Accepting constructive criticism for my first build

[nims0c]

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/vQTJP6

 

UPDATE 1:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($34.99 @ Memory Express) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($157.99 @ Memory Express) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.89 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card  ($629.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ NCIX) 

Total: $1793.68

 

UPDATE 2:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($444.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($59.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: Asus X99-PRO ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($379.99 @ Memory Express) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($274.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($138.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($423.95 @ DirectCanada) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ NCIX) 

Total: $2042.82

 

My budget is about 2000 CAD (excluding monitor and peripherals).

 

This computer will be for gaming (CS:GO plus the latest and greatest AAA titles; not necessarily max settings). No 3D work, but I went with an i7 because I want it to be future-proof and I don't want any lag when I have a bunch of streams and other tabs open. I don't plan to overclock at first so I hope the stock cooler is sufficient. Also, I will more than likely start off with one GTX 970 and see how it performs. Is adding a second just a matter of popping it in the PCI slot and adding the SLI bridge?

 

Will I need more than the 2 included case fans for this build?

 

I will be running 1 monitor for the foreseeable future. I'm leaning towards the BenQ XL2420Z (1080p).

 

I've omitted peripherals because I think they're personal choices.

 

Thanks for your help!

[deVIZtation]

You still don't need an i7 if you aren't doing 3d work or editing. 

[Arphenyte]

Change the 840 for an MX100 and save $40.

[AlwaysFSX]

Ew, the parts don't match.

[91wow]

CSGO won't use more than 1 GPU, most games also won't really leverage more than 4 cores. If you want a lot of twitch streams going at once use VLC, it has next to no performance hit in games. I have a VERY old core 2 quad and watch 720 60FPS streams all the time while playing CSGO. You'd be a bit better off going with a I5 now and then a better i5/i7 when intel launches their next mainstream platform. unless you're streaming or doing content creation I recommend a I5 over a I7. 

[Zuzu]

Hey! How strange. I'm almost in the same spot as you. Non-overclock $2K CAD budget with an i7 because of tabs, video editing and multitasking... And I want to play CS GO on it too.. Lol.

This is what I have so far for my build, still tweaking though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($368.32 @ TigerDirect Canada)

CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.98 @ DirectCanada)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-AR ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.66 @ TigerDirect Canada)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($169.99 @ Canada Computers)

Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($228.98 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($398.50 @ Vuugo)

Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Memory Express)

Power Supply: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.98 @ NCIX)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)

Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.62 @ DirectCanada)

Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.62 @ DirectCanada)

Total: $1831.62

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-12 22:48 EST-0500

[91wow]

Ew, the parts don't match.

I have a green motherboard, black and red GPU cooler, noctua fans, white RAM, and a hyper 212+ all inside a modded HP case

[91wow]

Hey! How strange. I'm almost in the same spot as you. Non-overclock $2K CAD budget with an i7 because of tabs and multitasking... And I want to play CS GO on it too.. Lol.

This is what I have so far for my build, still tweaking though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($368.32 @ TigerDirect Canada)

CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.98 @ DirectCanada)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-AR ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.66 @ TigerDirect Canada)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($169.99 @ Canada Computers)

Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($228.98 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($398.50 @ Vuugo)

Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Memory Express)

Power Supply: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.98 @ NCIX)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)

Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.62 @ DirectCanada)

Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.62 @ DirectCanada)

Total: $1831.62

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-12 22:48 EST-0500

This seems a bit more reasonable but you won't see much of any performance increase in games with a I7 over a I5, hell some games might perform worse, because I think the I5 has better single core performance over a I7 (I THINK)

[Zuzu]

This seems a bit more reasonable but you won't see much of any performance increase in games with a I7 over a I5, hell some games might perform worse, because I think the I5 has better single core performance over a I7 (I THINK)

Yeah but I'm mainly getting the i7 for my photoshop and Sony Vegas hobbies lol. It's not *that* much more expensive relative to the other components.

[91wow]

Yeah but I'm mainly getting the i7 for my photoshop and Sony Vegas hobbies lol. It's not *that* much more expensive relative to the other components.

well if you're doing that kind of stuff then a lot will be offloaded onto your GPU for rendering and such. I think vegas 11 has cuda acceleration. 

[NumLock21]

The build is not complete, it's missing a CPU cooler, unless you're planning to use the stock cooler.  You're building your system for $2K, but to me I just don't see this build worth $2K.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($436.98 @ Newegg Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($239.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($265.48 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($398.50 @ Vuugo)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($17.75 @ Vuugo)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1923.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-12 23:44 EST-0500

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($368.32 @ TigerDirect Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($164.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($179.95 @ Vuugo)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($398.50 @ Vuugo)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($17.75 @ Vuugo)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($99.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1694.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-12 23:51 EST-0500

[nims0c]

You still don't need an i7 if you aren't doing 3d work or editing. 

 

Ok. I wasn't sure how demanding multiple Twitch streams and a bunch of other tabs would be. I'm coming from a mid-2010 MBP, mind you, and it really shows its age when I try this.

 

Change the 840 for an MX100 and save $40.

 

It's showing up as being only $7 cheaper than the 840. Maybe I can get away with the MX100 128 GB SSD.

 

Ew, the parts don't match.

 

If you are referring to the colours: I don't much care what they look like and don't care to see them, hence why I went with a windowless case.

 

CSGO won't use more than 1 GPU, most games also won't really leverage more than 4 cores. If you want a lot of twitch streams going at once use VLC, it has next to no performance hit in games. I have a VERY old core 2 quad and watch 720 60FPS streams all the time while playing CSGO. You'd be a bit better off going with a I5 now and then a better i5/i7 when intel launches their next mainstream platform. unless you're streaming or doing content creation I recommend a I5 over a I7. 

 

Ok, I'll go with an i5. What about SLI for newer, very demanding games? Or should I swap the dual 970s for a single 980?

 

Hey! How strange. I'm almost in the same spot as you. Non-overclock $2K CAD budget with an i7 because of tabs, video editing and multitasking... And I want to play CS GO on it too.. Lol.

This is what I have so far for my build, still tweaking though.

Build

 

Awesome. Ez skins ez life.

 

The build is not complete, it's missing a CPU cooler, unless you're planning to use the stock cooler.  You're building your system for $2K, but to me I just don't see this build worth $2K.

Build 1

 

Build 2

 

I don't plan to overclock unless I don't get the initial performance I expect or I feel the computer isn't performing well after some time, whichever comes first. That's why I'm going with the stock cooler. I'll get the Hyper 212 EVO otherwise.

 

Your first build:

-Haswell-E, X99, and DDR4 don't seem economical right now

-I heard really good things about the 840 EVO; how does that A-Data compare?

-What's better about the EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W?

 

Your second build:

-That mobo doesn't seem to have Wi-Fi, so I'd need a wireless adapter (I want wireless capabilities)

[nims0c]

How's this?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($152.03 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($648.50 @ Vuugo) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($116.00 @ Vuugo) 

Total: $1757.36

[91wow]

 

How's this?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($152.03 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($648.50 @ Vuugo) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($116.00 @ Vuugo) 

Total: $1757.36

 

great build, add in a hyper 212 evo if you can and be set. The stock intel ones are really loud.

[nims0c]

great build, add in a hyper 212 evo if you can and be set. The stock intel ones are really loud.

 

Oh, in that case I definitely will. Do you recommend more than the 2 included case fans?

[NumLock21]

Your first build:

-Haswell-E, X99, and DDR4 don't seem economical right now

-I heard really good things about the 840 EVO; how does that A-Data compare?

-What's better about the EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W?

 

Your second build:

-That mobo doesn't seem to have Wi-Fi, so I'd need a wireless adapter (I want wireless capabilities)

If you're going to spend $2K on a build, no matter what you're going to do with it, just get a X99 because it gives you more computing cores, since you want it to be future proof. Now if you stilll want to get a Z97, then it's your choice, but IMO, I just don't see how can a Z97 build be just as expensive as a X99, when it's locked at 4 cores with dual channel DDR3, while X99 goes beyond the 4 core limit and has support for quad channel DDR4. The only difference I see, is with Z97, it can add another GPU in SLI, but at 1080P, the 2nd GPU is a waste, since a single GTX 970 or GTX 980 and pretty much handle most of the current game titles at pretty high settings. Is X99 and DDR4 economical depends on how you see it. Some will see it as if they need a computer now, then spend a bit more by getting X99 with DDR4, so they have the latest technology and don't have to spend anymore in the future. Others will just think about what they want currently, so that's Z97 with DDR3. If they're planning to ugprade in the future, say to Skylake with DDR4, then they will have to basically agaiin spend a huge chunk of their saving on a brand new CPU, motherboard, ram, thus spending twice as much as they should have.

SSD brand is based on personal choice, like the Samsung 840 Evo, then go for it. A Data and other SSD are just as good, so it doesn't matter. Current Samsung is 850 Evo. Evga a good tier PSU, fully modular and comes with a 10 year warranty.

Also you've never mentioned the need for wifi, if you had, then the builds configured will have a wifi module, and Haswell-E don't come with stock coolers.

Between the Z97 and X99, depending on how it's configured, price difference is $200.

 

great build, add in a hyper 212 evo if you can and be set. The stock intel ones are really loud.

Stock coolers aren't that loud, it makes a audible hum. Now if to some think it's loud, fan has PWM, adjust the fan profile in the bios to lower the rpm to reduce the fan noise.

[nims0c]

If you're going to spend $2K on a build, no matter what you're going to do with it, just get a X99 because it gives you more computing cores, since you want it to be future proof. Now if you stilll want to get a Z97, then it's your choice, but IMO, I just don't see how can a Z97 build be just as expensive as a X99, when it's locked at 4 cores with dual channel DDR3, while X99 goes beyond the 4 core limit and has support for quad channel DDR4. The only difference I see, is with Z97, it can add another GPU in SLI, but at 1080P, the 2nd GPU is a waste, since a single GTX 970 or GTX 980 and pretty much handle most of the current game titles at pretty high settings. Is X99 and DDR4 economical depends on how you see it. Some will see it as if they need a computer now, then spend a bit more by getting X99 with DDR4, so they have the latest technology and don't have to spend anymore in the future. Others will just think about what they want currently, so that's Z97 with DDR3. If they're planning to ugprade in the future, say to Skylake with DDR4, then they will have to basically agaiin spend a huge chunk of their saving on a brand new CPU, motherboard, ram, thus spending twice as much as they should have.

SSD brand is based on personal choice, like the Samsung 840 Evo, then go for it. A Data and other SSD are just as good, so it doesn't matter. Current Samsung is 850 Evo. Evga a good tier PSU, fully modular and comes with a 10 year warranty.

Also you've never mentioned the need for wifi, if you had, then the builds configured will have a wifi module, and Haswell-E don't come with stock coolers.

Between the Z97 and X99, depending on how it's configured, price difference is $200.

 

Stock coolers aren't that loud, it makes a audible hum. Now if to some think it's loud, fan has PWM, adjust the fan profile in the bios to lower the rpm to reduce the fan noise.

 

To be fair, it was $2k at first because of the dual 970s. I trimmed it down to $1.8k (see my above post+Hyper 212 EVO). You do have a point about X99, but I will have to carefully consider the additional cost. With the i7-5820K, MSI X99S (plus wireless adapter; sorry that I forgot to mention that in the OP), and Mushkin Blackline 16GB that you suggested, it's about 350 CAD more than i5-4690K, ASUS Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac), and G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB.

[Guest]

To be fair, it was $2k at first because of the dual 970s. I trimmed it down to $1.8k (see my above post+Hyper 212 EVO). You do have a point about X99, but I will have to carefully consider the additional cost. With the i7-5820K, MSI X99S (plus wireless adapter; sorry that I forgot to mention that in the OP), and Mushkin Blackline 16GB that you suggested, it's about 350 CAD more than i5-4690K, ASUS Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac), and G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB.

For your usage, X99 is not worth the extra outlay. 

[GuruMeditationError]

Oh, in that case I definitely will. Do you recommend more than the 2 included case fans?

 

If you're going for two open heat sink graphics cards in SLI. you're probably going to need some serious cooling. They might run too hot for that case. At the very least you should probably swap out the existing fans for performance PWM fans and have them controlled by the motherboard depending on the temperature in the case.

 

Also, utilise all of the available fan bays.

 

I'd recommend starting a separate thread in the cooling section to address the issue. You might find that your build won't actually work with that case because of the heat generated.

 

Edit: These days components run cooler but I SLI'd two GTX 480s in a full tower case and needed all of the performance cooling I could get. You should probably get advice in the cooling section from people who've SLI'd the newer hardware.

[Guest]

If you're going for two open heat sink graphics cards in SLI. you're probably going to need some serious cooling. They might run too hot for that case. At the very least you should probably swap out the existing fans for performance PWM fans and have them controlled by the motherboard depending on the temperature in the case.

 

Also, utilise all of the available fan bays.

 

I'd recommend starting a separate thread in the cooling section to address the issue. You might find that you're build won't actually work with that case because of the heat generated.

 

Edit: These days components run cooler but I SLI'd two GTX 480s in a full tower case and needed all of the performance cooling I could get. You should probably get advice in the cooling section from people who've SLI'd the newer hardware.

It will work just fine. The Maxwell cards don't run that hot to start with. Also people are running SLI in cases like the H440 without issue.

 

The Asus board also has decent slot spacing.

[nims0c]

If you're going for two open heat sink graphics cards in SLI. you're probably going to need some serious cooling. They might run too hot for that case. At the very least you should probably swap out the existing fans for performance PWM fans and have them controlled by the motherboard depending on the temperature in the case.

 

Also, utilise all of the available fan bays.

 

I'd recommend starting a separate thread in the cooling section to address the issue. You might find that your build won't actually work with that case because of the heat generated.

 

Edit: These days components run cooler but I SLI'd two GTX 480s in a full tower case and needed all of the performance cooling I could get. You should probably get advice in the cooling section from people who've SLI'd the newer hardware.

 

 

It will work just fine. The Maxwell cards don't run that hot to start with. Also people are running SLI in cases like the H440 without issue.

 

The Asus board also has decent slot spacing.

 

I changed my build based on feedback. 4690K with a single GTX 980 STRIX instead. The list is below (it's missing a Hyper 212 EVO for $35 that I'm gonna get as well). Does this change your suggestions?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($152.03 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($648.50 @ Vuugo) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) 

Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($116.00 @ Vuugo) 

Total: $1757.36

[Guest]

I changed my build based on feedback. 4690K with a single GTX 980 STRIX instead. The list is below (it's missing a Hyper 212 EVO for $35 that I'm gonna get as well). Does this change your suggestions?

You might have issues with that tall G.Skill ram fitting under the cooler depending on how far the Evo overhangs the ram slots. If it only covers the first slot then you should be ok as you can use the 2nd and 4th slots. 

 

 

If you don't mind doing a rebate then go for this psu instead. 

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr

 

 

If you are not going to add a 2nd graphics card then this 550W is plenty.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550bbefx

[NumLock21]

To be fair, it was $2k at first because of the dual 970s. I trimmed it down to $1.8k (see my above post+Hyper 212 EVO). You do have a point about X99, but I will have to carefully consider the additional cost. With the i7-5820K, MSI X99S (plus wireless adapter; sorry that I forgot to mention that in the OP), and Mushkin Blackline 16GB that you suggested, it's about 350 CAD more than i5-4690K, ASUS Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac), and G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB.

Yeah I know the X99 is overkill for your needs and so is the Z97 based Core i7. The X99 build is just to show that if anyone is going to spend $2K on a build, just get a X99 because I don't see the point of configuring a Z97 by picking on expensive parts just to max out the budget. Price difference of course will vary depending on the parts configured compare to a X99 build. Core i5 vs Core i7, then yeah it will be $350 CAD difference since Core i5 is $100 cheaper than Core i7. Haswell Core i7 vs Haswell-E Core i7, then price difference gap won't be as wide as that Core i5 vs Core i7. Now if you're taking a Pentium G3258 vs a Core i7 5820K, then there will be a huge price difference between the 2.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($159.99 @ Memory Express)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.89 @ DirectCanada)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card  ($638.95 @ Vuugo)

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ NCIX)

Total: $1759.66

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 15:56 EST-0500

[Guest]

^^ The NEX isn't that good. The G2 is only $10 more after rebate.

[nims0c]

You might have issues with that tall G.Skill ram fitting under the cooler depending on how far the Evo overhangs the ram slots. If it only covers the first slot then you should be ok as you can use the 2nd and 4th slots. 

 

 

If you don't mind doing a rebate then go for this psu instead. 

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr

 

 

If you are not going to add a 2nd graphics card then this 550W is plenty.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550bbefx

 

Noted. I may order appropriate RAM once I determine the clearance.

 

I do like the fully-modular PSUs. I'm thinking of sticking with a 750W for expansion, unless that's a stupid idea.

 

Yeah I know the X99 is overkill for your needs and so is the Z97 based Core i7. The X99 build is just to show that if anyone is going to spend $2K on a build, just get a X99 because I don't see the point of configuring a Z97 by picking on expensive parts just to max out the budget. Price difference of course will vary depending on the parts configured compare to a X99 build. Core i5 vs Core i7, then yeah it will be $350 CAD difference since Core i5 is $100 cheaper than Core i7. Haswell Core i7 vs Haswell-E Core i7, then price difference gap won't be as wide as that Core i5 vs Core i7. Now if you're taking a Pentium G3258 vs a Core i7 5820K, then there will be a huge price difference between the 2.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($256.89 @ DirectCanada)

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($233.98 @ Newegg Canada)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($159.99 @ Memory Express)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($139.89 @ DirectCanada)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.98 @ DirectCanada)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card  ($638.95 @ Vuugo)

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($109.99 @ NCIX)

Total: $1759.66

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 15:56 EST-0500

 

Fair enough.

 

I'm leaning towards the MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G now since it's $630. As for RAM, is there any tangible difference between CL9 1600 MHz and CL10 1866 MHz?