Opinions on build?

[Thref]

Hi all, new to these forums. Was really enjoying some of Linus's videos when looking around for parts and thought I would join up! I'm currently planning out a PC gaming build, with a budget of around $2000 CAD. However I'm willing to go above budget as my primary aim with this build is to get a PC that will be rock-solid. I've done overkill builds in the past (~7 years ago) that have ended in too much heat and frustration. So I am basically looking for a headache free build with parts that synergize well together, and will last me around 5 years with a few upgrades.

 

This is the build that I have drawn up thusfar: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/3AT3M

 

I plan on running two 1920x1080 monitors, however I will just use one for gaming. I don't need to purchase peripherals/OS, however I do plan on picking up a second 780 for SLI once prices fall next year. The CPU/mobo/RAM combo was recommended to me, and is the one guru3d has used for a few GPU reviews I've been looking at. GPU has been a toss-up from reviews, with the MSI cards looking to run a bit cooler (I've had problems with GPUs overheating in the past, so I'd like to to run as cool as possible), but I'm leaning towards EVGA for their warranty that has done me well in the past (and its a bit cheaper).

 

I've never used a watercooling setup before, and I've heard of some great stable overclocks of the 4770k with the corsair ones. I will leave the GPU alone at the factory OC in hopes of system stability. I've heard nothing but positives about the Fractal case, and will probably pick up a few Corsair AF series fans for maximum airflow. For PSU and sound card I just went with well-reviewed parts. I plan on running an external headphone amp and some nice audiophile headphones that I haven't quite decided on yet (hifiman he400 vs sennheiser hd650).

 

Any comments on this build or part selection would be greatly appreciated! I'd like to pull the purchasing trigger soon as my current PC is very outdated. Thanks!

[CoolBeans]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($259.00 @ Canada Computers)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Memory Express)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ NCIX)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($90.99 @ Memory Express)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($170.86 @ DirectCanada)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($449.99 @ NCIX)

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($449.99 @ NCIX)

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Memory Express)

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($189.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Total: $2000.77

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-29 21:26 EDT-0400)

[CCap]

Welcome to the forum! If you have any questions pertaining to the forum, feel free to send me a message. Let me know that you responded to my post by hitting the 'quote' button at the lower right hand side of my post! Also, make sure you read the CoC eventually. All you really need to know from it though is just be friendly and use common sense, which I detect you have quite a bit of, so you should enjoy yourself here

 

For your part list, it looks excellent. The only thing that I personally would consider changing would be the SSD, but that is because I need more than 500gb of space. If this was me, I'd change out for a 250GB model and throw in a HDD of the sorts. You might be different though and find that 500gb is plenty or storage. If this is the case, then by all means rock with the SSD.

 

Also, the thermal paste is questionable. Personally I used IC Diamond 7 with my H100i, just because it is renowned as a very good Thermal Compound, and is something you should definitely consider for your system. 

 

As for the 780, if you do end up going SLI in the future with two, you should be excellent to run games at 1440p for the next few years. Compare this setup to one with 8800GT's a few years ago. In SLI they still run games at 1080p like a champ, so you should have no problem doing the same in a few years time (at 1440p).

 

Good luck on the build!

[nosirrah123]

Just a few things.

• Get a hard drive along with your SSD. 500GB will be gone really quickly
• I don't think you need thermal paste if you're water cooling

5+ years is going to be pretty difficult to achieve. I mean, it will run well for the next few, but 5 is pushing it. I can almost guarantee you, you will upgrade something. Other than that, it's a solid build. You could also go with a cheaper Xeon processor if you don't mind losing like a few FPS in gaming (won't be noticeable).

#1,I think you still need thermal paste for the water-cooling block

 

#2, He says he's upgrading, so with upgrades 5 years is a perfectly reasonable lifespan for a computer, probably more if you're on a tight budget

 

Also, eeyyyy welcome!

[Thref]

Thank you all for the replies! Yeah I have quite a few harddrives laying around, so will have about 4tb of storage in the PC alongside the SSD. Should've mentioned that in the first post. It will be nice to finally have all my music on one machine, I can't wait!

 

 

Also, the thermal paste is questionable. Personally I used IC Diamond 7 with my H100i, just because it is renowned as a very good Thermal Compound, and is something you should definitely consider for your system. 

 

Thanks for the offer, I will shoot you any questions I have! I will also check out this thermal paste instead; I kind of just chose one randomly.

[CoolBeans]

#1,I think you still need thermal paste for the water-cooling block

Also, eeyyyy welcome!

H100i' come preapplied with thermal paste