First Build - Gaming PC Help

[Guest]

Hey all, second time posting a first build since the first one was ill fated due to budget however, I am determined to get myself a gaming PC this Christmas and I really, really want to build my own. So, by basically modifying Linus's recent build guide for the around $2000 I've come up with a rough sketch of what I would like this build to look like. However, I would like to really reduce the cost of this build by as much as possible without skimping too much on the performance or future expansion. I already have two screens (1 1080p PCI capable and the other 1378p HDMI capable) along with all my peripherals. Quick note that in the summer it can get quite humid/hot so I don't know if that will affect any of the parts. I have a preference for Intel/Nvidia gear but am willing to listen to any alternatives. Games played on this machine are going to be ArmA III, Battlefield 4 and hopefully Star Citezen when it comes out. Graphics aren't much of an issue as long as I get +30-40 all the time I will be reasonably happy. 1080p would be appreciated. 

 

Please note the currency I am working with is Australian AUD and the current website I am using is PC Case Gear. I mostly trust these guys  and haven't been able to find another site that I have equal trust in. If any other Australians can recommend another site that is equally trustworthy and ships to rural desert towns, I would appreciate the info. Anyway, here's the build:

 

- Intel i5 4690K - (Yes I would like to overclock. Don't know how but I want to give it a go)
- ASUS Z97-A Motherboard (Couldn't find the Z87-A on PCCG)
- HyperX Fury 2x4GB Black                                                                                                           - Changed from 8 to 4GB
- Corsair HX750i Power Supply (What's up with the i at the end?)
- CM Nepton 280L
- 1x ASUS GeForce GTX 970 Strix

- Samsung 840 EVO 250GB                                                                                                         - Changed from Intel SSD
- WD Green 2TB
- ASUS DRW DVD Writer ('cause Yolo... also I need to install the OS via disk)

- Phanteks Enthoo Pro Black
- MS Windows 8.1 OEM

 

(Link: https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=375187&action=wish_lists)

 

Subtotal: $2,074 AUS

Shipping is $75 for standard and $298 for express
Parcel Protection is around 2% of the total cost and there is a 2% surcharge for using credit cards. 

Total: $2157.79 AUS
Excluding GST - (Real kick in the teeth this one)

 

Any help is welcome and very appreciated.

[RJSX1]

Could you please use PCPartPicker please

[Guest]

Could you please use PCPartPicker please

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/B22fD3

Here is a PCPartPicker list instead as requested . Couldn't find an optical drive so I completely forgot that and I've changed a few things such as the SSD and the RAM to cut costs a little. I'll update my main post with these changes. 

[Titania_WD]

Hi there OneEyedGenius,

It looks well balanced, no incompatibilities. The power supply should be more than enough. You could overclock just fine with those parts. I guess you'll be storing your OS and games on the SSD and it should be big enough too. However, If you have a lot of games and heavy load applications that exceed the capacity of the SSD, I would suggest that you take a look at the WD Black line of HDDs, which is the one that Western Digital recommends for gamers, due to its performance – http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=760. The Green drives are quiet and reliable, but are mostly suited for secondary storage, due to their energy-saving features. That being said, I wish you lots of good time with your new rig!

Cheers,

Titania_WD

[Guest]

Hi there OneEyedGenius,

It looks well balanced, no incompatibilities. The power supply should be more than enough. You could overclock just fine with those parts. I guess you'll be storing your OS and games on the SSD and it should be big enough too. However, If you have a lot of games and heavy load applications that exceed the capacity of the SSD, I would suggest that you take a look at the WD Black line of HDDs, which is the one that Western Digital recommends for gamers, due to its performance – http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=760. The Green drives are quiet and reliable, but are mostly suited for secondary storage, due to their energy-saving features. That being said, I wish you lots of good time with your new rig!

Cheers,

Titania_WD

Thanks for the info!

I've done some talking with some people and have decided, that to meet deadlines, (i.e Christmas) I was contemplating skipping overclocking. (For now).

Would it be possible to do so and skip out on the CM Nepton and just use the stock cooler (Yes I know bad idea) and save up later and install it and O/C it then (maybe late January?)

A WD black was in my line of site when choosing my parts, but when it came down too it I was trying to cut down on costs so I decided to negate the better drive. I usually have quite a bit of background stuff going on in the background (tabs open on other monitors, Dxtory when I want to record a few pieces of gameplay, etc. I would only be keeping the OS + key programs on the SSD (Arma II+III being a few of those key programs) so I may consider opting for a better HDD. 

What problems would I run into if I were to do so and would it be a bad idea? Also I forgot to ask about tools and such, as most of my tools are magnetic and I fear screwing with the circuit with a magnetic field. 

[RJSX1]

ArmA III is a very cpu demanding game, that means your processor will be stressing a lot. 

[brob]

You could go with the stock cooler and upgrade later. Or, you could go with an inexpensive cooler and only upgrade if and when you wish to push the overclocking past its capabilities.

 

I would suggest an EVGA 220-G2-0750-XR psu. It is better than the RM-750 and significantly less expensive.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($279.00 @ CPL Online)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($37.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($98.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($135.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($94.00 @ PLE Computers)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($535.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($145.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Total: $1746.00
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-15 01:20 EST+1100

[Guest]

ArmA III is a very cpu demanding game, that means your processor will be stressing a lot. 

Yeah I know, my laptop is screaming at me via Task manager every time I boot that thing up. The price you pay for loving Simulators, eh? I was thinking the SSD would also help on the ArmA end. Also I want to stop playing it at 720p windowed because damn, it looks beautiful when you can afford it. 

 

 

You could go with the stock cooler and upgrade later. Or, you could go with an inexpensive cooler and only upgrade if and when you wish to push the overclocking past its capabilities.

 

I would suggest an EVGA 220-G2-0750-XR psu. It is better than the RM-750 and significantly less expensive.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($279.00 @ CPL Online)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($37.00 @ CPL Online)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.00 @ CPL Online)

Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($98.00 @ CPL Online)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($135.00 @ Mwave Australia)

Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($94.00 @ PLE Computers)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($535.00 @ CPL Online)

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear)

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($145.00 @ CPL Online)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($115.00 @ CPL Online)

Total: $1746.00

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-15 01:20 EST+1100

Yeah I just had the thought of switching to fan-based cooling for the meantime. I'm not to concerned about the sound levels of the fan since I have two fans pointed at me anyway, along with really good insulated headphones, but how loud can that thing get, out of curiosity?

[brob]

Yeah I know, my laptop is screaming at me via Task manager every time I boot that thing up. The price you pay for loving Simulators, eh? I was thinking the SSD would also help on the ArmA end. Also I want to stop playing it at 720p windowed because damn, it looks beautiful when you can afford it. 

 

 

Yeah I just had the thought of switching to fan-based cooling for the meantime. I'm not to concerned about the sound levels of the fan since I have two fans pointed at me anyway, along with really good insulated headphones, but how loud can that thing get, out of curiosity?

 

When pushed to its limit the Hyper 212 EVO can go over 44 dB at 15cm. Still quieter than the stock cooler, but loud.

[Guest]

When pushed to its limit the Hyper 212 EVO can go over 44 dB at 15cm. Still quieter than the stock cooler, but loud.

Manageable, I guess. 

Quick question, if I were to go for the 212 EVO would I need to get extra fans for the case? or would it be equipped with enough fans to begin with? Please remember I live in an area where summer is usually in the 40 degree range (Celsius, aka REALLY HOT) and my house isn't the best insulator against heat. 

[Guest]

If Arma is very cpu intensive, then maybe an i7 is a better option ?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($399.00 @ CPL Online) 

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($170.00 @ CPL Online) 

Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($98.00 @ CPL Online) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($94.00 @ PLE Computers) 

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($499.00 @ CPL Online) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($145.00 @ CPL Online) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($115.00 @ CPL Online) 

Total: $1877.00

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-15 02:00 EST+1100

 

 

The Phanteks is one of the best Air coolers and should be quieter than an AIO.

[Guest]

 

If Arma is very cpu intensive, then maybe an i7 is a better option ?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($399.00 @ CPL Online) 

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($170.00 @ CPL Online) 

Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($98.00 @ CPL Online) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($94.00 @ PLE Computers) 

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($499.00 @ CPL Online) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($145.00 @ CPL Online) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($115.00 @ CPL Online) 

Total: $1877.00

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-15 02:00 EST+1100

 

 

The Phanteks is one of the best Air coolers and should be quieter than an AIO.

 

 

I would love to get an i7 but as of now I simply do not have the budget for one, it's like a $100 more......... buuut I guess I could push it the extra mile.

I will stick to the SSD i've already got planned (the samsung) unless you've got some information I don't. I've also opted for a WD 2TB Black drive instead of the green one because peer pressure. Also performance. I think my only leeway options as of now would be with the cooling and the graphics card. $2000 is relatively ok but I would like to push it down a bit because I really can't afford that. Or I could just cut back on subway but that's a little out of the question . 

 

Current Part List (sorry about using PCCG instead of PC Part Picker)

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=375187&action=wish_lists

[Guest]

I would love to get an i7 but as of now I simply do not have the budget for one, it's like a $100 more......... buuut I guess I could push it the extra mile.

I will stick to the SSD i've already got planned (the samsung) unless you've got some information I don't. I've also opted for a WD 2TB Black drive instead of the green one because peer pressure. Also performance. I think my only leeway options as of now would be with the cooling and the graphics card. $2000 is relatively ok but I would like to push it down a bit because I really can't afford that. Or I could just cut back on subway but that's a little out of the question . 

 

Current Part List (sorry about using PCCG instead of PC Part Picker)

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=375187&action=wish_lists

Save yourself $70 and go with the EVGA psu in my spec. It has a 10 year warranty, and hybrid fan mode. It is one of the best psu's on the market.

 

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

[RJSX1]

@OneEyedGenius 

 

Any reason you're going air cooling instead of an AIO. 

 

You don't really need 2 TBs just for gaming. Get an SSD I have it, its great.

 

Get the EVGA PSU.

 

4790k > 4690k for ArmA III, spend the extra money its worth it.

[brob]

Manageable, I guess. 

Quick question, if I were to go for the 212 EVO would I need to get extra fans for the case? or would it be equipped with enough fans to begin with? Please remember I live in an area where summer is usually in the 40 degree range (Celsius, aka REALLY HOT) and my house isn't the best insulator against heat. 

 

You may need additional fans, but they can be added at any time. The high ambient temperature will affect the degree of overclocking and you may have to adjust fan profiles so they don't spin faster than needed - no matter how high the airflow, fans/radiators cannot cool below ambient.

[Guest]

@OneEyedGenius 

 

Any reason you're going air cooling instead of an AIO. 

 

You don't really need 2 TBs just for gaming. Get an SSD I have it, its great.

 

Get the EVGA PSU.

 

4790k > 4690k for ArmA III, spend the extra money its worth it.

Good air coolers such as the high end Phanteks, BeQuiet and Noctua will give most AIO's a run for their money. They will also run quieter in most situations.

[Guest]

@OneEyedGenius 

 

Any reason you're going air cooling instead of an AIO. 

 

You don't really need 2 TBs just for gaming. Get an SSD I have it, its great.

 

Get the EVGA PSU.

 

4790k > 4690k for ArmA III, spend the extra money its worth it.

I'm going air cooling instead of AIO for the moment because affordability. I figured I could always improve the cooling later on if I wanted too.

I may think of getting a bigger SSD and then getting a hard drive later but what can anyone recommend?

Quick note! I forgot I did this because it was a few months ago but I stripped the main drive out of our non-functioning family PC (Hitachi HDS721010CLA332). Would it be ok if I were to put this into the build and forgo the WD Black (for now). It's currently sitting in a drawer in my desk, so IDK if has been damaged or whatnot. It does have an OS installed on it so I need to find a way to wipe the drive before I install it though. 

Yeah I switched out for the EVGA PSU (could only find the SuperNOVA G2 version on PCCG? don't know if that makes a difference)

 

And yeah going the extra mile for the i7 feels like a good idea. Better CPU performance all around I guess? 

[Guest]

I'm going air cooling instead of AIO for the moment because affordability. I figured I could always improve the cooling later on if I wanted too.

I may think of getting a bigger SSD and then getting a hard drive later but what can anyone recommend?

Quick note! I forgot I did this because it was a few months ago but I stripped the main drive out of our non-functioning family PC (Hitachi HDS721010CLA332). Would it be ok if I were to put this into the build and forgo the WD Black (for now). It's currently sitting in a drawer in my desk, so IDK if has been damaged or whatnot. It does have an OS installed on it so I need to find a way to wipe the drive before I install it though. 

Yeah I switched out for the EVGA PSU (could only find the SuperNOVA G2 version on PCCG? don't know if that makes a difference)

 

And yeah going the extra mile for the i7 feels like a good idea. Better CPU performance all around I guess? 

I would suggest the Crucial MX100 or Samsung 840 Evo for the SSD. They are both very good.

 

You can reuse the hard drive as long as it is a SATA one. 

 

The EVGA Supernova G2 750W is the power supply. I see you have it in your list so that is fine.

 

The i7 will certainly help in games that are more cpu intensive. 

[Guest]

I would suggest the Crucial MX100 or Samsung 840 Evo for the SSD. They are both very good.

 

You can reuse the hard drive as long as it is a SATA one. 

 

The EVGA Supernova G2 750W is the power supply. I see you have it in your list so that is fine.

 

The i7 will certainly help in games that are more cpu intensive. 

The drive states on the label that it's a SATA 3.0 Gb/s, I've also kept the original SATA connectors so i'll see how that works out. 

I've got a few more concerns and indecisions on what to buy and when to buy them, but I just hauled in my first 500 for the rig, so pretty keen to start buying the parts. My laptop is starting to turn off randomly during usage so it's getting to the point where I really want to switch out to a dedicated machine and get myself a small work tablet/pc hyrbid thingie, but whatever. 

 

All my problems now consist of getting the money for the parts and putting the thing all together. wooo.

[brob]

The drive states on the label that it's a SATA 3.0 Gb/s, I've also kept the original SATA connectors so i'll see how that works out. 

I've got a few more concerns and indecisions on what to buy and when to buy them, but I just hauled in my first 500 for the rig, so pretty keen to start buying the parts. My laptop is starting to turn off randomly during usage so it's getting to the point where I really want to switch out to a dedicated machine and get myself a small work tablet/pc hyrbid thingie, but whatever. 

 

All my problems now consist of getting the money for the parts and putting the thing all together. wooo.

 

Have you cleaned the laptop fan and exhaust? Dust buildup especially in laptops, is often the cause of overheating which in turn contributes to flaky system behavior.

[Rebelattack]

The drive states on the label that it's a SATA 3.0 Gb/s, I've also kept the original SATA connectors so i'll see how that works out.

I've got a few more concerns and indecisions on what to buy and when to buy them, but I just hauled in my first 500 for the rig, so pretty keen to start buying the parts. My laptop is starting to turn off randomly during usage so it's getting to the point where I really want to switch out to a dedicated machine and get myself a small work tablet/pc hyrbid thingie, but whatever.

All my problems now consist of getting the money for the parts and putting the thing all together. wooo.

Sata 3.0 is Sata II. Also in then win7 install screen you can wipe all the data on the drive so you have to do this while installing win8.1 which I assume has the same option. You probably also have to change the boot option in the mobo when installing OS otherwise it might try to start windows via the HDD which will BSOD.

[Guest]

Have you cleaned the laptop fan and exhaust? Dust buildup especially in laptops, is often the cause of overheating which in turn contributes to flaky system behavior.

Not as of yet, I'll open it up later when I have the time and resources. 

Quick question, I did some more research and realized that I would need some thermal paste for when I install the aftermarket cooler, any recommendations?

[Guest]

Sata 3.0 is Sata II. Also in then win7 install screen you can wipe all the data on the drive so you have to do this while installing win8.1 which I assume has the same option. You probably also have to change the boot option in the mobo when installing OS otherwise it might try to start windows via the HDD which will BSOD.

I'll boot without the HDD uninstalled, just the SSD. From there I'll install win 8.1 and then install the HDD, just to format the entire thing. Should be pretty easy unless it decides to format my entire system.

[brob]

Not as of yet, I'll open it up later when I have the time and resources. 

Quick question, I did some more research and realized that I would need some thermal paste for when I install the aftermarket cooler, any recommendations?

 

I like Arctic Cooling MX-2 - non-curing, not electrically conductive.