Gaming build. REALLY need help

littleCERBERUS · August 20, 2014

Ok. So, as you might have guessed, I need some help. A LONG time ago, I built my own gaming pc. Used it, loved it, sold it, switched to Mac. Been a Mac guy for a while. Time to switch back. More and more of my gaming is moving from my consoles to my computer, and I would like to have a REAL gaming computer again. My 27in iMac (though nice) just isnt cutting it.

Usage: HIGH END GAMING. I want something that is going to be able to run games that aren't out yet (Witcher 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, etc) maxed out, without dropping frames. I dont want my computer to struggle with the new stuff. Also, I want to be able to stream to Twitch, or capture footage from my Xbox1, 360, PS3, or WiiU if so desired.

Budget: Flexible. I dont want to spend a million dollars. What's most important to me is that it will do what I want it to be able to do without any trouble. Try to keep it as cheap as possible, without sacrificing on the power.

Preferences: I have SOME preferences, though I'm flexible on these too. I like the look of the NZXT Phantom 820 and the Corsair 900d. I also prefer Intel and nVidia. Just preferences. However, if you can make a STRONG case for why I should switch, I'm certainly open to them. Also, while not NEARLY as important as the power, It would be NICE if there were some sort of color scheme to the computer, as it will be sitting up on my desk, and very visible. I would like to see something clean and pretty.

Monitors and Peripherals: I dont have a monitor or keyboard. I want to run at LEAST a 2 monitor setup (though I can do one now, and one later on down the road if I need to). They dont need to be 4k. Just....pretty. It's mostly for having a game screen, and a chat screen. Not planning on doing any Surround Immersion style gaming. Open to recommendations in this department.

Ultimately I would like to run a custom watercooling loop, though that will have to be down the road. I've got about $1500 that I could drop right away, and then anything above and beyond that I would need to by piece-by-piece (as paychecks allow).

Here are to pcpartpicker links. Neither is finished, and I was just kind of goofing around. I dont even really know if anything I picked out is good or not.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/littleCERBERUS/saved/n4BhP6

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/littleCERBERUS/saved/RzjNnQ

I hope that this helps give you an idea of what I'm looking for, and hope that you will be able to help me come up with a rig that I will be happy with for quite a while. Thanks in advance! you all (and linustechtips) ROCK!

Clyne · August 20, 2014

Well i would get the R9 290X in crossfire since you said you would want a 2 monitor setup, the r9 290x would be better at higher resolutions at a 2 monitor setup.

August 20, 2014

If you are streaming then an i7 might be a better option.

I would take a look at the Phanteks Enthoo Primo/Luxe cases if you are doing a custom loop. They offer far better value than the 900D.

You will need about 850W for SLI. The EVGA Supernova G2 is a very solid psu.

It is better to go with 2 x 8GB Ram rather than 4 x 4GB. It puts less stress on the memory controller.

The Samsung 840 Evo would be my choice of SSD.

Cheese4395 · August 20, 2014

CPU: I think in both of your builds you have an i5-4690k which is a perfect choice.

CPU Cooler: For now I suggest the Cooler Master Hyper Evo 212 as that is an awesome air cooler that is both cheap and good. If you're already planning on going water cooling this will definitely tide you over until that time comes around when you have the money.

Motherboard: Neither of them had a motherboard so I suggest you take some time and look at these mid-high motherboards (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/enthusiast-z97-motherboard-overclock,3893.html)

Memory: I think 8GBs of RAM is probably more than enough but if you want 16 I suggest getting a 2 x 8 set rather than a 4 x 4 in case you ever want to upgrade that.

Storage: A ~250GB SSD and a 1TB HDD will probably be more than enough for you. A lot of people on this forum like the Samsung 840 Evo series and I would suggest it as well. Also for your HDD you can't go wrong with a Seagate Barracude although some people like the Western Digital Series.

GPU: I think a 780 Ti would be a better choice in the long run than SLI 780s as you can always just pick another 780 Ti up in the future. I put this choice above R9 290X although those are also really good.

PSU: If you go for SLI 780s now or SLI 780 Ti or XFire R9 290Xs you're going to need more power. I suggest at least 850W if not more. 1200W might be excessive but if you want it go for it.