AUD$2500 gaming build

[Bobe]

Here is a potential build I have put together, I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Bobe/saved/gcLnTW

 

EDIT: I have updated the build to change the i7 to i5, 16GB RAM to 8GB, swapped out an SSD for a 3.5" and added a second GPU for SLI.

 

The build does not include a PSU because I'll be using my current Corsair HX650, unless I decide that I want to keep this machine for some other purpose. Also bear in mind that the case comes with two front and one rear fan, and I added two quiet fans for the bottom, but if it's better to just replace all the stock fans let me know (I don't really need LED fans, but if they might perform better and they're not too expensive, why not).

 

I'm in Australia and I'm aiming not to go above AUD$2,500, though I could be tempted to go up to about $3,000 if it's absolutely worth it in the long run.

 

This would first and foremost be a gaming machine, though I do often like to do some video editing and I would like to be able to record gameplay without impacting performance. I'm only looking to play (and sometimes record) at 1080p 60fps, not some ridiculous 4k 120+fps setup, but the system should manage to always stay at or above 60fps for the next few years.

 

I intend to have two Samsung 1080p monitors, the secondary one being my current primary one, a SyncMaster 2333.

 

I'm set for peripherals and software.

 

Upgrading for a fresh start. My current machine was my first custom build which I put together four years ago (i5-2500k, 6970, ...). It's held up fairly well, but more and more games are starting to give it some trouble. I've not tried it yet but I expect GTAV might not be too smooth (without severely sacrificing visual quality).

[Silyy097]

If you are not so concerned about your CPU, RAM and Storage, you might want to drop the CPU to an i5, 8GB RAM and 1 SSD, to put that money into possibly another 970. Also, Ive heard that there are problems about the STRIX 970 being "not as good as the other 970s" or something along that lines, I think it has something to do with the cooling.

[grayblizzard]

Here is one I would reccomend:

Also blue and black color scheme?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1009237&gclid=CIC0lenD4sUCFdgRgQod2LkA-g&is=REG&Q=&A=details

[Bobe]

If you are not so concerned about your CPU, RAM and Storage, you might want to drop the CPU to an i5, 8GB RAM and 1 SSD, to put that money into possibly another 970. Also, Ive heard that there are problems about the STRIX 970 being "not as good as the other 970s" or something along that lines, I think it has something to do with the cooling.

 

I'm still on the fence about whether or not to SLI. I've heard that there can sometimes be "glitches" and not all games are optimized for SLI, but is all that just exaggerated? To honest, I didn't do any lengthy research on the GPU manufacturers yet, that one just happened to be at the top of the list and my current card is an ASUS, not that that really means anything but ASUS generally seem to be reliable.

 

The storage might be an issue, I'm currently using about 415GB, over 300 of which is just for games. I was considering swapping one of the SSDs for a 3.5", but that would mean I couldn't remove the drive bays for better airflow.

 

 

Also blue and black color scheme?

 

Not really going for any kind of colour scheme, but I tend to try to avoid parts with bright colours and if I can help it throw in some green LEDs. As far as I can tell most of the parts are black and gold/copper.

[Silyy097]

I'm still on the fence about whether or not to SLI. I've heard that there can sometimes be "glitches" and not all games are optimized for SLI, but is all that just exaggerated? To honest, I didn't do any lengthy research on the GPU manufacturers yet, that one just happened to be at the top of the list and my current card is an ASUS, not that that really means anything but ASUS generally seem to be reliable.

 

The storage might be an issue, I'm currently using about 415GB, over 300 of which is just for games. I was considering swapping one of the SSDs for a 3.5", but that would mean I couldn't remove the drive bays for better airflow.

Some games are not designed for SLI and in some cases might perform even worse with 2GPUs instead of 1. The top card also gets less airflow meaning that your case fans will really need to push hard to get air into the hard to reach corners. However most triple A titles and new games should support SLI.

 

About the ASUS card, Ive only "heard" that the cooling is not as good on the STRIX when compared to something like the Windforce or the Twin Frozr. However its your choice on what you want to go for.

 

About the storage issue, personally I also dont use that all too much, thats why I got only a 1TB HDD and thats it (I didnt get a SSD at that time due to my build already costing close to 2k [singapore prices]). So far ive only used about 300GB, Most of them on games (250GB maybe?) but on my old laptop which ive been using for about 3 years ive used up about 500GB+ on that. Depending on how long you are going to use your computer for though.

 

Oh something that I noticed, you have 2x256GB Hard drives. Why not go for 1x512? In most cases it will be cheaper (Havent checked on price, but... assuming...) and also easier to manage (as everything is stored into 1 drive, you dont need to access C:, then D: etc. Unless you are planning to go RAID 1, that is (Which is unlikely since SSDs are quite reliable..)

[Bobe]

Oh something that I noticed, you have 2x256GB Hard drives. Why not go for 1x512? In most cases it will be cheaper (Havent checked on price, but... assuming...) and also easier to manage (as everything is stored into 1 drive, you dont need to access C:, then D: etc. Unless you are planning to go RAID 1, that is (Which is unlikely since SSDs are quite reliable..)

 

You're right, a 500GB is cheaper per GB than 2x250, and I would need more than 250 to fit Windows, my games and maybe some other programs. I can throw in a 3.5" for documents and movies etc.

[gt403cyl]

Honestly I think this build would fit your need a lot better than the other,

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($460.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($175.00 @ CPL Online) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($199.00 @ CPL Online) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($83.00 @ Umart) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($158.00 @ Centre Com) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($70.00 @ Centre Com) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($401.99 @ Mwave Australia) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($401.99 @ Mwave Australia) 

Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case  ($195.99 @ Mwave Australia) 

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 1050W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($249.00 @ PLE Computers) 

Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($45.00 @ Centre Com) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($35.00 @ CPL Online) 

Monitor: Samsung S24D300H 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($189.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Total: $2662.97

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-29 15:47 AEST+1000

 

It is over $2500 but way under the $3k limit.

 

If you could wait a bit longer the new AMD and Nvidia GPU's will be out next month and that may change the build a lot.

[Bobe]

 

Honestly I think this build would fit your need a lot better than the other,

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

 

On PCPartPicker I see a lot of completed builds with 970s and i7-4790Ks, but only one with 970s and an i5-4690K. I would've thought based on the recommendations basically everywhere that more builds, assuming they're mostly for gaming, would use the i5. I keep getting tempted to get an i7, but it doesn't really seem worth the extra money that could be used towards an SLI card, which is another thing I'm still debating.

 

In any case, I'm sort of set on the 970, or at least NVIDIA. AMD for me for the last four years has always seemed behind in technology and driver support. Sure they're cheaper, which is why I got this 6970, but I want to make a more solid investment for the next 4-5 years.

 

Also, isn't that PSU a bit overkill? An SLI config will obviously drain more power, but something like 750-800 should be plenty shouldn't it? I realize if I do go for SLI I'd probably need more than the 650, but not that much more.

 

And just from a vanity standpoint, I don't like the parts with the tacky bright red plastic.

[gt403cyl]

On PCPartPicker I see a lot of completed builds with 970s and i7-4790Ks, but only one with 970s and an i5-4690K. I would've thought based on the recommendations basically everywhere that more builds, assuming they're mostly for gaming, would use the i5. I keep getting tempted to get an i7, but it doesn't really seem worth the extra money that could be used towards an SLI card, which is another thing I'm still debating.

 

In any case, I'm sort of set on the 970, or at least NVIDIA. AMD for me for the last four years has always seemed behind in technology and driver support. Sure they're cheaper, which is why I got this 6970, but I want to make a more solid investment for the next 4-5 years.

 

Also, isn't that PSU a bit overkill? An SLI config will obviously drain more power, but something like 750-800 should be plenty shouldn't it? I realize if I do go for SLI I'd probably need more than the 650, but not that much more.

 

And just from a vanity standpoint, I don't like the parts with the tacky bright red plastic.

The thing about i7 vs i5 is the hyperthreading that is the biggest difference you will notice, in a game like GTA V an i5 4690k will be using 75% of the CPU power while an i7-4770k/4790k will use about 40-50%,

 

As for the 970 vs the 290x the full speed of the 290x vram (970 only has 3.5GB running at full speed) will be more beneficial in the long term if your playing at any higher than 1080p resolution or trying to max out 1080p.

 

In my opinion if your looking at long term with current cards the 8GB 290x would be the best option as it has more than enough vram and specifically the Sapphire cards run as cool as the 970's even though they may draw more power from the PSU.

 

That said with the new cards from AMD and Nvidia coming next month it may possibly change that.

 

For the PSU being overkill, if your getting a "k" sku chip you would only do so if you plan on overclocking doing so it will require more power the higher you OC, you never want to run a PSU at max capacity full time as it will put a heavy strain on it. so having the head room is preferred.

 

As far as vanity goes my personal philosophy is it has to work good before it can look good, I will not sacrifice performance for looks, but that's just my opinion.

 

A little tape and a rattle can can change the color to fit any build color scheme.

[Bobe]

If I were to get two 970s, would a pure air cooling solution (aside from the CPU) be sufficient? I plan to install ten SP120/140 fans (four for a push/pull on the H100i).

[gt403cyl]

If I were to get two 970s, would a pure air cooling solution (aside from the CPU) be sufficient? I plan to install ten SP120/140 fans (four for a push/pull on the H100i).

Yes, as long as your case has good flow they should be fine.

[Mullen]

I'd hate to live in Australia I have a build pretty similar to this with an i5-4690k and a gtx980 that cost me $1500.

[Bobe]

Sorry I keep going back and forth between things, but this is the reason for these threads, they encourage further research. As such, I've decided against push/pull on the H100i. However, now I'm wondering if using SP fans for all the remaining eight sockets is overkill in terms of temperatures over noise.

 

Certainly I'll use SP120s for the rad and maybe SP140s for the front, but I'm thinking using lower speed fans (AF Quiet Edition) at the bottom would allow more air from the front to blow onto the GPU(s) rather than being blasted up. The front most 120 fan at the top can surely just be an AF, but I'm not sure about the rear 140. I initially just went for all SPs since they're the only [Corsair] ones with LEDs, but if eight SPs is going to be too noisy I can sacrifice a little light. My current machine runs at about 55-60 dB, depending on the speed of the front fans, and that doesn't really bother me, especially because I wear headphones.

 

Also, I see a lot of people who put the rad at the top of the case and then the fans below it. Wouldn't it make sense to put the fans at the top, set to pull exhaust, and then the rad below them?

[gt403cyl]

Yeah you don't need SP's in all the spots, only use them on rads or dense filters.

Yes I prefer top rads in pull config.