Gaming/Workstation build for $1200 HALP!

[LO3D]

Hey guys, first time builder and PC owner for that matter. Im switching from Mac to PC due to finances and gaming.

 

Im looking to build a gaming/workstation rig for around $1200. Not including monitors.

 

I do a lot of video and photo editing and will be doing more vfx in the future. I also making the switch from console to PC gaming and would like to run high settings.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/imaluisochoa/saved/3yQLrH

 

This is my build so far but i need help getting the price down. 

The things I definitely want to keep is the i7-4790k and the GTX 970.

I'm trying see what black Friday deals might be available and doing my best to buy on amazon using prime, but that's not necessary.

Im am also trying to stick with Corsair as they seem to be a very trust worthy company and I like their look.

 

I'm also considering partitioning my drives to have a Windows and OSS.

 

Any help and suggestions are appreciated. Thank you guys!

 

 

[thatguyjerry]

I'm not exactly sure on this, but you might want to go with R9 290 and look to upgrade to crossfire. There was a post made in the tech news forums talking about the Hawaii processor leading right now, the 970 may run games better but the 290 might be in theory better for vfx and still run games fine.

[brob]

An Asus motherboard with dual band a/b/g/n/ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. Excellent, but less expensive psu, gpu, and case. Good and less expensive memory and ssd.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($207.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($138.85 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.96 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($329.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design FD-CA-CORE-3500-BL-W ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Silver Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($77.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($107.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Total: $1575.70
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 01:48 EST-0500

[LO3D]

I'm not exactly sure on this, but you might want to go with R9 290 and look to upgrade to crossfire. There was a post made in the tech news forums talking about the Hawaii processor leading right now, the 970 may run games better but the 290 might be in theory better for vfx and still run games fine.

Through my findings NVIDIA is better for the workstation side of things, it's definitely where I do not mind spending my money on.

[LO3D]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/y8fJTW

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/y8fJTW/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Micro Center) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($79.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($129.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($90.98 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($76.72 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card  ($349.99 @ Amazon) 

Case: NZXT Phantom 240 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Micro Center) 

Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($43.99 @ Newegg) 

Wireless Network Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-805UB 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($25.92 @ Amazon) 

Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire TK Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $1417.53

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 02:41 EST-0500

 

 

 

Tried taking off as much as possible but it only came down about $200

[natelliot123]

whats ur budget? $1200 or 1600$

[natelliot123]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Green 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($368.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-805UB 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($25.92 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($107.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Total: $1531.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 08:31 EST-0500

[LO3D]

whats ur budget? $1200 or 1600$

 

 

My budget is a flexible $1200.

The builds I keep making come out to an average of $1400 - $1600 so I need to see where I can lower price without losing too much quality.

Primary places im looking at to lower the price would be, the case, maybe the memory and storage. Don't know what else, maybe power supply.

 

 

thanks

[LO3D]

So far this is the best ive been able to get while keeping stuff on there with good reviews.
Anyone has had any bad experiences with any of these parts?
Or any suggestions on similarly priced options that might be better?


[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L9r9yc) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L9r9yc/by_merchant/)

 

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k) | $299.98 @ NCIX US 

**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-h60cw9060007ww) | $63.99 @ Newegg 

**Motherboard** | [Asus Z87-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z87pro) | $106.79 @ NCIX US 

**Memory** | [G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d16gsr) | $121.99 @ Newegg 

**Storage** | [Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct240m500ssd1) | $99.99 @ NCIX US 

**Storage** | [Toshiba  2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/toshiba-internal-hard-drive-ph3200u1i72) | $74.99 @ Micro Center 

**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42974kr) | $351.98 @ Newegg 

**Case** | [bitFenix Ronin ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfcron300kkwskrp) | $69.99 @ NCIX US 

**Power Supply** | [Thermaltake 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/thermaltake-power-supply-pstpd0750mpcgus1) | $59.99 @ Newegg 

**Optical Drive** | [LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-uh12ns30) | $34.99 @ Newegg 

**Wireless Network Adapter** | [Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di) | $32.99 @ Amazon 

 | | **Total**

 | Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1302.67

 | Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 17:08 EST-0500 |

[natelliot123]

 

So far this is the best ive been able to get while keeping stuff on there with good reviews.

Anyone has had any bad experiences with any of these parts?

Or any suggestions on similarly priced options that might be better?

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L9r9yc) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L9r9yc/by_merchant/)

 

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k) | $299.98 @ NCIX US 

**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-h60cw9060007ww) | $63.99 @ Newegg 

**Motherboard** | [Asus Z87-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z87pro) | $106.79 @ NCIX US 

**Memory** | [G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d16gsr) | $121.99 @ Newegg 

**Storage** | [Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct240m500ssd1) | $99.99 @ NCIX US 

**Storage** | [Toshiba  2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/toshiba-internal-hard-drive-ph3200u1i72) | $74.99 @ Micro Center 

**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42974kr) | $351.98 @ Newegg 

**Case** | [bitFenix Ronin ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfcron300kkwskrp) | $69.99 @ NCIX US 

**Power Supply** | [Thermaltake 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/thermaltake-power-supply-pstpd0750mpcgus1) | $59.99 @ Newegg 

**Optical Drive** | [LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-uh12ns30) | $34.99 @ Newegg 

**Wireless Network Adapter** | [Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di) | $32.99 @ Amazon 

 | | **Total**

 | Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1302.67

 | Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 17:08 EST-0500 |

 

check this  mobo Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Newegg) its black edition

Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg)  hx series got good reviews, also  can run 2 970s

also see nzxt s340 case 

[brob]

My budget is a flexible $1200.

The builds I keep making come out to an average of $1400 - $1600 so I need to see where I can lower price without losing too much quality.

Primary places im looking at to lower the price would be, the case, maybe the memory and storage. Don't know what else, maybe power supply.

 

 

thanks

 

You have to give up overclocking and the i7-4790K to achieve a price around US$1,200. A Xeon can offer 4 Hyperthreaded cores which will provide very similar performance in gaming and general use.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.94 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: Asus H97-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($89.34 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($138.75 @ Amazon)

Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($87.27 @ TigerDirect)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($319.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Case: Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Full Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Amazon)

Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($42.26 @ OutletPC)

Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($107.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)

Total: $1206.51

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-27 00:34 EST-0500