My first SERIOUS rig

[peterpepo]

Hello,
at the beginning of the year I started thinking of building my own rig, but then came the finals and graduation thesis, so you know...

I made the finals, so it's time to award myself 

 

In the meantime my brother built gaming rig /actually someone chose components for him and I built it, as I have been always playing with pcs/. My plan is based on his pc with emphasis on thing i didn't like about his build and improving some of the components. 

Although i have no problem "building" it, I need couple advices regarding choosing and matching components.

 

What is the purpose of this machine:

Most of the time I browse net, school stuf etc. I was always gaming on playstations, because I have never really had REAL gaming pc. My pc's were always office class and I could play only minimalistic games - the latest i managed to run was Counter Strike 1.6   My ps3 is bit old now, mostly I play fps games, or GTA style games - which are definitely more enjoyable on keyboard and mouse. Lately i started editing videos - mostly 1080p videos, which are pain in the b*tt to edit on my current notebook with integrated graphics and even more pain to render them. So, the conclusion is custom built PC for: gaming, video editing and programming.

 

Target budget:

Brother's pc was around 1700 €. So i said NO MORE than 2000 € excluding keyboard, mouse, lcd and OS. Even this is quite much for me.

 

So here comes the components and some question / alternatives regarding them - i also provide links for Slovak website. If it is a problem, please censore them / warn me, I wlll remove them, but there are here for additional parameters.

 

CPU - Intel Core i7-4790K - http://www.alza.sk/intel-core-i7-4790k-d1563063.htm - they don't have it stock right now, i hope, i won't wait too much - is it worth extra money comparing to 4770k ?

 

CPU cooler - NOCTUA NH-D14 - http://www.alza.sk/noctua-nh-d14-d148507.htm - it's a beast, and incompatible with high profile memory sticks - so AIO water cooler from corsair is alternative - Corsair H110 / CM Nepton 280L / Corsair Hydro H100i

 

MOBO - MSI z97 Gaming 5 - http://www.alza.sk/msi-z97-gaming-5-d1530091.htm - now I don't know how other manufacturers stand with drivers - what i don't like about msi a bit are drivers. brother installed all from them - there are tons of crapware and popup, system tray backrgound services which have to start everytime he boots the computer. Live Update totally messed up his pc. Every driver update means more and more problems - latest problem are usb3 ports... But MSI seems sweet spot in performance / price

 

Memory - Kingston 16GB (2x8) 2400Mhz CL11 HyperX Beast - http://www.alza.sk/kingston-16gb-kit-ddr3-2400mhz-cl11-hyperx-beast-series-d368983.htm#popis - these are only 2400 Mhz whereas mobo supports up to 3200 mhz - will it impact performance dramatically 

 

GPU - Evga GeForce GTX780 Superclocked ACX - http://www.alza.sk/evga-geforce-gtx780-superclocked-acx-d433041.htm - it should perform simmilar to msi gtx780 3gd/oc5 whereas i trust evga more than msi - i checked some benchmarks and it seems to catch up on Gtx780ti

 

Storage - Primary - OS - Samsung 840 Evo 500 GB - http://www.alza.sk/samsung-840-evo-series-basic-500gb-7mm-d459295.htm - or alternative 256GB 840PRO - I intend to use this for OS, programs and settings only, everything else will be on secondary drive

 

Storage - Secondary - Some 2 TB - My tip is WD Red 2TB - http://www.alza.sk/western-digital-red-2000gb-64mb-cache-d342211.htm - this hdd will hold up music, photos, games, documents etc

 

PSU - Seasonic X Series 850 - http://www.alza.sk/seasonic-x-series-850-d462097.htm

 

Optical Drive - Blu Ray Pioneer BDR-s09xlt - http://www.alza.sk/pioneer-bdr-s09xlt-retail-d620627.htm

 

Case - not sure, probably something from corsair - Venegance / Carbide mid-tower. I am really not sure, if you have tips. Max for the case is 100 €.

 

Ok, that is my basic idea, and here are the questions:
1, Is it worth to go for the K - cpus. It means unlocked multiplier, but I have never overclocked before, and i don't Intend to do at the moment. I think cpus are already powerful enough, that for my needs i won't overclock, i am afraid that lifetime of cpu would decrease and bring problems.

 

2, SDD vs HDD - i already have ssd in my notebook, i know how fast it can be. Definitely I can say that ssd doesn't matter for video, photo & music storage. For OS it does. Should I go for bigger SSD to put my games on, or are HDDs good enough. I don't care whether the game will load 10 secs or 15. Or I think right now, that i don't care

 

3, Third and MOST IMPORTANT question. Is it worth to go for this high-spec PC ? Continue reading: is it better to buy something lower, cheapr right now and upgarde it completely in 3 years, or is it better to buy higher spec rig and will it last for at least 5 years ? My ps3 last for 7 years - so from the pc I expect to run games for at least 5 years at current quality. (I explain: ps3 graphics are sh**t today, but still playable. So when i buy a pc able to run 1080p games, i expect to still play 1080p games in 5 years) - IS IT REASONABLE to buy high-spec pc, or waste of money ?

 

4, Share your thoughts and oppinions. Don't hesitate. If the setup seems completely random and mix-matched to you, SAY THAT. I will rather read a bit of criticism when you tell me to study more, than read OK OK and I buy unstable pc. So feel free to say me, if something is wrong with it.

 

5, For the LCD, I already have EIZO Foris FS2333 1080p gaming monitor, mouse and kb are not included in target price, I also already have genuine Win8.1 as well as Win7pro.

 

6, Which from the present CPU coolers would you take.

 

7, Brother has MSI N 780 TF 3GD5/OC GPU - http://www.alza.sk/msi-n780-tf-3gd5-oc-gaming-d452842.htm - which is better ?

 

8, I am not planning 4k at the moment, 1080p seems superior and just enough for me.

 

9, Will be the PSU enough ? Shoudln't i take more / less wattage ?

 

10, What about those rams not matching frequency of mobo.

 

11, I don't like a bit only 1 USB3 internal header on mobo. Most corsair already have front panel usb3 ports. Then i plan to buy 5,25 sd card raeder which are often combined with usb 3 ports, but there is only one on mobo i think.

 

Now it's your turn (I kindly ask you for your oppinion)

[jurian123]

Its a good rig, for the case i have maybe something, the 300r from corsair? or the 350d not windowed 

[Phage]

I would stick with that CPU

HDDs are good enough

Yes it's better to have high-spec pc

Would get a H110 if you can afford it

Would get a WD black HDD instead of the Red one

You will need SLI Black titans if you want good performance on 4k resolution with multiple screens

[Gachr]

Well, there isn't much sense in going so hardcore if you aren't gaming. Do you want to do video editing professionally or is it just something for fun?

[peterpepo]

I wasn't gaming until now, because I have never had good pc.

Video editing - mostly for fun, and personal usage - holiday etc, no professional editing.
But there are lot of games i want to play, and i don't want to buy them for already old playstation. Also comparison between console and pc points me towards pc.

For me it seems better invested money in 500 € GPU than 400€ for console.

[Phage]

I wasn't gaming until now, because I have never had good pc.

Video editing - mostly for fun, and personal usage - holiday etc, no professional editing.

But there are lot of games i want to play, and i don't want to buy them for already old playstation. Also comparison between console and pc points me towards pc.

For me it seems better invested money in 500 € GPU than 400€ for console.

If you want to save money

Get 1600mhz ram 8gb

780ti

i7 4770k

700w psu

[Gachr]

Here you've got a build for about 950E, it will be really good for video editing and you will be able to play new games, but I didn't put an expensive GPU there.

Intel Core i7 4790
Gigabyte H97N-WIFI
HyperX Fury 16GB
CM Elite 110
Corsair CX430M
Gigabyte 750Ti 2GB
Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
Seagate Barracuda 2TB

[peterpepo]

780ti is actually more expensive than metioned EVGA GTX780 at the shop from which i buy.

I wasn't talking about saving money, although i don't want to spend everything I have He spoiled me with 1080p ultra details gaming

I consider that GTX780 as a minimum. Brother has been experiencing some lags during watchdogs gameplay on his MSI card.

[steffen_anywhere]

780ti is actually more expensive than metioned EVGA GTX780 at the shop from which i buy.

I wasn't talking about saving money, although i don't want to spend everything I have He spoiled me with 1080p ultra details gaming

I consider that GTX780 as a minimum. Brother has been experiencing some lags during watchdogs gameplay on his MSI card.

 

Well @Gachr meant the 750Ti, which is pretty low-end if you want a killer system. Sure it is a good card but I think you're aiming for more here. @Gachr is proposing a mid-range system.

 

As to whether it will be fast enough in the future: Yes it will be. As long as you are gaming on 1080p, the 780 will always be very good and today it is overkill at that res somewhat. It is already three times or more faster than the Xbox One so it's got that going or it which is nice

 

The CPU will be fine for a long time for gaming, it is a beast...

[peterpepo]

Thanks, do you know, when 4790k actually will be released ? Also, i don't see any improvement in 4790k to 4790 except unlockde multiplier.

What about that ram, won't it be bottleneck in this beast setup ?

[Gachr]

It will be released on the 25th of June.

The build I proposed was aiming in video editing and just entry gaming.

[peterpepo]

Thanks @Gachr, I am sorry, I probably stated it unclearly.
I would like to game. I mean not everyday, gaming is not my life's sense, but i want to game well, at great details and fully enjoy pc side of gaming comparing to consoles, which are only "good enough" to game.

 

Readers, please try to give oppinion also about this rig - will the psu be enough, or is it too much ? Should I take more / less ram - 8 gig is minimum for me, 16 seems to be sweet spot, but I don't want to bottleneck whole system by ram. - Please try to answer as much questions as you can

[Gachr]

If you want an ITX system, you could go with a short GTX760 (which is a great card) or you can just go with something like Prodigy, or go ATX.

And to the question - I think it would be too much.

[peterpepo]

Its a good rig, for the case i have maybe something, the 300r from corsair? or the 350d not windowed 

I like 450d (not 350) -> atx support, direct airflow on front side.

However i found a problem -> if i put H110 which has dual 140mm rad, optical drive won't fit in top position.

Will it fit in bottom one ? I need optical drive, discs are still used by family members, we backup photos, occasionaly burn family videos etc..

In the top position i would put card reader, if it fits.

[jurian123]

I like 450d (not 350) -> atx support, direct airflow on front side.

However i found a problem -> if i put H110 which has dual 140mm rad, optical drive won't fit in top position.

Will it fit in bottom one ? I need optical drive, discs are still used by family members, we backup photos, occasionaly burn family videos etc..

In the top position i would put card reader, if it fits.

The use an external drive. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Portable-External-SE-218CB-RSBS/dp/B00DBV28TG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402779340&sr=8-1&keywords=external+optical+drive 

[peterpepo]

The use an external drive. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Portable-External-SE-218CB-RSBS/dp/B00DBV28TG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402779340&sr=8-1&keywords=external+optical+drive 

450d should be fine when having optical drive in bottom slot.

[peterpepo]

^bump^
Some more ideas / oppinions please ?

[Lettuce]

It does look good for gaming as well.

 

I cant access pcpartpicker to give you an idea of which PSU to get.

 

but if you have time, go to pcpartpicker, put the stuff you want, to see if their compatible, and it would also tell you how much Watt you're using.

 

but to give you a rough idea, this is my gaming build and im only using 750W.

 

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor 

CPU Cooler: I'll end up with a corsair hydro H100i just waiting for it to be in stock

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory 

Storage: PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB

Case: NZXT Phantom 530

Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold 

 

hope this helped :3

[peterpepo]

Ok, I have refined my parts list a bit, and now I have come to this.

Small update (parts weren't listed on parts picker)

RAM : Same as stated, but 2400 Mhz, CL11-13-13

PSU: Same Seasonic X Series, but 750W "only"

COOLER: I would rather go with H105 with PWM fans, but the rad is too thick, that i am affraid it won't fit with MSI mobo heatsinks. What are my options to make it quiet ? Voltage reduction cable ?
I could also go with air cooler, as i don't tend to overclock right now, but i am affraid to hang 1,5kg Noctua NH D15 on the board. I was going for NHD14 or NHD15 originally, but i read somewhere that it's really heavy, so i started fearing that it could break my motherboard. NH U14S looks great !

 

What do you think ?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($339.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($108.58 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($147.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($134.99 @ Best Buy) 

Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card  ($474.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case  ($114.39 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($141.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-208DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $1822.89

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[peterpepo]

^^bump this post^^

[Gachr]

The PSU is a total overkill. Get something 600W max. H110 is an overkill as well, H100i would be more than enough. WD Black HDD's are very loud, better get Seagate Barracuda or WD Blue.

[peterpepo]

Looking at that M.2 supported by board.
Is it worth to put M.2 SSD instead of for example 840 Pro connected via Sata 3 ? M.2 has theoretical speed of 10Gbps, but would I notice some difference ?
I mean it as boot drive, programs etc..

 

Also, I am really finishing reading and selecting parts, BUT two more remaining questions:

1, I have read that MSI board overclocks i7 4770k even by default "by couple Mhz'es". Is it possible to turn overclocking completely off on MSI boards ? Sure, i will be overclocking in future, when current performance will not be enough, but at the beginning I would like to go "as stock as possible".

 

2, Have you something to say about MSI boards ? Again, I have read that asus has longer tradition in quality mobos and MSI is kind of "newcomer" in quality, respectively that MSI had some issues in past.

 

Thanks

[Gachr]

M.2 is horribly expensive, right now it's rather an interesting feature than something that could be used by a normal user.

 

1. Sure.

2. MSI lineup for Z77 was great in my opinion, before it their motherboards were breaking very often. Well, I don't like their new lineups at all, they are making them full of marketing crap, "gaming" features and they are putting dragons everywhere, for me they are lost. I personally only consider motherboards from ASUS and ASRock.

[peterpepo]

M.2 is horribly expensive, right now it's rather an interesting feature than something that could be used by a normal user.

 

1. Sure.

2. MSI lineup for Z77 was great in my opinion, before it their motherboards were breaking very often. Well, I don't like their new lineups at all, they are making them full of marketing crap, "gaming" features and they are putting dragons everywhere, for me they are lost. I personally only consider motherboards from ASUS and ASRock.

And which would you recommend ? With Z97 chipset.

Optical Audio output seems great option for me, as I already have home theater system installed in my room, however it has only optical input, no SPDIF.

Separated Audio PCB seems ok also, as I am tired of buzzing, coil whining and noise being generated by on-board sound cards. Sure, i could buy external one, but that would increase already huge budget I am going to spend on this.

[peterpepo]

^bump