About to purchase.

[Naplam]

Good day folks, I made a thread a little while ago requesting help from you fine peoples regarding an upcoming build, and I'm very close to purchasing. I've put together something that I think will work, and would like some final opinions from some of the more experienced builders out there. 
 

Recap:
Budget: $2200 CAD (Must include shipping & taxes)
Location: Ontario, Canada
Purpose: Mainly gaming, and modding/level design in games like Skyrim, GTA:V, Witcher 3, on a fairly high level. (Is an i7/16GB ram needed for this?)
Other: OS, Monitor and Keyboard are needed, and must fit in the budget as well. Shipping is around $50, Insurance is $35 and Taxes are a steep 13%.

A few more notes, my workspace is fairly limited, which is the reasoning for the smaller than usual monitor, and a mid tower or smaller is needed. Quietness and cooling are of utmost importance, as everything is in a rather close proximity and I'd rather not hear a car engine 2ft from my face when gaming. The case also needs to be black...because reasons. Am I missing anything? Is anything terribly wrong or disastrous? Will be buying in the next couple DAYS. I prefer nV over AMD, but would rather not argue here about it. As usual, thanks for the help. 

 

Updated build. 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/6wqyt6

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/6wqyt6/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($364.63 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($169.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($519.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($123.25 @ Vuugo) 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ NCIX) 

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($16.79 @ DirectCanada) 

Monitor: Asus VX228H 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($144.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($57.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Other: Dark Rock Pro 3 ($69.99)

Other: Shipping and Insurance ($85.00)

Total: $1927.50

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-22 13:25 EDT-0400

[dragoon20005]

ok ditch that keyboard

 

i got that keyboard and i feel it horrible

 

so i swapped it for my current X6

 

no need for thermal paste

 

and get a nice air cooler

 

can't find a IPS monitor?

[Oshino Shinobu]

Looks good. If you're wanting it to be very quiet, you might want to consider buying some new fans. Something like the NB Blacksilent Pros perform well while being very quiet. 

 

I would suggest going for 2TB instead of 1TB. It doesn't cost much more and I find that 1TB simply isn't enough space. 

 

Just a personal preference: I can't stand Arctic Silver paste. I find that something like MX-4 works much better. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

 

 

no need for thermal paste

 

and get a nice air cooler

 

can't find a IPS monitor?

He has a nice air cooler in there... Thermal paste is useful for aftermarket coolers too. 

 

Agree with the monitor, a nice 23" IPS panel is within the budget. 

[dragoon20005]

He has a nice air cooler in there... Thermal paste is useful for aftermarket coolers too. 

 

Agree with the monitor, a nice 23" IPS panel is within the budget. 

oh didn't see it until i saw it in Custom part section

 

but won't the Dark Rock cooler have it own thermal paste?

[Oshino Shinobu]

oh didn't see it until i saw it in Custom part section

 

but won't the Dark Rock cooler have it own thermal paste?

Yes, but it's normally not very good stuff. It never hurts to have spare TIM around. I have a few tubes lying around and I have to use them each time I do a thorough clean of my PC and remove the cooler. 

[dragoon20005]

Yes, but it's normally not very good stuff. It never hurts to have spare TIM around. I have a few tubes lying around and I have to use them each time I do a thorough clean of my PC and remove the cooler. 

good point

 

I have a tube of thermal in my drawer

 

handy for my Core 2 Duo cooler replacement

[elan2468]

seems decent mate

[Naplam]

Thanks for all the replies so far, is repasting the CPU & GPU right off the bat for optimal performance? I know I don't have to, but I've heard terrible stories of Haswell being bad, in terms of the TIM. The Canadian PCPartPicker doesn't have the Dark Rock Pro 3 listed, which is why it's in the custom section. My current workspace is limited, which is the reasoning for the choice in monitor. I don't fully know how everything will fit right now, so I'm taking the safe route and can change out later down the line. The keyboard is hopefully very temporary thing, I might be able to get a Ducky Shine in late-ish September. Is there anything around that $40-60 that's better? Don't need macro keys or anything, just a decent backlight and good responsiveness.  

[Naplam]

Just got a Windows 8.1 key for $20 on G2A, OS no longer part of the budget. Seems like everything's legit, lets hope it holds up in a few months haha. Updated the link. 

[brob]

Thanks for all the replies so far, is repasting the CPU & GPU right off the bat for optimal performance? I know I don't have to, but I've heard terrible stories of Haswell being bad, in terms of the TIM. The Canadian PCPartPicker doesn't have the Dark Rock Pro 3 listed, which is why it's in the custom section. My current workspace is limited, which is the reasoning for the choice in monitor. I don't fully know how everything will fit right now, so I'm taking the safe route and can change out later down the line. The keyboard is hopefully very temporary thing, I might be able to get a Ducky Shine in late-ish September. Is there anything around that $40-60 that's better? Don't need macro keys or anything, just a decent backlight and good responsiveness.  

 

The thermal paste that comes with the Dark Rock Pro 3 is Corning TC5121. According to http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/Thermal-Compound-Roundup-September-2011/1377 it performs identically to Arctic Silver 5.

 

The issue with Haswell has to do with the interface compound between the ic surface and chip lid. This issue is supposed to have been resolved with the Haswell Refresh which is likely why i7-4790K have a 500MHz higher base clock.

 

I would suggest an IPS monitor. Acer H226HQLbid or Asus VS229H-P would be reasonable choices.

[Naplam]

Thanks for the reply, brob. Updated build to reflect change in monitor to the VS229H. Would like some opinions on keyboards, have only heard one negative regarding the Sidewinder. Keep in mind that it's likely temporary until late September or so (hopefully) so I'm not looking to break the bank on it. Headed off now, will visit thread later tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's help so far!

[dragoon20005]

Thanks for the reply, brob. Updated build to reflect change in monitor to the VS229H. Would like some opinions on keyboards, have only heard one negative regarding the Sidewinder. Keep in mind that it's likely temporary until late September or so (hopefully) so I'm not looking to break the bank on it. 

the Sidewinder was market as a gaming keyboard but it just a normal keyboard dressed like a gaming keyboard

 

but it do not come with anti ghosting features, i press like 4 keys and the 5th key will not register already = bad for MMO games

 

It uses a membrane key based setup so it good for typing but bad for gaming

[Naplam]

the Sidewinder was market as a gaming keyboard but it just a normal keyboard dressed like a gaming keyboard

 

but it do not come with anti ghosting features, i press like 4 keys and the 5th key will not register already = bad for MMO games

 

It uses a membrane key based setup so it good for typing but bad for gaming

Any alternatives you know of around the same price? Also was recommended to swap the Dark Rock Pro 3 for a http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/thermaltake-cpu-cooler-clw0224 in this. Any second thoughts on that?

[MrTiC]

Changed the build a bit to better components.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($98.94 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($439.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.97 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($155.43 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Other: OS ($20.00)
Other: Shipping + Insurance ($85.00)
Total: $1895.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-22 11:19 EDT-0400

 

Better overal Motherboard (audio and killer network and overlocking is a breeze!)

Ram for clearance with the Darkrock pro (and a little cheaper).

SSD for well ... i had that same SSD you chose ( the crucial) and had to RMA it 4x ... YES 4 times!) used that kingston in previus builds for other people and never had probs with it!

HDD WD RED for reability and also 2T instead of 1

Monitor 24inch IPS wich still fits in budget !!

Removed the thermal paste, but thats more up to you ( its cheap as hell and shouldnt be considered in the build anyway)

Rest is all ok (cooler,gpu,psu)

also added the cost of transport and insurance and you previous G2A windows key (wich you all provided)

[Naplam]

Changed the build a bit to better components.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

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

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

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($164.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Micro Center)

Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($98.94 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($439.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.97 @ NCIX US)

Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($155.43 @ Amazon)

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($59.98 @ OutletPC)

Other: OS ($20.00)

Other: Shipping + Insurance ($85.00)

Total: $1895.24

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-22 11:19 EDT-0400

 

Better overal Motherboard (audio and killer network and overlocking is a breeze!)

Ram for clearance with the Darkrock pro (and a little cheaper).

SSD for well ... i had that same SSD you chose ( the crucial) and had to RMA it 4x ... YES 4 times!) used that kingston in previus builds for other people and never had probs with it!

HDD WD RED for reability and also 2T instead of 1

Monitor 24inch IPS wich still fits in budget !!

Removed the thermal paste, but thats more up to you ( its cheap as hell and shouldnt be considered in the build anyway)

Rest is all ok (cooler,gpu,psu)

also added the cost of transport and insurance and you previous G2A windows key (wich you all provided)

Thanks for your reply, and I got really excited until I saw that your build was in USD, I'm ordering from Ontario, Canada.

[Naplam]

Updated the OP with the most recent build. (SSD swap, added shipping & insurance buffer)

[MrTiC]

Thanks for your reply, and I got really excited until I saw that your build was in USD, I'm ordering from Ontario, Canada.

 changed to canada, and added another cooler then the darkrock pro 3 ( the noctua is slightly better)

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($364.98 @ Newegg Canada)

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

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($198.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($179.99 @ Memory Express)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($115.95 @ Vuugo)

Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($104.79 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($519.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($123.25 @ Vuugo)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ NCIX)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($16.79 @ DirectCanada)

Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($169.99 @ Canada Computers)

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($57.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Other: Shipping + Insurance ($85.00)

Other: OS ($20.00)

Total: $2097.66

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-22 12:04 EDT-0400

[Naplam]

 changed to canada, and added another cooler then the darkrock pro 3 ( the noctua is slightly better)

Thanks for your input, but I'm honestly finding it a little hard to swallow a +$170 increase for little-to-no actual performance increase. I'm really trying to keep it under $2200, as much as I would like the MSI board and such. I don't even use the paltry 500GB HDD that I'm running now, so I think my storage will be okay and my workspace is rather limited, so I'm taking the safe route in getting a smaller monitor instead of overshooting by a couple inches. Updated OP with latest build parts. (RAM change)

[MrTiC]

low profile ONLY and it doesnt matter what ram you take expect for the amount (16gb) the speeds arent that noticeble, its more of an estetics thing and more how much you want to spend

Im using the kingston HyperX fury's and MSI boards / cards pure for the black/red colour schemes wich i have in my own build and ive been doing ALOT of builds for other people these days.

I should better start my own pc shop if it keeps going like this haha.

[dragoon20005]

Any alternatives you know of around the same price? Also was recommended to swap the Dark Rock Pro 3 for a http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/thermaltake-cpu-cooler-clw0224 in this. Any second thoughts on that?

off hand I can think of the Logitech G105 and this

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-keyboard-ch9000051na

 

but both are non-mech but much better than the Sidewinder

[Naplam]

Just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone that contributed to my first build, I placed the order a couple hours ago and I'm very excited to get this going! You folks rock. <3 Once I actually get it built, is there a list of things I should be doing before getting comfortable? So far I've got...

 

1. Windows Updates

2. Classic Shell (personal obv)

3. Latest MB BIOS, GPU Driver, SSD...(do I need to get updated software for SSDs, or just roll with what they come with?)

4. Programs & Games

5. Overclock and Stress Testing?

 

Like I said before, this is my first build and I want to do it right. 

 

off hand I can think of the Logitech G105 and this

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-keyboard-ch9000051na

 

but both are non-mech but much better than the Sidewinder

I picked up a cheap $30 one with a backlight & ergonomic shiz for now, that should tide me over until I can pick up a Ducky in a couple months. 

[dragoon20005]

Just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone that contributed to my first build, I placed the order a couple hours ago and I'm very excited to get this going! You folks rock. <3 Once I actually get it built, is there a list of things I should be doing before getting comfortable? So far I've got...

 

1. Windows Updates

2. Classic Shell (personal obv)

3. Latest MB BIOS, GPU Driver, SSD...(do I need to get updated software for SSDs, or just roll with what they come with?)

4. Programs & Games

5. Overclock and Stress Testing?

 

Like I said before, this is my first build and I want to do it right. 

 

I picked up a cheap $30 one with a backlight & ergonomic shiz for now, that should tide me over until I can pick up a Ducky in a couple months. 

anytime bro

 

you can post in the CPU and GPU section if you need questions about mobo, OC and GPU questions