Need Advice and Guidance on Building a Haswell Gaming Computer.

[SevantynauG]

--------------------------- Building A Gaming Computer -------------------------------

So guys, I was told to build a gaming computer by my boss last week. I only have some knowledge about computer parts. So yea, My aim is to be able to play Crysis 3 in high setting with three monitor set up and high fps ( around 35 or more ) with a budget around US$2700.

CPU
Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz

$249.99

 

CPU Cooler
Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid

 

$99.99

 

Motherboard
MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming LGA 1150

 

$189.99

 

Memory
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600

 

$68.99

 

Storage
Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" SSD

 

$129.99

 

Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM

 

$84.98

 

Video Card
MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB

 

$399.99

 

MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB

 

$399.99

 

Case
Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower

 

$79.99

 

Case Fan
Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm

 

$6.49

 

Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm

 

$6.49

 

Power Supply
Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V

 

$152.47

 

Optical Drive
LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

 

$79.99

 

Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)

 

$89.98

 

Monitor
Asus VS247H-P 23.6"

 

$155.58

 

Asus VS247H-P 23.6"

 

$155.58

 

Asus VS247H-P 23.6"

 

$155.58

 

Keyboard
Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4

 

$49.99

 

Mouse
Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical

 

$39.99

 

Custom
SteelSeries QcK Heavy Gaming Mouse Pad

 

$24.99

 

Creative Aurvana Live Headphones

 

$75.72

 

Total: $2688.75


Therefore, I came up with these specs by taking the recommendation from people without knowing why I choose those parts. Thus, I hope you guys can tell more in detail about those part that I have chosen for the gaming computer as I will have to write a report on those part that I have chosen. I hope you guys can help me with this.

 

 

[joelthezombie15]

Dont get 770s try to get 780s or wait for the new AMD cards. 840 pros are a bit over priced, get a regular 840 120gb. and maybe think about seagate drives, they are cheaper.

[gts250ftw]

personally id go with a 4770k because its possible in the future game may use more cores but thats just me ..:)

[Dim]

This is my revision to your list

Peripherals are very much opinion-oriented, and I would try sliding a second GTX 780 in there if you could. But overall, that should give you a good indication of the sort of parts to get.

[SevantynauG]

Dont get 770s try to get 780s or wait for the new AMD cards. 840 pros are a bit over priced, get a regular 840 120gb. and maybe think about seagate drives, they are cheaper.

 

If i were to get two of the 780s, i will exceed my budget. thats the problem that i face right now :(

 

alright. noted. but wait, does pros and regular have large different in performance ?

 

seagate is cheaper but it doesnt perform as fast as WD black :(

 

personally id go with a 4770k because its possible in the future game may use more cores but thats just me .. :)

 

erm, its alright. 4670k is alright for now as the price of 4770k is way too high for me. maybe in the future i will consider to upgrade it. 

 

This is my revision to your list

Peripherals are very much opinion-oriented, and I would try sliding a second GTX 780 in there if you could. But overall, that should give you a good indication of the sort of parts to get.

 

It looks really good. but with only one GTX 780 3gb. does it be able to perform well (30+ FPS) with three monitor set up and high setting on Crysis 3 ?

[Dim]

If i were to get two of the 780s, i will exceed my budget. thats the problem that i face right now :(

 

alright. noted. but wait, does pros and regular have large different in performance ?

 

seagate is cheaper but it doesnt perform as fast as WD black :(

 

 

erm, its alright. 4670k is alright for now as the price of 4770k is way too high for me. maybe in the future i will consider to upgrade it. 

 

 

It looks really good. but with only one GTX 780 3gb. does it be able to perform well (30+ FPS) with three monitor set up and high setting on Crysis 3 ?

I can't speak for Crysis 3 as I haven't seen any benchmarks, but for Battlefield 3 you are looking at 44 frames per second on average - sorry about the late response.

 

However, because Crysis 3 is a more intensive game, I can't say for certainty you would be able to get >30 fps with everything on max. With FXAA / AF on low (rather than everything on max) you should definitely be able to, though.

 

Hope that helps

[Dim]

44 fps average on BF3 at 5760x1080 resolution with all settings on max*

[delet my acc pls]

get a g45 instead of a gd65 the only difference is that the gd65 have more pci slots and more sata ports

[SevantynauG]

44 fps average on BF3 at 5760x1080 resolution with all settings on max*

 

Its alright man. I'm more than happy that you wanted to help me. Late reply its alright. hehe.

 

As for Crysis 3, I dont think 1 card will works well. as from the benchmark by Tom's Hardware, It shown that with one GTX 780 on 2560x1440, GTX 780 only gave out 31fps.

 

 

Single Card : 

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519-7.html

 

Multi Card : 

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519-15.html

 

 

get a g45 instead of a gd65 the only difference is that the gd65 have more pci slots and more sata ports

 

Okay. noted. Thanks for the useful information. Other than the mobo, is there another suggestion you can give me? 

[Dim]

Here.

I managed to fit in two GTX 780s, but the cost is still $100 over budget, I didn't include a mousepad or headphones. Under the circumstances that was the best I could do, but the gaming performance is realistically going to be the best possible at that budget.

 

Bear in mind, I put in IPS monitors for the viewing angles - it's pretty important when running a triple monitor surround setup

[SevantynauG]

Here.

I managed to fit in two GTX 780s, but the cost is still $100 over budget, I didn't include a mousepad or headphones. Under the circumstances that was the best I could do, but the gaming performance is realistically going to be the best possible at that budget.

 

Bear in mind, I put in IPS monitors for the viewing angles - it's pretty important when running a triple monitor surround setup

 

This specs looks really good. But, it still couldnt met the requirement that my company gave me. Basically, it must be 24" inch monitor , Wifi and usb support and bluray- dvd -cd support. 

 

how about if just go with GTX 770s? i think it can gave 30+ FPS as from my research it shown that 7970s are able to gave 30+ FPS on three monitor set up.

 

Here it is, the bencmark from Tom's Hardware .

 

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/SevantynauG/media/Benchmark_zpsd2f1a473.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

[Dim]

This specs looks really good. But, it still couldnt met the requirement that my company gave me. Basically, it must be 24" inch monitor , Wifi and usb support and bluray- dvd -cd support. 

 

how about if just go with GTX 770s? i think it can gave 30+ FPS as from my research it shown that 7970s are able to gave 30+ FPS on three monitor set up.

 

Here it is, the bencmark from Tom's Hardware .

 

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/SevantynauG/media/Benchmark_zpsd2f1a473.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Fair enough - 770s are effectively 680s with updated firmware, which is why in general we steer away from them. Another reason is that they don't come in 4GB versions, and in general for 5760 x 1080, 3GB+ memory is recommended.

 

However, since your needs are very specific it seems fine :)

If you can wait though, I would wait until 4GB models of the GTX 770s are released. There's no date for this, though, so you could be potentially waiting a while.

[SevantynauG]

Fair enough - 770s are effectively 680s with updated firmware, which is why in general we steer away from them. Another reason is that they don't come in 4GB versions, and in general for 5760 x 1080, 3GB+ memory is recommended.

 

However, since your needs are very specific it seems fine :)

If you can wait though, I would wait until 4GB models of the GTX 770s are released. There's no date for this, though, so you could be potentially waiting a while.

 

Alright. Great! so im done with the GPU. Thanks to you. :)

 

Let's discuss about the Case fan and monitor for now. Erm.. what 24" inch monitor do you think is the best around for now ? ( with price around (US$150-180) and whats the best case fan around for now that have low noise level yet amazing performance? 

[Dim]

Alright. Great! so im done with the GPU. Thanks to you. :)

 

Let's discuss about the Case fan and monitor for now. Erm.. what 24" inch monitor do you think is the best around for now ? ( with price around (US$150-180) and whats the best case fan around for now that have low noise level yet amazing performance? 

Since you plan on 23-24"monitors in surround, it's pretty important that you get IPS monitors with relatively slim bezels.

At that budget, I would say your best bet is AOC i2367Fh monitors :) While they aren't the best, at $160 each they are definitely good value for money.

 

For case fans, the best performing with lowest noise are generally NF-S12A fans, although you can get Corsair AF120 fans they're generally cheaper and perform almost as well (and suit your case better)

[SevantynauG]

Since you plan on 23-24"monitors in surround, it's pretty important that you get IPS monitors with relatively slim bezels.

At that budget, I would say your best bet is AOC i2367Fh monitors :) While they aren't the best, at $160 each they are definitely good value for money.

 

For case fans, the best performing with lowest noise are generally NF-S12A fans, although you can get Corsair AF120 fans they're generally cheaper and perform almost as well (and suit your case better)

 

Alright, i will take that monitor into serious consideration. as Asus VE248H 24" looks kinda good. But, still thanksss! heheh :)

 

As for the case fans, im not too sure about it and since you recommend these 2 case fans, i'll do some more research and choose which one to get. But wait, how case fans many do i need for my gaming computer?

 

Furthermore, i would also like you to gave me some recommendation on the Wi-fi and bluetooth adapter. hehehe.

 

Thank for replying me. Really really thank you. :)

[Dim]

Alright, i will take that monitor into serious consideration. as Asus VE248H 24" looks kinda good. But, still thanksss! heheh :)

 

As for the case fans, im not too sure about it and since you recommend these 2 case fans, i'll do some more research and choose which one to get. But wait, how case fans many do i need for my gaming computer?

 

Furthermore, i would also like you to gave me some recommendation on the Wi-fi and bluetooth adapter. hehehe.

 

Thank for replying me. Really really thank you. :)

The only issue with those monitors is that they aren't IPS, which means that the colour is not as good unless you're looking at it directly. These are the monitors in triple monitor surround - you may be able to see that the one on the left is a different hue due to the angle it's on - IPS monitors don't have this issue.

 

I would go with the AF120 fans (AF stands for air-flow). I would not recommend the HAF 922 at your budget; a HAF X would be a better choice from the Cooler Master range, though I recommend having a look at other cases as well (such as Corsair, Lian Li, and Fractal).

 

The HAF X comes with one of two available top 200mm fans, a rear 140mm fan, a side 200mm fan, and a front 230mm fan.

As you may be able to tell, Cooler Master cases are generally not a good choice if you're after silence (although the cooling is undeniable).

 

For bluetooth, generally any old adapter will do fine - just get the cheapest you can. For Wi-Fi, it depends on the speed of your internet, but generally just look for something that provides upwards of 300Mbps wireless connectivity and you should be okay. Something like an ASUS PCE-AC66 is very high-end, whereas an ASUS PCE-N53 is more medium grade and an ASUS PCE-N15 is fairly low-end, just to give you an indication.

[SevantynauG]

The only issue with those monitors is that they aren't IPS, which means that the colour is not as good unless you're looking at it directly. These are the monitors in triple monitor surround - you may be able to see that the one on the left is a different hue due to the angle it's on - IPS monitors don't have this issue.

 

I would go with the AF120 fans (AF stands for air-flow). I would not recommend the HAF 922 at your budget; a HAF X would be a better choice from the Cooler Master range, though I recommend having a look at other cases as well (such as Corsair, Lian Li, and Fractal).

 

The HAF X comes with one of two available top 200mm fans, a rear 140mm fan, a side 200mm fan, and a front 230mm fan.

As you may be able to tell, Cooler Master cases are generally not a good choice if you're after silence (although the cooling is undeniable).

 

For bluetooth, generally any old adapter will do fine - just get the cheapest you can. For Wi-Fi, it depends on the speed of your internet, but generally just look for something that provides upwards of 300Mbps wireless connectivity and you should be okay. Something like an ASUS PCE-AC66 is very high-end, whereas an ASUS PCE-N53 is more medium grade and an ASUS PCE-N15 is fairly low-end, just to give you an indication.

 

Ohh, that's the advantage of IPS monitor. Now i learned new thing, thanks to you. Therefore, i'll stick to your

recommendation. :))

 

That was a great information! If let's say i would like to take down the Cooler master case, what brand and type of the case would you recommend me to have one on my budget ?

 

Alright noted. As for bluetooth i'll just go for a cheap one as what you said and for Wi-fi i'll go for ASUS PCE-N53 as AC66 is way too expensive. 

 

Thank you so much man. Wish to gain more knowledge from you!!! thank youu ^^

[WoodenMarker]

If i were to get two of the 780s, i will exceed my budget. thats the problem that i face right now :(

 

alright. noted. but wait, does pros and regular have large different in performance ?

 

seagate is cheaper but it doesnt perform as fast as WD black :(

 

 

erm, its alright. 4670k is alright for now as the price of 4770k is way too high for me. maybe in the future i will consider to upgrade it. 

 

 

It looks really good. but with only one GTX 780 3gb. does it be able to perform well (30+ FPS) with three monitor set up and high setting on Crysis 3 ?

The pros are only really noticeably faster when used as a scratch disk as editing--otherwise, they're the same.

The barracuda isn't that much slower than the wd black. If you really want speed for games, you could get a larger samsung ssd with your budget for an actually more noticeable difference.

For the price cost of cpu+mobo, you could instead get a 3770k + z77 board.

Considering the 780 is basically a titan and these benchmarks aren't even overclocked, you should have an average over 30fps at high settings: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crysis-3-performance-benchmark-gaming,3451-7.html

[Dim]

 

Ohh, that's the advantage of IPS monitor. Now i learned new thing, thanks to you. Therefore, i'll stick to your

recommendation. :))

 

That was a great information! If let's say i would like to take down the Cooler master case, what brand and type of the case would you recommend me to have one on my budget ?

 

Alright noted. As for bluetooth i'll just go for a cheap one as what you said and for Wi-fi i'll go for ASUS PCE-N53 as AC66 is way too expensive. 

 

Thank you so much man. Wish to gain more knowledge from you!!! thank youu ^^

 

Are you looking for something that looks futuristic and ridonculous like a transformer? I generally can't recommend those cases for silence as they're optimized for flashiness. For a nice, silent case, generally the Fractal Design Define R4 is the choice. You can get it in windowed model, but it does look very plain. The Corsair 650D is also a good choice at your budget, but again it looks a bit plain. What are you looking for in the case?

[SevantynauG]

Are you looking for something that looks futuristic and ridonculous like a transformer? I generally can't recommend those cases for silence as they're optimized for flashiness. For a nice, silent case, generally the Fractal Design Define R4 is the choice. You can get it in windowed model, but it does look very plain. The Corsair 650D is also a good choice at your budget, but again it looks a bit plain. What are you looking for in the case?

 

For the case, im looking for those eye catching cases that looks like a cases. Yes, for the Fractal Design Define R4 and Corsair 650D it looks pretty plain. :( but that was i nice case tho. 

.

[WoodenMarker]

Here's what you could do/what I would recommend: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/17hdC

 

You get much more performance by avoiding haswell and getting the much cheaper ivy. It may not seem so at first but haswell cpus + mobos are considerably more expensive that the ivy alternative.

[SevantynauG]

Here's what you could do/what I would recommend: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/17hdC

 

You get much more performance by avoiding haswell and getting the much cheaper ivy. It may not seem so at first but haswell cpus + mobos are considerably more expensive that the ivy alternative.

 

That looks pretty decent. but well, I decided to go for 2 770s 4GB instead as what most of the people say, " RAM does matter a lot "

[Anubikai]

Its alright man. I'm more than happy that you wanted to help me. Late reply its alright. hehe.

 

As for Crysis 3, I dont think 1 card will works well. as from the benchmark by Tom's Hardware, It shown that with one GTX 780 on 2560x1440, GTX 780 only gave out 31fps.

 

 

Single Card : 

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519-7.html

 

Multi Card : 

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519-15.html

 

 

 

Okay. noted. Thanks for the useful information. Other than the mobo, is there another suggestion you can give me? 

 

The gd-65 has better cooling around the cpu...there is a heatpipe aswell....

 

-Anubikai

[SevantynauG]

The gd-65 has better cooling around the cpu...there is a heatpipe aswell....

 

-Anubikai

 

Alright, will consider on it. erm, how about the gd-45 ? its looks pretty decent and cheaper.