akshayshah

So the general consensus is to go with single HDD as opposed to RAID. Thanks guys. I am getting a 2TB HDD.

chose Asrock Fatal1ty z97 killer. Thanks for suggestions.

Planning to purchase typical 720rpm HDD. Mainly the game loading times are my concern. The 2 TB HDD costs about 25% less than 2 1TB HDDs here in india. My question is, for Gaming, which config is better for cost/performance ratio. Is RAID 0 of 2 1TB HDDs is worth extra 25% money or shouild i stick with 2TB HDD and save some cash? Will I see any noticeable performance in load times with a RAID 0 config over single HDD? BTW, SSD is not an option here. I already have one for my OS and 3-4 games.

Not a single reply yet!!! Great.

I am planning to build my first ever DIY desktop. Already have a R9 290. I could go for i5 4670k or 4690k as they are very widely recognized to be great value and performance for Gaming. However about motherboard I am not sure as it requires to consider many factors before one buys it. I have zeroed down on Z97 as It'd more future proof and also is overclock friendly. I do not know much about other factors to select a mobo so I am providing what i might consider to do later as upgrade over the time. I would not like to change CPU, would like to only change GPU after 2-3 years once R9 290 can't keep up with 1080P ULTRA for the games i'd play which are mostly Single player Action, Action-RPG etc. 1. I will overclock, not immediately but within next few months. 2. I would add an aftermarket cooler like 212 EVO. May even go with Liquid cooling instead, but just don't know will i require that. have to really measure temps then decide. 3. I would like to upgrade my storage with an SSD(right now it's going above the budget) and like to take advantage of SATA express connection. 4. Do not intend to crossfire , would rather go for new GPU 2-3 years down the line as CPUs don't lose their 'best by date' as quick as GPUs as far as gaming goes, correct me if i am wrong. 5. I will use single monitor only setup. 6. Want to add a PCIe wifi adapter to MoBo. 7. Brand preference is not very stringent but i would prefer either of Asus, Gigabyte or MSI. Don't know much about brands like Asrock, Biostar but willing to consider if they provide decent value and decent reliability. I did read a lot reading but not able to make up my mind about an ideal mobo for my requirements. My budget for a MoBo is about 130ish USD. So please suggest some decent MoBo.