$1500 Gaming Build - Also Programming

AgroC · March 21, 2019

Hello Linus and Forumers!

I'm planning to build a $1500 system for gaming and programming. I'd love a little input as it's been about 10 years since I built a machine. I'm definitely set on Intel and NVidia. A little worried about cooling, but I wouldn't overclock much... Here are my amazon shopping lists.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1YJ4PRH0XJUQF?ref_=wl_share

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9GC3ARD6QS20?ref_=wl_share

Happycowdance · March 21, 2019

you can fit a 9900k in that budget

not exactly a pretty build

couldn't find a cheap case that came with 2 fans and had good airflow

but if you need to take it to the office at least it wont stand out

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$529.89 @ B&H
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$84.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Aegis 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$39.89 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Aegis 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$39.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Inland - 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$49.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Hitachi - Deskstar 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$54.25 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card	$459.99 @ Newegg
Case	Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case	$49.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$64.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1543.75
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$1513.75
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-20 20:48 EDT-0400

AirSocial · March 21, 2019

I use a Corsair 270R. I got it on sale a while ago for $50. It has two fans and a side panel. Also has decent airflow, I never had problems with it. Really easy to build in

AirSocial · March 21, 2019

Checking now its $60 without a window and $65 with a window. Im just saying from my own experience and the first time building a PC, this case made it really easy.

AgroC · March 21, 2019

15 hours ago, Happycowdance said:

you can fit a 9900k in that budget

not exactly a pretty build

couldn't find a cheap case that came with 2 fans and had good airflow

but if you need to take it to the office at least it wont stand out

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Type Item Price
CPU Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor $529.89 @ B&H
CPU Cooler be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler $84.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard $139.99 @ Amazon
Memory G.Skill - Aegis 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory $39.89 @ OutletPC
Memory G.Skill - Aegis 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory $39.89 @ OutletPC
Storage Inland - 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $49.99 @ Amazon
Storage Hitachi - Deskstar 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $54.25 @ Amazon
Video Card Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card $459.99 @ Newegg
Case Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case $49.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply $64.98 @ Newegg
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total (before mail-in rebates) $1543.75
Mail-in rebates -$30.00
Total $1513.75
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-20 20:48 EDT-0400

Thanks! I'll take a look at this setup. Want to see how the Gigabyte board and the cheaper memory compare. Know if they're as reliable? Also wondering if the 2070 is worth it, as the new features (ray tracing, etc) will probably lower fps when I'm playing multiplayer.

AgroC · March 21, 2019

15 hours ago, AirSocial said:

I use a Corsair 270R. I got it on sale a while ago for $50. It has two fans and a side panel. Also has decent airflow, I never had problems with it. Really easy to build in

Not bad! I'll definitely consider it!

Happycowdance · March 21, 2019

1 hour ago, AgroC said:

Thanks! I'll take a look at this setup. Want to see how the Gigabyte board and the cheaper memory compare. Know if they're as reliable? Also wondering if the 2070 is worth it, as the new features (ray tracing, etc) will probably lower fps when I'm playing multiplayer.

gigabyte makes some of the best boards for the z390 chipset

memory should perform exactly the same as it has the same clock-speed and is the same amount only difference is color

ray tracing will only lower the fps if you turn it on in a game that can utilize it

jerubedo · March 21, 2019

19 hours ago, AgroC said:

Hello Linus and Forumers!

I'm planning to build a $1500 system for gaming and programming. I'd love a little input as it's been about 10 years since I built a machine. I'm definitely set on Intel and NVidia. A little worried about cooling, but I wouldn't overclock much... Here are my amazon shopping lists.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1YJ4PRH0XJUQF?ref_=wl_share

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9GC3ARD6QS20?ref_=wl_share

Here's what I would go with. It's pretty similar to what you built , with a few minor changes:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$409.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler	$79.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$179.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$105.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Western Digital - Black NVMe 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$74.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Seagate - Constellation ES 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$57.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card	$459.99 @ Newegg
Case	Corsair - Carbide Series 275R (Black w/Tempered Glass) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$64.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1533.70
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$1503.70
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-21 15:55 EDT-0400

I bumped the motherboard up to the Z390 Aorus Pro. This board has better VRMs and will easily handle overclocking on the 9700K. It's pretty much the best board you can get quality-wise within a reasonable price range.

The RAM I changed to slightly faster for the same price. It's 3200MHz C16 vs 3000MHz C15, so the throughput works out to be the same on paper, but the 3200 C16 will perform slightly better in real world scenarios. This RAM is very reliable and I've used it in many builds.

I kept you on the Western Digital Black NVMe. That's a FAST drive with a great endurance rating, second only to Samsung right now for a cheaper price.

The case I went with a slightly cheaper one but with that same tempered glass side that you originally picked out.

Finally I changed you from a tier 3 PSU to a tier 1 for cheaper.

The 9900K is overkill for both gaming and for programming/testing at the expense of running a lot hotter, even with the best coolers on the market. I'm a programmer myself and I work with Java, C# .NET, C++, Python, and Objective C, and for me even the 9700K is overkill (but for gaming it's great, which is why I bought it).

Make sure that if you listen to any one else's advice, stick with an SSD that has a high endurance rating. I assume you'll be running local MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server, which produces a ton of read/write cycles on your drive with use.