~$2500 First Build!

[AlexStriz]

Hey guys,

 

So I have been planing on making my first desktop. I've done quite a bit of research and this is what I have come up with. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NR3h

I am planning on doing mostly a lot of gaming and basic light workload stuff. I'll also be doing a bit of video editing here and there. Did I pick the right parts? I want to keep the build at around $2500, but I am very willing to pay extra money if it's worth it. Also, I was thinking on changing the case to an Enthoo Luxe once that comes out. But as of right now the 760t seems to be the best option. Is there anything I should change on my build? Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance

 

Edit - I am also a complete noob when it comes to motherboards, so any input/help with that would be great. 

 

Edit 2 - I forgot to mention this, but I was thinking of getting this instead of the Razer Blade 2014/MSI GS60 3k, which are around $2200-$2700. I was completely willing on spending $2500 on a desktop, because that is around the same price as the laptops. I know it may be overkill to have a $2500 desktop as my first build, but I already had my mind set on spending that money. I would possibly look into a cheaper desktop, but nothing under the performance of the two laptops. I don't know how much that makes sense, but basically - cheap desktop < gaming laptop < $2500 desktop

[elan2468]

Give me a second ill make you a pretty killer build

[Phage]

You dont need to buy thermal paste, it comes with the CPU cooler.

If you want to save money get 1600mhz memory

[AlexStriz]

Give me a second ill make you a pretty killer build

Sweet! thanks

[AlexStriz]

You dont need to buy thermal paste, it comes with the CPU cooler.

If you want to save money get 1600mhz memory

Is the thermal paste that comes with CPU coolers good? I want the build to be as cool as it can be. I will look into some 1600mhz sets, any suggestions for ones that fit under the cooler? Thanks for the help

[WoodenMarker]

Is value at all an issue or do you just have $2500 to blow?

 

Is the thermal paste that comes with CPU coolers good? I want the build to be as cool as it can be. I will look into some 1600mhz sets, any suggestions for ones that fit under the cooler? Thanks for the help

It's good. The difference between the best thermal paste and the average paste is only a few degrees at most anyway.

Ram is ram. Brand doesn't really matter. Any ram without obnoxiously tall heatsinks will be fine.

[AlexStriz]

Is value at all an issue or do you just have $2500 to blow?

I am actually in need of a new computer. The motherboard on my old laptop fried. I was planning on getting the new Razer Blade, but after some research, I decided to make a desktop (price to performance). I'd like to keep it at around the same price as the 2014 Razer Blade. 

[ForbiddenSpell]

Hey guys,

 

So I have been planing on making my first desktop. I've done quite a bit of research and this is what I have come up with. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NR3h

I am planning on doing mostly a lot of gaming and basic light workload stuff. I'll also be doing a bit of video editing here and there. Did I pick the right parts? I want to keep the build at around $2500, but I am very willing to pay extra money if it's worth it. Also, I was thinking on changing the case to an Enthoo Luxe once that comes out. But as of right now the 760t seems to be the best option. Is there anything I should change on my build? Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance

 

Edit - I am also a complete noob when it comes to motherboards, so any input/help with that would be great. 

 

Have you considered 2 smaller monitors rather than one giant monitor? Obviously one big guy is better for gaming, but for work, 2 monitors is amazing.

 

Warning: Once you work with 2 monitors, you will never be able to back to one.

[Phage]

Is the thermal paste that comes with CPU coolers good? I want the build to be as cool as it can be. I will look into some 1600mhz sets, any suggestions for ones that fit under the cooler? Thanks for the help

The thermal paste will be the same

There are some low profile rams that corsair make

[WoodenMarker]

I am actually in need of a new computer. The motherboard on my old laptop fried. I was planning on getting the new Razer Blade, but after some research, I decided to make a desktop (price to performance). I'd like to keep it at around the same price as the 2014 Razer Blade. 

What I was trying to imply was that you could get a pretty powerful system for less. I would suggest only spending what you need and saving the extra money for future upgrades.

If getting a good value is not an issue and you just have $2500 to blow, you could just get as much performance as you can stuff in with the money with little regard to whether or not the extra increment in performance is worth the extra money.

[xOAT]

Really, a 780ti and a 60 Hz monitor? I'd go for a 120 Hz.

[AlexStriz]

Have you considered 2 smaller monitors rather than one giant monitor? Obviously one big guy is better for gaming, but for work, 2 monitors is amazing.

 

Warning: Once you work with 2 monitors, you will never be able to back to one.

I'm really open to anything right now. I watched a Linus' reviews on the 21:9 LG monitors and fell in love. I'm not really a fan of the bezels when running dual monitors. However, if you know of any great dual monitors for around the same price, I would gladly look into them.

[elan2468]

Alright Buddy here you go comes with reasons and though process on everything and only 2400$ with better performance based on what you detailed

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE/benchmarks/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($227.97 @ OutletPC) - If your only doing light workstation stuff you can just set it to process on cuda cores of the sli'ed 780s and this is great for gaming 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ Best Buy) One of the best liquid coolers on the market easy mounting own one myself and its overall great

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ Newegg) Asus is a great motherboard maker especially for overclocking.

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($144.99 @ Newegg) - good 1600 ram with a low cas latency from trusty gskill

Storage: PNY XLR8 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($109.99 @ Amazon) You only need a low price and pny is very close to samsung on actual performance, only small dif on paper

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($83.97 @ OutletPC) - NO explation really needed nice and stable

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($479.99 @ NCIX US) - A couple of the best gpus on the market runnning in sli great performance and you can use for your WS stuff.

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($479.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case  ($159.99 @ Micro Center) - Your Choice good case

Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($114.99 @ NCIX US) With more than enough power evga is awesome not much needed here

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($243.00 @ Newegg) A great 1080p monitor you could probably get another one without breaking the bank and not even stressing out the gpus  

Total: $2414.84

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 19:01 EDT-0400)

[jtrier1]

Hey guys,

 

So I have been planing on making my first desktop. I've done quite a bit of research and this is what I have come up with. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NR3h

I am planning on doing mostly a lot of gaming and basic light workload stuff. I'll also be doing a bit of video editing here and there. Did I pick the right parts? I want to keep the build at around $2500, but I am very willing to pay extra money if it's worth it. Also, I was thinking on changing the case to an Enthoo Luxe once that comes out. But as of right now the 760t seems to be the best option. Is there anything I should change on my build? Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance

 

Edit - I am also a complete noob when it comes to motherboards, so any input/help with that would be great. 

 

In my opinion you went overkill with your list, so I trimmed it back a little. You don't want to go overboard with your first build, which is why I normally stay closer to $2000 or less (typically $1500). Here is what I suggest for you. It'll take care of all your needs that you have while saving you money, and has room to upgrade later on.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($318.98 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($64.99 @ NCIX US)

Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  ($5.44 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.98 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($83.97 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card  ($479.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($94.99 @ NCIX US)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Asus VN248H-P 23.8" Monitor  ($149.99 @ Newegg)

Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($34.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1821.27

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 19:08 EDT-0400)

[elan2468]

I'm really open to anything right now. I watched a Linus' reviews on the 21:9 LG monitors and fell in love. I'm not really a fan of the bezels when running dual monitors. However, if you know of any great dual monitors for around the same price, I would gladly look into them.

For workstation you dont really need 21:9 and not too many games support it so......, my build is above btw

[SAV1OUR]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS2S

[AlexStriz]

The thermal paste will be the same

There are some low profile rams that corsair make

Ok I got rid of the thermal paste. However, when looking into the low profile corsair ram, it was more a bit more expensive than the ram I currently have chosen ($149.99 vs $142.99) Here's the link - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cml16gx3m2a1600c10 

[AlexStriz]

What I was trying to imply was that you could get a pretty powerful system for less. I would suggest only spending what you need and saving the extra money for future upgrades.

If getting a good value is not an issue and you just have $2500 to blow, you could just get as much performance as you can stuff in with the money with little regard to whether or not the extra increment in performance is worth the extra money.

Well the cheaper the better. I was just trying to make something that was in the same price range of the Razer, to see what I could get for the same money. If you can make me a system that is more value oriented and with performance on par to the desktop I made, that would be awesome. However, I don't really want a super cheap desktop with performance like the razer. In that case I would just go for the razer because of portability. I'm not sure if that made any sense, but hopefully you get my drift

[AlexStriz]

Really, a 780ti and a 60 Hz monitor? I'd go for a 120 Hz.

 

Lol. That's why I put this up here. For people to help me choose better parts. If you could show some good 120hz monitors, that would be great

[WoodenMarker]

Ok I got rid of the thermal paste. However, when looking into the low profile corsair ram, it was more a bit more expensive than the ram I currently have chosen ($149.99 vs $142.99) Here's the link - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cml16gx3m2a1600c10 

Link is broken. Also, you could just not get corsair ram..

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2kit8g3d1609ds1s00

[AlexStriz]

In my opinion you went overkill with your list, so I trimmed it back a little. You don't want to go overboard with your first build, which is why I normally stay closer to $2000 or less (typically $1500). Here is what I suggest for you. It'll take care of all your needs that you have while saving you money, and has room to upgrade later on.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NS00/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($318.98 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($64.99 @ NCIX US)

Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  ($5.44 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.98 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($83.97 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card  ($479.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($94.99 @ NCIX US)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Asus VN248H-P 23.8" Monitor  ($149.99 @ Newegg)

Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($34.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1821.27

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 19:08 EDT-0400)

Thanks a lot. Also, is there a reason why you went with the asrock mobo? I don't know much about motherboard. 

[jtrier1]

Thanks a lot. Also, is there a reason why you went with the asrock mobo? I don't know much about motherboard. 

 

I went with the z87 chipset, and ASrock typcially rates highly amongst builders while staying at a reasonable price.

[AlexStriz]

Link is broken. Also, you could just not get corsair ram..

 

Hmm, I don't know why the link isn't working. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. Is it worth it to save $15 going from 2400 to 1600? What it the difference in speed?

[AlexStriz]

I went with the z87 chipset, and ASrock typcially rates highly amongst builders while staying at a reasonable price.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion! Is there any real difference speed wise between z87 and z97? I read that z97 had m.2, but other than that is there any reason at all to go z97? 

[AlexStriz]

 

Alright Buddy here you go comes with reasons and though process on everything and only 2400$ with better performance based on what you detailed

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3NRIE/benchmarks/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($227.97 @ OutletPC) - If your only doing light workstation stuff you can just set it to process on cuda cores of the sli'ed 780s and this is great for gaming 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ Best Buy) One of the best liquid coolers on the market easy mounting own one myself and its overall great

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ Newegg) Asus is a great motherboard maker especially for overclocking.

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($144.99 @ Newegg) - good 1600 ram with a low cas latency from trusty gskill

Storage: PNY XLR8 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($109.99 @ Amazon) You only need a low price and pny is very close to samsung on actual performance, only small dif on paper

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($83.97 @ OutletPC) - NO explation really needed nice and stable

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($479.99 @ NCIX US) - A couple of the best gpus on the market runnning in sli great performance and you can use for your WS stuff.

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($479.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case  ($159.99 @ Micro Center) - Your Choice good case

Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($114.99 @ NCIX US) With more than enough power evga is awesome not much needed here

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($243.00 @ Newegg) A great 1080p monitor you could probably get another one without breaking the bank and not even stressing out the gpus  

Total: $2414.84

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 19:01 EDT-0400)

 

This is awesome. Thanks a lot. All the reasons you gave were really helpful