New gaming rig

[mancesco]

Hi there,

I would like some opinion regarding the new gaming pc I'm going to build in the next few weeks. Here's the configuration I had in mind:

Xeon E3 1230v3

Asrock H87M-PRO4

4x4GB Corsair XMS3 1600MHz

Sapphire R9 290 Tri-x 4GB

Samsung 840 EVO 250GB

WD black 4TB

Thermaltake 650W 80+ Bronze

Bitfenix Phenom M

Arctic Cooling Freezer i30

Bitfenix 140mm fan

Asus VE248H

Location: Sydney, Australia

Budget: AUD 1,800 (currently USD 1,630)

This pc is intended for gaming and video editing, I'm not interested in OC nor multi-gpu, and I would like the system to be small-ish (thus the mATX form factor choice). My only worries are regarding the size of the r9 290 (305mm, which I think will fit) and cooling.

What do you think and what are your suggestions? It's been a while since I last built a pc, but with a bit of research I believe I managed to put together something after all...

[acidydragon]

No real reason to go with a Xeon for gaming, get an i5

 

No need for 16gb of ram, get 8gb

Besides that, looks fine to me.

[TheBreaker]

You didnt give us a budget - http://pcpartpicker.com/user/cjeffcoatjr/saved/3o6R

[SAV1OUR]

Budget and location?

[BallisticPeanut]

Usage? budget? Why the Xeon?

 

 

No real reason to go with a Xeon for gaming, get an i5

 

No need for 16gb of ram, get 8gb

Besides that, looks fine to me.

 

It says he is also video editing which a Xeon or i7 will help quite a lot.

[acidydragon]

It says he is also video editing which a Xeon or i7 will help quite a lot.

I would get the i7 for gaming, vs a Xeon.

[EpicGeekonFire]

One thing to keep in mind is that AMD GPU prices are skyrocketing so for gaming just go with Nvidia and save lots..

[BallisticPeanut]

I would get the i7 for gaming, vs a Xeon.

 

 It also says he's not interested in OCing.

[acidydragon]

 It also says he's not interested in OCing.

True, but the i7 is going to get better performance in gaming, and a 4770 and 4770k are the same price on Newegg right now (USD)

 

Also, it's only 50 bucks more than the Xeon.

 

Also, why not Overclock a system of this caliber? Like, I understand being afraid of it, but if you're spending this much, why not overclock it and get your moneys worth?

Edited February 18, 2014 by acidydragon

[venturizhou]

Do the programs you use for editing benefit from using CUDA cores for acceleration? Then you might want to think about Nvidia. If it utilizes OpenGL then stick with your choice. 

[WoodenMarker]

What kind of videos are you editing?

Where are you shopping/located? Budget?

[acidydragon]

One thing to keep in mind is that AMD GPU prices are skyrocketing so for gaming just go with Nvidia and save lots..

Also, this.

At this time I'm using USD (because that's where I'm from and OP hasn't specified), the GPU you quoted is 630 bucks from Newegg, you can get a 780 Ti for 700 bucks, or a 780 for 500ish.

Just a thought.

[BallisticPeanut]

True, but the i7 is going to get better performance in gaming, and a 4770 and 4770k are the same price on Newegg right now (USD)

 

Also, it's only 50 bucks more than the Xeon.

 

Also, why not Overclock a system of this caliber? Like, I understand being afraid of it, but if you're spending this much, why not overclock it and get your moneys worth?

 

Very true. The reason I got a Xeon was becuase it was $100 cheaper than an i7 (at the time of purchase),  But it is up to OP to decide what he want's.

[acidydragon]

Very true. The reason I got a Xeon was becuase it was $100 cheaper than an i7 (at the time of purchase),  But it is up to OP to decide what he want's.

Always up to the OP

Just trying to point out the price difference (and that it's not much)

[acidydragon]

Personally, I don't see a real reason to go with a Xeon over the 4770k when you're going to be gaming. It also gives you the opportunity to OC if you ever want to.

It also has hyper threading for your Video Editing, and at stock, will run faster in games.

[mancesco]

Location: Sydney, Australia

Budget: AUD 1,800 (currently USD 1,630)

The reason for preferring a Xeon is the fact that I often do editing and colour grading on small film projects (short films and music videos), some are 4k raw format, which require long hours of rendering. Thus the choice of a Xeon.

Honestly I'll take that over a 4770k anytime, the difference I'd see in gaming is of less concern to me.

The GPU I chose is set at AUD 575 (USD 520) and it has not changed in a month.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback.

[mancesco]

Not to mention, for some reason here the average gtx780 price is $100 higher than the r9 290.

The software I use supports both cuda and opencl acceleration.

I'm not scared of OC, in fact I did some in the past. It just doesn't interest me that much.

[WoodenMarker]

Not to mention, for some reason here the average gtx780 price is $100 higher than the r9 290.

The software I use supports both cuda and opencl acceleration.

I'm not scared of OC, in fact I did some in the past. It just doesn't interest me that much.

That's normal. Some places aren't really affected by the mining craze and Nvidia tends to hold a premium for having the more powerful flagship and dare I say--a stronger fanbase over AMD. 

Location: Sydney, Australia

Budget: AUD 1,800 (currently USD 1,630)

The reason for preferring a Xeon is the fact that I often do editing and colour grading on small film projects (short films and music videos), some are 4k raw format, which require long hours of rendering. Thus the choice of a Xeon.

The GPU I chose is set at AUD 575 (USD 520) and it has not changed in a month.

The only special thing about the xeon in this case would be that it is tested to run stable 24/7/366.

Cheaper gpu: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/powercolor-video-card-axr92904gbd5ppdhe

 

I'd get a case with better airflow for a 290. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcaarcminibl

Get a better display since you're editing videos and such. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/dell-monitor-s2240l

Barracudas are more gb/$ friendly than caviar black: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000dm001

I'd get a better psu http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=23037&cPath=535

 

No need for an aftermarket cpu cooler btw.

 

You need to quote a post or tag a member or else they won't get a notification you replied to them.

[brob]

Not sure how you got your part list to total AU$1,800. Presumably your sources offer better prices than au.pcpartpicker.com merchants. Hopefully the changes I'm suggesting can be sourced from the same merchants with similar savings.

 

There is no performance advantage to 4x4GB memory in a dual channel board. It does affect the cost of future expansion. I would suggest 2x8GB. Seagate hdd have a better price/MB and offer similar performance and quality to WD Black. I wasn't able to identify the psu you selected. The Silverstone psu is a 140mm long fully modular unit and better quality. (If you are interested, Silverstone sells a short-cable set intended for use in smaller cases.)

 

I would suggest an IPS panel monitor for better color reproduction and viewing angles, but the budget clearly doesn't allow for one around the same size as the monitor you selected.

 

The stock cooler will do a very adequate job. If noise becomes an issue a Noctua NH-U12S will offer very good and quiet cpu cooling.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard:  ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($105.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory:  Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($215.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($185.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage:  Seagate  4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($239.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($549.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case:  BitFenix Phenom M Arctic White MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($109.00 @ PLE Computers)
Power Supply:  Silverstone Strider 600W 80+ Silver Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor:  Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor  ($188.00 @ CPL Online)
Total: $1998.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-18 19:09 EST+1100)

[mancesco]

I'd get a case with better airflow for a 290. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcaarcminibl

What if I install a 230mm fan at the bottom? http://cdn.overclock.net/6/6e/6ed948eb_bitfenix_phenom.jpeg Would that improve the airflow enough for cooling?

 

 

 

I would suggest an IPS panel monitor for better color reproduction and viewing angles, but the budget clearly doesn't allow for one around the same size as the monitor you selected.

 

I did forget to mention that I already own an editing monitor, I just need a low latency one for gaming.

[WoodenMarker]

What if I install a 230mm fan at the bottom? http://cdn.overclock.net/6/6e/6ed948eb_bitfenix_phenom.jpeg Would that improve the airflow enough for cooling?

Possibly. Not entirely sure on how breathable the mesh on top or how you're going to fit your drives in there if you do that. 

[brob]

I did forget to mention that I already own an editing monitor, I just need a low latency one for gaming.

 

Unless the monitor is exceedingly slow it should be fine for gaming. Or have you found it lacking in that area?

[mancesco]

Possibly. Not entirely sure on how breathable the mesh on top or how you're going to fit your drives in there if you do that. 

There's a mounting panel for that http://www.tonymacx86.com/members/tonymacx86/albums/bitfenix-phenom-phenom-m-cases/70826-phenom-m-sideview-open.jpg , plus one more on the side panel and an adapter for the 5.25" bay

 

Unless the monitor is exceedingly slow it should be fine for gaming. Or have you found it lacking in that area?

It's not a regular desktop monitor, so yes it's pretty slow for gaming.