Recommendation for my first build? High end / Gaming.

[PudgyAstronaut]

I plan to [finally] build my first system this summer... Here is the parts list for my general direction so far:

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1240 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($218.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card  ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone SG10B MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($107.35 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: ???
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1451.26

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 22:42 EDT-0400)

 

I have definitely looked around a bit, and am sure this parts list will be tweaked (split between the sugo sg10b and the node 804, split between noctua air cooler and corsair water cooler, 1 TB vs 2 TB hdd, 8 vs 16 GB RAM, etc). Anyway it appears according to some calculators that I could run this system on a 500W PSU, but just to be safe and leave my options open, I planned to build the system with room for crossfired r9 290s regarding power capabilities. Not saying I would necessarily run this settup, but I figured it was reasonable in case of a future crossfire/SLI as I may try to keep the PSU for awhile. This would push the recommendation for PSU a bit over 700W.

 

My question is: Is there any particular recommendation on a very high quality PSU in the 750W-860W range without completely breaking the bank? Some of the people I trust really recommend SeaSonic products, but I am open to any brand as long as the recommendation is justified. I would be willing to to 80+ platinum or 80+ gold if that is justifiable (longer hardware life? better performance somehow? etc). Really just looking for tips, as I haven't assembled a system before, and don't have any first hand experience with components. Any input welcomed!

 

Is it reasonable to expect a PSU to last 7-8 years? (long enough for 1 mobo/CPU/ram upgrade and maybe 2 gpu upgrades, before totally building a brand new system)? If there is any input on case, other components, that is also welcome.

 

THANKS!!

[nosirrah123]

Don't use a Xeon, they're not meant for gaming. Use a 4670k, it'll be much better for your purposes. You also don't need that super fancy motherboard, just go for the cheapest one ASUS sells that fits all of your needs (Probably the Z87-A).

In response to the PSU questions, the reason people recommend Seasonics is because they're very reliable for very reasonable prices, so I see no problem with going for one of those.

[WoodenMarker]

No point getting a z97 motherboard or an aftermarket cooler when you're not going to oc.

You'd want a 750-850w for cf. Check out the EVGA Supernova G2 series. They have a 10 year warranty. 

 

Do post the pcpartpicker permalink if you're going to use it in the first place.

[nosirrah123]

No point getting a z97 motherboard or an aftermarket cooler when you're not going to oc.

You'd want a 750-850w for cf. Check out the EVGA Supernova G2 series. They have a 10 year warranty. 

 

Do post the pcpartpicker permalink if you're going to use it in the first place.

He's right, the G2 is a great PSU, I'll be using it in my build (when I finally get the money).

I'd get a 212 EVO for a cooler even if I wasn't OCing, it's 20$ and it'll ensure your CPU is supa-cool.

[PudgyAstronaut]

Don't use a Xeon, they're not meant for gaming. Use a 4670k, it'll be much better for your purposes. You also don't need that super fancy motherboard, just go for the cheapest one ASUS sells that fits all of your needs (Probably the Z87-A).

In response to the PSU questions, the reason people recommend Seasonics is because they're very reliable for very reasonable prices, so I see no problem with going for one of those.

Well, I just noticed that the e3-1240v3 is basically a i7-4770 without integrated graphics... the e3-1245v3 is supposed to be the same thing as the 4770. I figured hyperthreading + the full virtualization support and such is a better deal than getting a 4670k and only saving a few bucks (e3 for $249 at microcenter). However, I guess that isn't saving NO bucks, so perhaps you are correct. The supposedly quality audio on that MOBO attracted me, but you don't think a more premium mobo makes enough difference in quality/longevity to justify the purchase? Thank for the comment btw.

[nosirrah123]

Well, I just noticed that the e3-1240v3 is basically a i7-4770 without integrated graphics... the e3-1245v3 is supposed to be the same thing as the 4770. I figured hyperthreading + the full virtualization support and such is a better deal than getting a 4670k and only saving a few bucks (e3 for $249 at microcenter). However, I guess that isn't saving NO bucks, so perhaps you are correct. The supposedly quality audio on that MOBO attracted me, but you don't think a more premium mobo makes enough difference in quality/longevity to justify the purchase? Thank for the comment btw.

You really won't see much difference in quality or longevity to be honest. And how did you determine that the E3 was a 4770 without integrated graphics, did you see that in a spec sheet or did you read it from a reliable source? Usually Xeons are just for servers and aren't very good for gaming, so I feel like if this was entirely true and as good of a deal as you say it is I would have heard about it from somebody on this forum. I dunno, maybe I'm not "hip" enough. I'm guessing that if you're a gamer, so you wouldn't benefit from hyper-threading all that much unless you plan to use this for other things. Also, the audio probably isn't much better, motherboards are one of the more snake oil prone components.

[PudgyAstronaut]

He's right, the G2 is a great PSU, I'll be using it in my build (when I finally get the money).

I'd get a 212 EVO for a cooler even if I wasn't OCing, it's 20$ and it'll ensure your CPU is supa-cool.

Okay, do you know about the reliability/longevity of EVGA PSUs in contrast to SeaSonic or other competitors? And maybe my cooler was overkill, I just want it to stay super chill under load, tired of having to monitor temps on my laptop and would like to know I couldn't get close to the rated temps even if I tried..

 

No point getting a z97 motherboard or an aftermarket cooler when you're not going to oc.

You'd want a 750-850w for cf. Check out the EVGA Supernova G2 series. They have a 10 year warranty. 

 

Do post the pcpartpicker permalink if you're going to use it in the first place.

 

Sorry about the permalink, I just pasted it and got rid of the PSU which is part of the list since it is a placeholder for now, I didn't want to save a new copy of the list without a PSU: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3Kl80.

 

Also, I wanted z97 for potential to swap a broadwell chip in later... possibly k series. The e3-1240v3 seemed like a good deal at $249 for something equivalant to an i7-4770 to the best of my knowledge, but I definitely do want to explore alternatives for the MOBO... cheaper ones.

 

Thanks for the PSU recommend! Can you speak to reliability/longevity?

[PudgyAstronaut]

You really won't see much difference in quality or longevity to be honest. And how did you determine that the E3 was a 4770 without integrated graphics, did you see that in a spec sheet or did you read it from a reliable source? Usually Xeons are just for servers and aren't very good for gaming, so I feel like if this was entirely true and as good of a deal as you say it is I would have heard about it from somebody on this forum. I dunno, maybe I'm not "hip" enough. I'm guessing that if you're a gamer, so you wouldn't benefit from hyper-threading all that much unless you plan to use this for other things. Also, the audio probably isn't much better, motherboards are one of the more snake oil prone components.

 

 

Gaming will only be part of the usage... I basically want a powerful system becasue I am an enthusiast and would like to keep all of my usage options open for whatever I may want to do in the future... college keeps me busy so gaming honestly won't be the main use of the system, it will be school/personal related light to moderate usage. I know the system is way OP for that usage, but hey, it's going to be my "sports-car"... I will be doing some Star Citizen for sure, and would like to do some video editing at some point, maybe also folding@home/ coin style stuff... I will re-evaluate the e3 vs i7 debate, I think I saw that on a forum and was probably foolsih to not investigate more rigorously. Microcenter is the source of that low price though, and I think msrp for the e3-1245v3 is like $10 more than the i7-4770, but in the real world it is cheaper too.. I am trying to get something nice, but definitely want to avoid snake-oil/ throwing money at the wall for no real world benefit or an unjustifiably small benefit. No 4960X and dual Titan Zs, but I do want someting really high end. Thaks for the input, this will give me more to research.

[Joshua Ondangan]

I plan to [finally] build my first system this summer... Here is the parts list for my general direction so far:

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1240 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Micro Center)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($218.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($159.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($114.99 @ NCIX US)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card  ($399.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Silverstone SG10B MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($107.35 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: ???

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

Total: $1451.26

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 22:42 EDT-0400)

 

I have definitely looked around a bit, and am sure this parts list will be tweaked (split between the sugo sg10b and the node 804, split between noctua air cooler and corsair water cooler, 1 TB vs 2 TB hdd, 8 vs 16 GB RAM, etc). Anyway it appears according to some calculators that I could run this system on a 500W PSU, but just to be safe and leave my options open, I planned to build the system with room for crossfired r9 290s regarding power capabilities. Not saying I would necessarily run this settup, but I figured it was reasonable in case of a future crossfire/SLI as I may try to keep the PSU for awhile. This would push the recommendation for PSU a bit over 700W.

 

My question is: Is there any particular recommendation on a very high quality PSU in the 750W-860W range without completely breaking the bank? Some of the people I trust really recommend SeaSonic products, but I am open to any brand as long as the recommendation is justified. I would be willing to to 80+ platinum or 80+ gold if that is justifiable (longer hardware life? better performance somehow? etc). Really just looking for tips, as I haven't assembled a system before, and don't have any first hand experience with components. Any input welcomed!

 

Is it reasonable to expect a PSU to last 7-8 years? (long enough for 1 mobo/CPU/ram upgrade and maybe 2 gpu upgrades, before totally building a brand new system)? If there is any input on case, other components, that is also welcome.

 

THANKS!!

for me I'd not look into onboard.

 

if you want a sound card and if you can get something like a 50% off or something on a asus essence stx then grab it. if not.

 

Objective 2 odac/amp is pretty good I have one here and it's great.

fiio e10 for desktop use only and it's good I also have one and very cheap

fiio e17 I have one and I also use it for portability it's a dac/amp but can use it outside with battery.

Beyerdynamic A1 amp is pretty nice but very expensive.

grace m903 is also nice but would not be in your price so far my most expensive one

asus essence one pretty good for the price but on the expensive side.

iBasso D-zero is pretty good and is kinda cheap

iBasso D7 is also pretty nice but on the expensive side.\

 

ok for motherboard. try to get a cheaper one and a non Z they work with your processor and you don't need the onboard sound if you can have something like the fiio e10 cheap and good.

 

for PSU something like the Corsair AX750 80plus gold (I don't really like the RM version much) pretty much the warranty with this is long compared to the cheaper alternative since you are looking at the warranty too.

or a seasonic x760 80plus gold has 5 year warranty and pretty good I use it on my money tree rig and it's good powering up all the shit I put there.

 

with the non Z motherboard you won't even need a aftermarket cooler so save that money and buy a fiio e10 or something.

[daemonowner]

Don't get an R9 290 with a reference cooler.

Odd CPU choice as stated above.

 

Seasonic is arguably the best manufacturer of consumer grade power supplies. There are certainly other companies that produce higher quality units, but they don't have much of a presence in the consumer market. That's why you will see people recommending Seasonic made units all the time.

 

I would suggest the Cooler Master V850, EVGA Supernova G2 850W, Corsair AX860 or AX860i, Seasonic Platinum 860 or Seasonic X-Series 850W. Look around your preferred vendors for the best prices.

[WoodenMarker]

Well, I just noticed that the e3-1240v3 is basically a i7-4770 without integrated graphics... the e3-1245v3 is supposed to be the same thing as the 4770. I figured hyperthreading + the full virtualization support and such is a better deal than getting a 4670k and only saving a few bucks (e3 for $249 at microcenter). However, I guess that isn't saving NO bucks, so perhaps you are correct. The supposedly quality audio on that MOBO attracted me, but you don't think a more premium mobo makes enough difference in quality/longevity to justify the purchase? Thank for the comment btw.

You could save a bit more by going with the e3-1230 v3 and sacrificing a few hundred mhz that wouldn't be too noticeable. Also for overall gaming performance, I'd probably still vouch for an oc'ed 4670k. This isn't exactly a suggestion backed up with a heap of evidence but the 4 core w/HT vs oc'ed 4 core thing is kind of up in the air atm. This is because upcoming games are benefiting a bit more from HT instead of little to none but whether this change is going to be that significant compared to the 'tried and true' oc'ed i5 is unknown.

Not going with an oc'ed i5 is a bit more of a gamble but either choice is still solid for gaming. It's basically the difference between a possibly good gaming experience vs a slightly better gaming one depending on how it plays out.

You really won't see much difference in quality or longevity to be honest. And how did you determine that the E3 was a 4770 without integrated graphics, did you see that in a spec sheet or did you read it from a reliable source? Usually Xeons are just for servers and aren't very good for gaming, so I feel like if this was entirely true and as good of a deal as you say it is I would have heard about it from somebody on this forum. 

To clear a misconception up--no. There are many different Xeons some of which outperform the current i7 and those that underperform the pentium. The e3 v3 is Haswell that uses the same architecture as the 4770 just at slightly lower clocks and slightly different features. The performance is pretty much identical if you underclocked the i7 a bit. The e3 v2 before that was IvyB and so on. 

Xeons can be perfectly fine for gaming but it will depend on which xeon you're looking at.

Okay, do you know about the reliability/longevity of EVGA PSUs in contrast to SeaSonic or other competitors? And maybe my cooler was overkill, I just want it to stay super chill under load, tired of having to monitor temps on my laptop and would like to know I couldn't get close to the rated temps even if I tried..

Sorry about the permalink, I just pasted it and got rid of the PSU which is part of the list since it is a placeholder for now, I didn't want to save a new copy of the list without a PSU: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3Kl80.

Also, I wanted z97 for potential to swap a broadwell chip in later... possibly k series. The e3-1240v3 seemed like a good deal at $249 for something equivalant to an i7-4770 to the best of my knowledge, but I definitely do want to explore alternatives for the MOBO... cheaper ones.

EVGA has been coming out with some solid and pretty good psus lately. It hasn't been long enough to have their reliability actually tested but the 10 year warranty on their G2 series should say something. 

Take it from JonnyGuru (go-to guy for psu reviews) if not me:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377

If you're not oc'ing the stock cooler will do--that's its job. You could also just replace it later if you're not happy with the temps. 

Are you deadset on the Silverstone case? 

I don't recommend getting a xeon just to replace it later. You have a ample budget for a solid build from the get-go. 

[PudgyAstronaut]

You could save a bit more by going with the e3-1230 v3 and sacrificing a few hundred mhz that wouldn't be too noticeable. Also for overall gaming performance, I'd probably still vouch for an oc'ed 4670k. This isn't exactly a suggestion backed up with a heap of evidence but the 4 core w/HT vs oc'ed 4 core thing is kind of up in the air atm. This is because upcoming games are benefiting a bit more from HT instead of little to none but whether this change is going to be that significant compared to the 'tried and true' oc'ed i5 is unknown.

Not going with an oc'ed i5 is a bit more of a gamble but either choice is still solid for gaming. It's basically the difference between a possibly good gaming experience vs a slightly better gaming one depending on how it plays out.

To clear a misconception up--no. There are many different Xeons some of which outperform the current i7 and those that underperform the pentium. The e3 v3 is Haswell that uses the same architecture as the 4770 just at slightly lower clocks and slightly different features. The performance is pretty much identical if you underclocked the i7 a bit. The e3 v2 before that was IvyB and so on. 

Xeons can be perfectly fine for gaming but it will depend on which xeon you're looking at.

EVGA has been coming out with some solid and pretty good psus lately. It hasn't been long enough to have their reliability actually tested but the 10 year warranty on their G2 series should say something. 

Take it from JonnyGuru (go-to guy for psu reviews) if not me:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377

If you're not oc'ing the stock cooler will do--that's its job. You could also just replace it later if you're not happy with the temps. 

Are you deadset on the Silverstone case? 

I don't recommend getting a xeon just to replace it later. You have a ample budget for a solid build from the get-go. 

 

Alright, thanks! Not deadset on the case, just attracted to the super impressive size for a powerful mATX chassis (Linus did an overclocked 4670k, large air cooler, and 2 GTX 680s in this chassis if memory serves me correct), but the Node 804 is probably just as possible of a choice for me at this point, and if I find something better, I won't be opposed to changing plans. Regarding the Xeon, I was only considering it because it seemed so close to a non k i7 and was $249 at microcenter, but I was being a fool and hadn't realized microcenter just has kick butt pricing. period. The i7-4790 is $259, so..... I still lean toward a quiter, more efficient than stock cooler though, but will do more research.

[WoodenMarker]

How's this look instead: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3P80O