$2000 Streaming/Rendering/Recording PC

[Username38]

Budget:

I have a budget of $2000 Canadian, and am looking to get the most bang for my buck possible!

 

Aim:

The aim of this build, as the topic title would suggest, is to stream, record, and render the footage of me playing the latest games on high or ultra settings at 1080p.

 

Monitors:

I'm planning on running a single 1080p monitor that I currently own for now, and then upgrading to a second 1080p monitor in the future for easier productivity.

 

Peripherals:

In this build I will need all peripherals excluding a monitor, this equates to a mouse, preferably a fairly conservative one but not super bland, a solid pair of headphones, it doesn't matter if they're "Gaming" headphones as I'll be using an alternate mic anyway, and lastly, I'd prefer to have a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Blues or Browns, but I can always pick one up later if it detracts to much of the budget from the build itself.

 

Why are you upgrading:

I am upgrading because my entire life on the internet, and my entire PC gaming experience has come from a 2002 era dell laptop that can barely play minecraft on the lowest settings. It's a tough life in this world.

 

So I challenge you to come up with the best build you can within my budget, and I wish you luck in doing so!
 

 

 

 

[dmanschramm]

Budget:

I have a budget of $2000 Canadian, and am looking to get the most bang for my buck possible!

 

Aim:

The aim of this build, as the topic title would suggest, is to stream, record, and render the footage of me playing the latest games on high or ultra settings at 1080p.

 

Monitors:

I'm planning on running a single 1080p monitor that I currently own for now, and then upgrading to a second 1080p monitor in the future for easier productivity.

 

Peripherals:

In this build I will need all peripherals excluding a monitor, this equates to a mouse, preferably a fairly conservative one but not super bland, a solid pair of headphones, it doesn't matter if they're "Gaming" headphones as I'll be using an alternate mic anyway, and lastly, I'd prefer to have a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Blues or Browns, but I can always pick one up later if it detracts to much of the budget from the build itself.

 

Why are you upgrading:

I am upgrading because my entire life on the internet, and my entire PC gaming experience has come from a 2002 era dell laptop that can barely play minecraft on the lowest settings. It's a tough life in this world.

 

So I challenge you to come up with the best build you can within my budget, and I wish you luck in doing so!

 

 

I'll get to it!

Is the budget including peripherals such as mouse, and keyboard?

Any preferences to anything? Let me know.

 

I'll get back to you soon!

[Flight1sim]

Argh sorry having problems with wifi

This is my pc with kinda updated parts, you may want to change the PSU, get rid of DVD drive, and change the case to your liking

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XpBVyc

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

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($193.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($115.00 @ B&H) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($71.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($544.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case  ($110.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ B&H) 

Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($52.99 @ Amazon) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)  ($134.89 @ OutletPC) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition (2-Pack) 63.5 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($29.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1919.77

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 18:52 EDT-0400

[arnavvr]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($372.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 87.0 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler  ($44.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($173.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($329.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($329.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($56.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ NCIX US) 

Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.00 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($59.00 @ Amazon) 

Headphones: Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $2064.83

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 18:59 EDT-0400

 

It's a little bit over your budget, but well worth it.

[dmanschramm]

Hi @Username38 

 

I have looked at the other builds in this set and have all been in USD. 

 

@Flight1sim - his build totals to about $2500 CAD

@arnavvr - his build totals to about $2600 CAD

 

If you go to this Canadian PC Part Picker List link, It includes:

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($415.00 @ Canada Computers) 

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($69.99 @ NCIX) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($249.99 @ NCIX) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($75.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($135.95 @ Vuugo) 

Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($154.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($444.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($125.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.95 @ NCIX) 

Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($149.00 @ NCIX) 

Other: Audio Technica ATH-M50X ($200.00)

Other: Logitech MX Master ($120.00)

 

Totaling $2231.80

 

So I kind of went a bit overkill on accessories. If you want a more basic mouse, buy one at your local Best Buy or NCIX, and find what works for you. The K70 is a great keyboard with Cherry MX Brown or Blue switches. If you're willing to go into the realm of 'knock-off Cherry MX', I do recommend Razer's switches which are very similar to their Cherry counterparts that are supposedly 'gaming optimized'. The headphones you really have to try out on your own, to get a feel for which feels best on your ears, and which provides your favourite sound quality. I can't really recommend purchasing peripherals online.

 

But otherwise I do highly recommend this PC build. If you really have to cut from the around $1750 that just the PC costs, then I recommend moving to a Z97-A board, moving to a 1TB WD Blue drive instead of a 2TB Black, and get a Hyper 212 Evo instead of the Noctua. Other than that, I hope that this build really suits you!

 

Hope this helps and happy building!

[Flight1sim]

 

Hi @Username38 

 

I have looked at the other builds in this set and have all been in USD. 

 

@Flight1sim - his build totals to about $2500 CAD

 

Agh you caught me! Sorry @OP!

Also this build is definitely the best, (except the headphones) and mabe the PSU and you may want another style of case

[ryanmmax]

I'd spend the extra and bump up phones to hd558 or hd598... And maybe the xonar dg for a sound card

[Username38]

I'll get to it!

Is the budget including peripherals such as mouse, and keyboard?

Any preferences to anything? Let me know.

 

I'll get back to you soon!

Yeah, the budget includes the peripherals. I prefer nVidea over AMD, as i've heard some things, but whatever works better I guess.

[Username38]

I'll get to it!

Is the budget including peripherals such as mouse, and keyboard?

Any preferences to anything? Let me know.

 

I'll get back to you soon!

Yeah, the budget includes the peripherals. I prefer nVidea over AMD, as i've heard some things, but whatever works better I guess.

 

 

Argh sorry having problems with wifi

This is my pc with kinda updated parts, you may want to change the PSU, get rid of DVD drive, and change the case to your liking

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XpBVyc

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

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($193.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($115.00 @ B&H) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($71.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($544.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case  ($110.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ B&H) 

Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($52.99 @ Amazon) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)  ($134.89 @ OutletPC) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition (2-Pack) 63.5 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($29.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1919.77

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 18:52 EDT-0400

 

I'd use this build if I was in the states, unfortunately, that build is almost $300 more expensive here in CANADA.

[Username38]

I'll get to it!

Is the budget including peripherals such as mouse, and keyboard?

Any preferences to anything? Let me know.

 

I'll get back to you soon!

Yeah, the budget includes the peripherals. I prefer nVidea over AMD, as i've heard some things, but whatever works better I guess.

 

 

Argh sorry having problems with wifi

This is my pc with kinda updated parts, you may want to change the PSU, get rid of DVD drive, and change the case to your liking

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XpBVyc

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

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($193.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($115.00 @ B&H) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($71.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($544.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case  ($110.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ B&H) 

Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($52.99 @ Amazon) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)  ($134.89 @ OutletPC) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition (2-Pack) 63.5 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($29.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1919.77

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 18:52 EDT-0400

 

I'd use this build if I was in the states, unfortunately, that build is almost $300 more expensive here in Canada

[dmanschramm]

Agh you caught me! Sorry @OP!

Also this build is definitely the best, (except the headphones) and mabe the PSU and you may want another style of case

 

@Username38 the case is all personal preference. If I had my choice, I would go for the H440 or the Fractal Design Define R4 or R5. Others are really into Corsair's designs (me not so much), and many love the Phanteks Enthoos Primo. Do a little research, but NZXT, Fractal Design, Corsair, Phanteks, Cooler Master, Antec, Thermaltake, Rosewell (among many others, but ordered in my order of preference) do great jobs with cases. Just pick the one you think looks best. The first 5 know are great, just aesthetics for me is an issue with some.

[Username38]

Is this a good build for gaming and recording at 1080p ultra, then editing the footage of my gameplay? I feel like this is almost the best I can get for the pricepoint of $2000, but i'm happy to take in your suggestions, so long as they include all peripherals, including a mouse, a mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX Blues or Browns) and a decent pair of headphones, but you need to make sure that it fits into my $2000 Canadian budget, but, without further adieu, my designed build, with a little explanation of why I chose some parts, which I encourage you to include (*Note: I don't really have any brand preferences, I just picked what I heard was good*):

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2NjFMp

Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2NjFMp/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($415.00 @ Canada Computers) --Solid hyperthreaded CPU which is perfect for productivity, and as games advance the hyperthreading will only become more invaluable.

 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($119.99 @ DirectCanada) --Solid water cooler, gives me a large amount of overclocking headroom, assuming I can get it stable.

 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($158.98 @ Newegg Canada) --Just a solid motherboard from one of the best brands on the market today.

 

Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($139.99 @ NCIX) --Just your standard 16GB kit of ram, will allow for higher productivity speeds, and very slightly increased performance in games.

 

Storage: Sandisk Solid State Drive 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($60.82 @ DirectCanada) --Boot drive and speed essential program storage

 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.95 @ Vuugo) --Steam/General game library

 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($92.98 @ DirectCanada) --General mass media storage

 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($395.00 @ shopRBC) --Solid video card with excellent, if not the best performance at 1080p for the pricepoint.

 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($129.99 @ NCIX) --Good, large case suited for a first time builder, with excellent aesthetics and made by a reputable brand.

 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ NCIX) --Good, fully-modular power supply, EVGA is a solid brand for most products, and I assume power supplies follow under that rule.

 

Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($139.00 @ NCIX) --Excellent keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches, I would've gone for the RGB version but it no longer comes in Blues.

 

Mouse: Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse  ($79.98 @ DirectCanada) --Good mouse that feels good in my hand, and that's really all that's important.

 

Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset  ($78.98 @ DirectCanada) --Amazing headphones for the price, the mic it comes with is removable so I can always add a better mic later.

 

Total: $1975.65

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 22:07 EDT-0400

[CharlieR1]

Great build, just one question:

Why do you need 3 drives? I have one for mass storage and steam games.

 

Disclaimer: Cases are very personal. But I would recommend that you look at the NZXT H440 or S340, or the Fractal Design Define R5.

[Username38]

Great build, just one question:

Why do you need 3 drives? I have one for mass storage and steam games.

 

Disclaimer: Cases are very personal. But I would recommend that you look at the NZXT H440 or S340, or the Fractal Design Define R5.

I would prefer 3 drives as drive failure is a real thing in this world, and with my crappy internet connection I'd rather not have to download everything again should I lose my main drive.

[Username38]

I've designed two separate builds for 1080p ultra gaming, and recording/rendering video, including all peripherals except a monitor in my $2000 Canadian pricepoint, and i'd like your opinions on my designs, and even the pros and cons of each build separately.

 

So, without further adieu:

 

Build A (GTX 980 with shit peripherals):

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

 

Build B (GTX 970 with great peripherals and extras):

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

 

 

[Majestic]

Don't get the 970 Strix.

[Syte]

If you don't plan on rendering a youtube video or more a day consider dropping to the 4690k (the Hyper212 is practically pissing in the wind when it comes to the 4790k's temperature).

 

You can easily match the 4790k's clock with the 4690k (no hyperthreading means less temperature) which means in gaming you'll get literally the same performance and save $100 to get all the peripherals while still getting the GTX 980's performance.

 

Win win.

 

 

Don't get the 970 Strix.

 

 

Looking at this man's signature, he can probably tell you about how bad Haswell TIM is under that heat spreader. Devil's canyon was suppose to fix that.

 

Spoiler alert: It didn't.

[Majestic]

Looking at this man's signature, he can probably tell you about how bad Haswell TIM is under that heat spreader. Devil's canyon was suppose to fix that.

 

Spoiler alert: It didn't.

 

The thing is, temperatures rarely limit the overclock. You don't really want to go over 1.3V vor 24/7 if you want to keep the chip for an extended period. And 1.3V is perfectly doable under the stock TIM of DC. So...yeah. It sucks, but it doesn't limit the product.

[SWAGGA]

Don't get the 970 Strix.

the strix is one of the better ones with copper heat pipes and unlocked voltage as far as I know, so its totally fine, but a EVGA gtx 970 SC will do the job

[Majestic]

the strix is one of the better ones with copper heat pipes and unlocked voltage as far as I know, so its totally fine, but a EVGA gtx 970 SC will do the job

 

Wrong, check my sig. It sucks. Cooling is the only thing that is good on it, voltage is NOT unlocked.

 

Also OP, investing into your perhipherals is the best thing you can do. Because those have the longest half-life and are the things you interact with most. My computer and perhipherals are about even in terms of value. 

 

EDIT: no my perhipherals costed more...

[Syte]

The thing is, temperatures rarely limit the overclock. You don't really want to go over 1.3V vor 24/7 if you want to keep the chip for an extended period. And 1.3V is perfectly doable under the stock TIM of DC. So...yeah. It sucks, but it doesn't limit the product.

 

Maybe with AIO, but I've yet to see a 4790k on an affordable air-cooler that doesn't hit 80C + under the slightest bit of stress.

 

They can totally handle 1.31 (even though I prefer less for 24/7) as you said, but I'm more referring to the 4790k, it's absolutely awful when it comes to stock TIM. I seem to lose -35C average on AIDA64 stock after a delid on every 4790k I delid. Leaving it at an acceptable 75C on stock cooling.

[Syte]

Wrong, check my sig. It sucks. Cooling is the only thing that is good on it, voltage is NOT unlocked.

 

Can confirm what @Majestic is saying here. No reason to buy a Strix over a G1, Twin Frozr, SSC, or FTW.

[Username38]

Can confirm what @Majestic is saying here. No reason to buy a Strix over a G1, Twin Frozr, SSC, or FTW.

So what i've gotten from this thread so far is that the 970 strix is crap, I could fit a 980 into my budget if I downgrade a few things and I should downgrade the 4790k to a 4690k. Very well, this is my updated build:

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/V7TLnQ

[Syte]

So what i've gotten from this thread so far is that the 970 strix is crap, I could fit a 980 into my budget if I downgrade a few things and I should downgrade the 4790k to a 4690k. Very well, this is my updated build:

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/V7TLnQ

 

Little bit of a nit-pick but I currently have a 10% or so DOA rate on those Sandisk SSDs, V300 in my experience from Kingston is much better, not to mention the Sandisk has really bad 4k write speed comparatively.

 

I'd also recommend looking for a better Z97. The Z97x is a fine mobo but at that price I wouldn't use it. 

[Username38]

Little bit of a nit-pick but I currently have a 10% or so DOA rate on those Sandisk SSDs, V300 in my experience from Kingston is much better, not to mention the Sandisk has really bad 4k write speed comparatively.

 

I'd also recommend looking for a better Z97. The Z97x is a fine mobo but at that price I wouldn't use it. 

That's the complete opposite of what I've heard, from what i've read the Kingston V300 series was advertised really well, but kingston ran a bait and switch and completely destroyed what looked to be an amazing SSD.