Is this a good build?

[learningbits]

Hey everyone,

 

So I am planning to build my PC and I just wanted some final opinions. After doing some readjustments, I have finally come down to this PC. I have a few questions,

 

- Will this be able to run two monitors? (one for gaming at 1080p, one for browsing the internet, both are 23")

- Can this build run current games and future games at high/ultra?

- Is there a better case?

- In general, is this a good build? 

 

My Build 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/CX38sY

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/CX38sY/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($258.32 @ TigerDirect Canada) 

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Memory Express) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($78.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card  ($249.99 @ NCIX) 

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ NCIX) 

Total: $862.21

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-01 22:23 EST-0500

 

Again, I want to thank all those who help me! Your help is greatly appreciated! Sorry if I put this in the wrong forum  

[Swndlr]

very solid

my suggestions:

1. swap the 4670k + Z87 for a 4690k + Z97

2. add an SSD

3. the 960 is a tough choice when its so close in price to the 280x and 290, but its up to you.

 

edit: and maybe a low cost cooler if you plan to overclock right away, something like the 212 Evo would do well

[aSiN9]

-Yes

-High @ 1080p, ultra depending on the title

-theres always a better case, but thats up to your preference

-Overall its a solid build imo, except you might want to consider an ssd, no matter how cheap you will appreciate it

[thekeemo]

1. yes

2. ehh

3. not really

4. minus the fact that its a 960 not a 280(x) or a used 290x

[themaniac]

Looks good except get an i5 4690k and the z97 version of the motherboard you chose

[hawaiims]

 

Hey everyone,

 

So I am planning to build my PC and I just wanted some final opinions. After doing some readjustments, I have finally come down to this PC. I have a few questions,

 

- Will this be able to run two monitors? (one for gaming at 1080p, one for browsing the internet, both are 23")

- Can this build run current games and future games at high/ultra?

- Is there a better case?

- In general, is this a good build? 

 

With that kind of budget it seems asinine to get a 4670k. Instead get a non-K i5 CPU for cheaper + a cheaper motherboard to go along with it. Then set aside the budget to get a better GPU for gaming or maybe an SSD.

 

Overclocking your CPU is mostly for the hell of it when you want to squeeze out that extra bit of CPU performance but when your budget is less than $1000 it's rarely worth it. 

[i_build_nanosuits]

With that kind of budget it seems asinine to get a 4670k. Instead get a non-K i5 CPU for cheaper + a cheaper motherboard to go along with it. Then set aside the budget to get a better GPU for gaming or maybe an SSD.

 

Overclocking your CPU is mostly for the hell of it when you want to squeeze out that extra bit of CPU performance but when your budget is less than $1000 it's rarely worth it. 

i agree...id get a i5-4590, cheap h97 board and gtx 970 gpu instead...much better gaming performance the gtx960 is a weak 2GB card..

[hawaiims]

 

Hey everyone,

 

So I am planning to build my PC and I just wanted some final opinions. After doing some readjustments, I have finally come down to this PC. I have a few questions,

 

- Will this be able to run two monitors? (one for gaming at 1080p, one for browsing the internet, both are 23")

- Can this build run current games and future games at high/ultra?

- Is there a better case?

- In general, is this a good build? 

 

My Build 

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/CX38sY

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/CX38sY/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($258.32 @ TigerDirect Canada) 

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Memory Express) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($78.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card  ($249.99 @ NCIX) 

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ NCIX) 

Total: $862.21

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-01 22:23 EST-0500

 

Again, I want to thank all those who help me! Your help is greatly appreciated! Sorry if I put this in the wrong forum

 

 

This would be a much better build overall for less money (and none of those stupid mail in rebates you need for the original build where you would pay $900+ out of pocket)

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/cGNyRB

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/cGNyRB/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($218.32 @ TigerDirect Canada) Performance is basically identical to the 4670k. Without a budget for a cooler you wouldn't even get to overclock the 4670k anyway) 

Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) You might be turned off at the H81 chipset designation but frankly unless you are getting some crazy number of hard drives or plan to overclock your CPU, a Z87 or 97 board is wholly unnecessary. H81 won't hamper your performance whether it's CPU, GPU or memory in any way whatsoever. Stuff like the audio chipset and gigabit ethernet are exactly the same as many Z87 boards. You seriously wouldn't notice the difference. 

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Amazon Canada) For a budget build whether it's in the antec case or another you have to face that it won't look amazing and you won't see the inside without a windowed case anyway. This is why I think the cheaper and actually faster clocked Crucial memory would be a better choice.

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) Same

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card  ($339.99 @ NCIX) R9 290 is waaaaaay better than a 960. Even with this card we still manage to be lower than your original budget by around $80! Because it's not one of those reference 290s it will be much cooler and quieter. The card is much more future proof than the 960 which is frankly a card that is sort of outdated on arrival because of it's memory bandwidth among other things. 970 would be great too but it's a little over budget and the 290 has basically the same performance.

Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Memory Express) Since the motherboard is mATX there is no point in getting a mid tower case. This case still has USB 3.0 or whatnot. Alternatively you could also get the Fractal design Core 1000 or Cougar spike which are around the same price and just as good. I just chose this one as an example.

Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Memory Express) Same PSU. Will be more than enough to power your 290 and the whole build. 

Total: $848.18

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-01 22:52 EST-0500

 

Price has no mail in rebate nonsense

 

_______________________________________

 

And to answer your question a 290 will obviously be much better to game now and in the future at the highest settings, something a 960 would struggle with on many games. It's also much more "future proof" because of the amount of memory it has and it's bandwidth. 

 

A case is a case and at it's base it's basically just a box with power buttons and front panel ports. A lot of stuff has to do with personal preference when it comes to cases so like I said look around. If you decide to go with something like what I posted above I strongly recommend getting a micro ATX case because it will match the motherboard and you'll end up with a smaller and lighter case. 

 

It will be able to run two monitors without a hitch especially if you're only gaming on one and browsing on the other. 

[learningbits]

First of all, thank you to those who took the time to reply! I hope you all see this because I really appreciate you guys trying to help! 

[learningbits]

 

This would be a much better build overall for less money (and none of those stupid mail in rebates you need for the original build where you would pay $900+ out of pocket)

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/cGNyRB

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/cGNyRB/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($218.32 @ TigerDirect Canada) Performance is basically identical to the 4670k. Without a budget for a cooler you wouldn't even get to overclock the 4670k anyway) 

Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) You might be turned off at the H81 chipset designation but frankly unless you are getting some crazy number of hard drives or plan to overclock your CPU, a Z87 or 97 board is wholly unnecessary. H81 won't hamper your performance whether it's CPU, GPU or memory in any way whatsoever. Stuff like the audio chipset and gigabit ethernet are exactly the same as many Z87 boards. You seriously wouldn't notice the difference. 

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Amazon Canada) For a budget build whether it's in the antec case or another you have to face that it won't look amazing and you won't see the inside without a windowed case anyway. This is why I think the cheaper and actually faster clocked Crucial memory would be a better choice.

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) Same

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card  ($339.99 @ NCIX) R9 290 is waaaaaay better than a 960. Even with this card we still manage to be lower than your original budget by around $80! Because it's not one of those reference 290s it will be much cooler and quieter. The card is much more future proof than the 960 which is frankly a card that is sort of outdated on arrival because of it's memory bandwidth among other things. 970 would be great too but it's a little over budget and the 290 has basically the same performance.

Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Memory Express) Since the motherboard is mATX there is no point in getting a mid tower case. This case still has USB 3.0 or whatnot. Alternatively you could also get the Fractal design Core 1000 or Cougar spike which are around the same price and just as good. I just chose this one as an example.

Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Memory Express) Same PSU. Will be more than enough to power your 290 and the whole build. 

Total: $848.18

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-01 22:52 EST-0500

 

Price has no mail in rebate nonsense

 

_______________________________________

 

And to answer your question a 290 will obviously be much better to game now and in the future at the highest settings, something a 960 would struggle with on many games. It's also much more "future proof" because of the amount of memory it has and it's bandwidth. 

 

A case is a case and at it's base it's basically just a box with power buttons and front panel ports. A lot of stuff has to do with personal preference when it comes to cases so like I said look around. If you decide to go with something like what I posted above I strongly recommend getting a micro ATX case because it will match the motherboard and you'll end up with a smaller and lighter case. 

 

It will be able to run two monitors without a hitch especially if you're only gaming on one and browsing on the other. 

 

Wow, thank you so much for this extensive reply. I truly appreciate this. Thank you very much for putting that pc together for me! I will have a look into it and purchase the parts if I feel it suits my needs! 

[hawaiims]

Wow, thank you so much for this extensive reply. I truly appreciate this. Thank you very much for putting that pc together for me! I will have a look into it and purchase the parts if I feel it suits my needs! 

No problem 

 

Make sure you have some headroom though so you don't end up forgetting a budget for keyboard + mouse + monitor + windows license. Whenever building a PC I also think it's wise to make sure you never end up spending the max that you could theoretically spend since there can always be unforeseen costs from parts you have to RMA and pay shipping for (or worse, have to replace out of pocket). 

 

I also strongly recommend you get an SSD if your budget allows. You could get a 128GB Sandisk SSD for $60 CAD, although it's obviously not a necessity it definitely makes using a PC much snappier.

 

And if you're low on budget don't bother getting a mechanical keyboard or $70 mouse. A cheap $10 keyboard and one of those anker $20 gaming mice would be perfectly fine. 

 

Personally what I value most is the monitors themselves because it's what you'll be actually looking at the entire time. I would definitely go with an IPS monitor no matter what. These days they're just as cheap as TN too. The eye strain and ugly colors are not worth the negligibly faster response time.

 

Don't forget headphones or speakers either. For gaming or listening to music it makes a huge difference. There are tons of very good and cheap earphones out there that sound 90% as good as $100 ones.  

[SteveGrabowski]

Wow, thank you so much for this extensive reply. I truly appreciate this. Thank you very much for putting that pc together for me! I will have a look into it and purchase the parts if I feel it suits my needs! 

 

His build is pretty awesome with an R9 290 over a GTX 960. These are two completely different classes of cards, and the video card is the most important part of your system. I would get a different case though, to get better airflow to your R9 290. I don't think that case has enough airflow for a 290, but this does:

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083

 

Then add a front intake 120mm fan (or two would be even better) and a side intake 120mm fan next to your GPU. Make sure to set the side fan as an intake to feed cool air into your GPU. If you make it an exhaust fan it'll starve your GPU for air and the temperatures will be terrible.

[SteveGrabowski]

I'd maybe go a little higher on the PSU too. This one is pretty nice:

http://www.ncix.com/detail/xfx-650w-ts-series-core-9c-59616-1139.htm

[learningbits]

No problem 

 

Make sure you have some headroom though so you don't end up forgetting a budget for keyboard + mouse + monitor + windows license. Whenever building a PC I also think it's wise to make sure you never end up spending the max that you could theoretically spend since there can always be unforeseen costs from parts you have to RMA and pay shipping for (or worse, have to replace out of pocket). 

 

I also strongly recommend you get an SSD if your budget allows. You could get a 128GB Sandisk SSD for $60 CAD, although it's obviously not a necessity it definitely makes using a PC much snappier.

 

And if you're low on budget don't bother getting a mechanical keyboard or $70 mouse. A cheap $10 keyboard and one of those anker $20 gaming mice would be perfectly fine. 

 

Personally what I value most is the monitors themselves because it's what you'll be actually looking at the entire time. I would definitely go with an IPS monitor no matter what. These days they're just as cheap as TN too. The eye strain and ugly colors are not worth the negligibly faster response time.

 

Don't forget headphones or speakers either. For gaming or listening to music it makes a huge difference. There are tons of very good and cheap earphones out there that sound 90% as good as $100 ones.  

Hi, 

 

I apologize for my delayed reply, but I just wanted to say thank you once again for helping me more on the build! I do not have enough money for that build as of now. However, I am saving up for it!

 

Thank you very much for your help!

[learningbits]

His build is pretty awesome with an R9 290 over a GTX 960. These are two completely different classes of cards, and the video card is the most important part of your system. I would get a different case though, to get better airflow to your R9 290. I don't think that case has enough airflow for a 290, but this does:

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083

 

Then add a front intake 120mm fan (or two would be even better) and a side intake 120mm fan next to your GPU. Make sure to set the side fan as an intake to feed cool air into your GPU. If you make it an exhaust fan it'll starve your GPU for air and the temperatures will be terrible.

Alright, thank you for letting me know! I'll have a look into that!