-energy).

 

Again thanks. and any further input is really welcome.

[Captain_WD]

Thank you. I really appreciate the detailed explanation.

MoBo, CPU, DRAM, Heatsink, SSD, agreed and confirmed. thanks.

 

Would like a little more clarification on GPU & HDD if you would please.

 

For GPU confusion kindly see my multimonitor setup confusion.

Regarding HDD = I do plan on doing RAID1 for back up (redundency) but was indecisive b'coz of the red series' intelipower (varing 5400 rpm) performance hit. I will be using the HDD mostly for data storage ( which I hold dear like a collector or something) and the OS and aplications and games will be on SSD ( hence increased failure risk by striping in RAID0 not a big headache). But still not wiiling to take signifiacnt transfer rate hit on the HDD. (waiting for 300GB data transfet to complete @ 25 mB/s is stress on my life-energy).

 

Again thanks. and any further input is really welcome.

 

Concerning the HDD,

The IntelliPower technology is implemented in WD Red for secure and cool performance and, at the same time, avoid any performance decrease. I believe you would still get pretty good read/write speeds for what you need that RAID1. 

If you still doubt the transfer speeds you would get, you could always consider WD Red Pro, which are 7,200 rpm, have the same features as the WD Red and would also serve your needs. Here's a link: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1280#Tab2 .

 

Regarding the GPU,

I did not understand what confusion you are referring to. 

 

Cheers

Captain_WD.

[Kash_champ]

 

Concerning the HDD,

The IntelliPower technology is implemented in WD Red for secure and cool performance and, at the same time, avoid any performance decrease. I believe you would still get pretty good read/write speeds for what you need that RAID1. 

If you still doubt the transfer speeds you would get, you could always consider WD Red Pro, which are 7,200 rpm, have the same features as the WD Red and would also serve your needs. Here's a link: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1280#Tab2 .

 

Regarding the GPU,

I did not understand what confusion you are referring to. 

 

Cheers

Captain_WD.

 

 

Thank you. I did know about the exixstance of the WD Red Pro. however i didn't look it up as I never found a popular store in india selling it. Apart from the features (which you say is same as Red and rpm@7200, what the price diffrence is like if you know of any in your local stores. And depending on the price difference is the performance improvement worth it. I'll look it up. But as your status say Industry affiliate & WD, I'll still hold your opinion valuable.

[Captain_WD]

Thank you. I did know about the exixstance of the WD Red Pro. however i didn't look it up as I never found a popular store in india selling it. Apart from the features (which you say is same as Red and rpm@7200, what the price diffrence is like if you know of any in your local stores. And depending on the price difference is the performance improvement worth it. I'll look it up. But as your status say Industry affiliate & WD, I'll still hold your opinion valuable.

 

 

WD Red Pro is designed for RAID/NAS environments with 8 or more drives in the array while the WD Red is designed for up to 8 drives in the array. The Pro version is designed to be as stable at the higher rpm as the regular WD Red. Also the regulard Red comes in sizes up to 6TB while the Pro version goes up to 4TB. Performance-wise, if you check the manuals of both drives, you will find that the Pro has a bit better read/write speeds, but it is a bit louder, has a bit smaller operating temperature tolerance and consumes a bit more energy. Here are links to both drives:

WD Red: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-800002.pdf

WD Red Pro: http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-800022.pdf

Price-wise, it really depends on the retailer and the store. The Pro is a bit costlier and it is up to the user to decide if the extra money is worth the additional benefits that the Pro offers.

 

To give you another option for RAID environments, WD Re is a great drive for this purpose as it is designed for durability and performance under heavy workloads. It is also 7,200 rpm and goes up to 4TB. It is, however, a part of WD Enterprise series and can cost a bit more than the Red series. Here's a link to that too: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=580#Tab1 .

 

If speed is not that big of a priority, WD Green drives are also good for RAID1, even though they are not designed for such environments. They are energy-efficient, quiet and run smooth and cool. Many people prefer them for RAID1 setups where speed is not the priority. You can check them out here if you'd like: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=780 .

 

Stores often do sales on different drives, so if any of these happen to be on sale, any of them would cover your needs and would work.

 

Captain_WD.

[Kash_champ]

Thanks guys.