First Time Builder

[phasers0nstun]

Hey guys, first post. I'm getting around to building my first computer and just wanted to get some suggestions/help/tips.

Here's my build:

CPU
Intel i5 4690k - http://amzn.com/B00KPRWB9G

Memory
Corsair Vengeance 8gb - http://amzn.com/B005T63BJM

Case
Corsair Obsidian Series 450d (Windowed) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139042

Motherboard
Asus Z97 E - http://amzn.com/B00OUSVCL4
 

HDD
WD Blue 1tb - http://amzn.com/B0088PUEPK

SSD
Crucial 120gb - http://amzn.com/B00RQA6LQY

PSU
EVGA 750w G2 - http://amzn.com/B00IKDETOW

GPU
Gigabyte gtx 970 G1 gaming - http://amzn.com/B00H33SFJU

Okay so here are some questions I have to ask. Is the psu enough to handle the whole thing? Is everything compatible? What is the difference between the G1 gaming card and its other versions? If I want to overclock the CPU and GPU what will I need? Hope everything looks alright, if you have any suggestions or tips please leave them below and let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
Edit: This pc is for gaming. Trying to keep it around $1000

Edit: Updated with new parts

[rtpb5642]

Hey guys, first post. I'm getting around to building my first computer and just wanted to get some suggestions/help/tips.

 

Here's my build:

 

CPU

Intel i5 4690k - http://amzn.com/B00KPRWB9G

 

Memory

Corsair Vengeance 8gb - http://amzn.com/B005T63BJM

 

Case

Corsair Obsidian Series 350d (Windowed) - http://amzn.com/B00BWLL9MY

 

Motherboard

Asus Z97 A -http://amzn.com/B00K2MAU5Q

 

HDD

WD Black 1tb - http://amzn.com/B00FJRS6FU

 

SSD

Kingston 120gb -  http://amzn.com/B00A1ZTZOG

 

PSU

EVGA 500w - http://amzn.com/B00H33SFJU

 

GPU

Gigabyte gtx 970 G1 gaming - http://amzn.com/B00H33SFJU

 

Okay so here are some questions I have to ask. Is the psu enough to handle the whole thing? Is everything compatible? What is the difference between the G1 gaming card and its other versions? If I want to overclock the CPU and GPU what will I need? Hope everything looks alright, if you have any suggestions or tips please leave them below and let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

PSU is good, maybe go with a 750 if u ever want another GPU.

Overall nice build

I like EVGA's GPUs but the G1 has a big heatsink

[emachado99]

If you want to overclock, you may want to look at aftermarket cooling.

[Lotus]

The PSU is sufficient, but really you'd want a better quality unit for the kinds of components you're getting. Also, the point of the K series CPU and Z chipsetboard is for overclocking, which you shouldn't do on a stock cooler. Might as well spend another $30 on a Cooler Master 212 Evo so you can actually get the performance you're paying for. Other than that, looks solid. The Asus Z97-A is a bit on the expensive side though. If you don't plan on SLI in the future (which you can't considering your PSU choice), then you can get a cheaper MoBo. Hell, the Asus Z97-E still supports SLI and is cheaper, but the cheapest good Z97 MoBo I'd use would be the ASRock Anniversary Z97 ATX Motherboard (avoid mATX version as it has crappy VRMs).

 

edit: oh yeah, and the WD Black is a bit unnecessary considering the SSD. The extra performance of the black will go unnoticed in a secondary mass storage drive. Just get a 1TB WD Blue instead and save some cash.

 

edit2: whoops, again, the SSD V300 is a crappy SSD. Skip it and go for a BX100, which is the current price to performance leader.

[phasers0nstun]

The PSU is sufficient, but really you'd want a better quality unit for the kinds of components you're getting. Also, the point of the K series CPU and Z chipsetboard is for overclocking, which you shouldn't do on a stock cooler. Might as well spend another $30 on a Cooler Master 212 Evo so you can actually get the performance you're paying for. Other than that, looks solid. The Asus Z97-A is a bit on the expensive side though. If you don't plan on SLI in the future (which you can't considering your PSU choice), then you can get a cheaper MoBo. Hell, the Asus Z97-E still supports SLI and is cheaper, but the cheapest good Z97 MoBo I'd use would be the ASRock Anniversary Z97 ATX Motherboard (avoid mATX version as it has crappy VRMs).

edit: oh yeah, and the WD Black is a bit unnecessary considering the SSD. The extra performance of the black will go unnoticed in a secondary mass storage drive. Just get a 1TB WD Blue instead and save some cash.

edit2: whoops, again, the SSD V300 is a crappy SSD. Skip it and go for a BX100, which is the current price to performance leader.

Glad I came here before I began buying, thanks! I swapped out my MoBo to that AsRock z97 and my hard drive. Also added that CM 212 evo. In the future I'm looking to upgrade that psu to a 750w and add another 8gb of ram

[sohaibshtf]

If you wang to overclock get a 650W psu and an aftermarket cooling system

[sohaibshtf]

If you want to overclock get a 650W psu and an aftermarket cooling system

[Captain_WD]

~snip~

 

Hey there phasers0nstun,

 

The plan seems pretty good and well thought. 

If you are planning on overclocking (as your CPU and motherboard choices indicate) you would need a custom aftermarket CPU that can handle the heat output.

WD Black is a great drive designed for performance and durability. It has great speeds and can sustain harsher environments and longer workloads. But gaming relies on storage's performance only for the loading times and you already have the SSD for the more demanding ones (FPS and graphic are not affected at all). I could suggest checking out WD Blue as a 1TB alternative for the WD Black. Here's a link with more info: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=uR7kIV 

Everything else seems pretty well planned and should be good.

 

Captain_WD.

[Lotus]

Glad I came here before I began buying, thanks! I swapped out my MoBo to that AsRock z97 and my hard drive. Also added that CM 212 evo. In the future I'm looking to upgrade that psu to a 750w and add another 8gb of ram

When I say a quality PSU, I'm not talking about the wattage. PSUs supply power to your components, and you want consistent stable ripple-free voltage delivery without spikes or dips. If you can get it, a good PSU that hopefully is in your budget would be the EVGA 550W GS. Your CPU and GPU are fairly power efficient so 500W is actually fine even for some overclocking headroom, but this PSU provides more consistent and stable voltage, which is better for longevity and overclocking stability. (note: gold efficiency isn't something we care about either, and not all gold PSUs have good stable voltage).

 

Also, remember that the ASRock MoBo, while it does everything you wanted with your stock configuration, doesn't support dual GPU options. If you wanted that, make sure you get a PSU of sufficient wattage to begin with (750W+) and a motherboard that supports it (like the Asus Z97-E).

[phasers0nstun]

Hey there phasers0nstun,

The plan seems pretty good and well thought.

If you are planning on overclocking (as your CPU and motherboard choices indicate) you would need a custom aftermarket CPU that can handle the heat output.

WD Black is a great drive designed for performance and durability. It has great speeds and can sustain harsher environments and longer workloads. But gaming relies on storage's performance only for the loading times and you already have the SSD for the more demanding ones (FPS and graphic are not affected at all). I could suggest checking out WD Blue as a 1TB alternative for the WD Black. Here's a link with more info: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=uR7kIV

Everything else seems pretty well planned and should be good.

Captain_WD.

Thanks for the help! A cooler master hyper 212 evo would be sufficient enough for overclocking it right?

[phasers0nstun]

When I say a quality PSU, I'm not talking about the wattage. PSUs supply power to your components, and you want consistent stable ripple-free voltage delivery without spikes or dips. If you can get it, a good PSU that hopefully is in your budget would be the EVGA 550W GS. Your CPU and GPU are fairly power efficient so 500W is actually fine even for some overclocking headroom, but this PSU provides more consistent and stable voltage, which is better for longevity and overclocking stability. (note: gold efficiency isn't something we care about either, and not all gold PSUs have good stable voltage).

Also, remember that the ASRock MoBo, while it does everything you wanted with your stock configuration, doesn't support dual GPU options. If you wanted that, make sure you get a PSU of sufficient wattage to begin with (750W+) and a motherboard that supports it (like the Asus Z97-E).

Okay, I'll probably look to get that EVGA 550w gs then. In the future I'm thinking about running dual gpu's so I think I'll go with the Asus Z97-E. When I do end up getting another gpu I'll make sure to get a 750w psu as well. Thanks!

[Lotus]

Okay, I'll probably look to get that EVGA 550w gs then. In the future I'm thinking about running dual gpu's so I think I'll go with the Asus Z97-E. When I do end up getting another gpu I'll make sure to get a 750w psu as well. Thanks!

If you plan on getting a second GPU, just go ahead and get a 750W now. You'll lose some efficiency in the short term (which we don't care about), but it prevents you from having to replace parts down the road.

 

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-80PLUS-Certified-220-G2-0750-XR/dp/B00IKDETOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434653515&sr=8-1&keywords=EVGA+750W+g2

 

Avoid the EVGA G1 units. G2 and GS only. Those (the G1) are ones of the PSUs that have shit 12V regulation (which is what powers the CPU and GPU) despite having gold efficiency.

 

As you can see, the costs associated with a multi-GPU setup are fairly high just for compatible parts that yield no benefit on their own. Also, by the time you feel the need for a second GPU because the first isn't cutting, it's usually time for a strait upgrade anyway with replacing that first GPU instead of buying a second (now outdated) gpu.

[Guest]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but you need a micro atx motherboard for that case.

[Lotus]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but you need a micro atx motherboard for that case.

Oh shit, good pickup. I wasn't familiar with that case. I'd probably get a different case then, not motherboard.

[phasers0nstun]

@lee32uk @Lotus my bad, I meant to choose the Corsair Obsidian 450d case, also updated with new info. I was thinking about the CM Hyper 212 Evo for cooling my CPU but then I thought about getting the Corsair Hydro series H55 because I didn't like that the evo looked very large inside the case. Is the H55 overkill? And if I wanted to upgrade my cpu to an i7 would I still be able to cool it with the H55?

[Lotus]

@lee32uk @Lotus my bad, I meant to choose the Corsair Obsidian 450d case, also updated with new info. I was thinking about the CM Hyper 212 Evo for cooling my CPU but then I thought about getting the Corsair Hydro series H55 because I didn't like that the evo looked very large inside the case. Is the H55 overkill? And if I wanted to upgrade my cpu to an i7 would I still be able to cool it with the H55?

The i5 and i7 are both around 80 TDP chips, so even the 212 Evo can hit diminishing returns on them. The h55 may be overkill, but hey if you want to pay for those looks you can.

[Guest]

@lee32uk @Lotus my bad, I meant to choose the Corsair Obsidian 450d case, also updated with new info. I was thinking about the CM Hyper 212 Evo for cooling my CPU but then I thought about getting the Corsair Hydro series H55 because I didn't like that the evo looked very large inside the case. Is the H55 overkill? And if I wanted to upgrade my cpu to an i7 would I still be able to cool it with the H55?

 

I don't think the H55 will perform any better than the CM Hyper 212. If you want it for aesthetic reasons then they do look better as they don't take up a huge space in the middle of your case.

 

They will both be fine though whichever one you choose.

[Captain_WD]

Thanks for the help! A cooler master hyper 212 evo would be sufficient enough for overclocking it right?

 

It should be enough I can really recommend any specific model or brand since I am a Western Digital representative, but I would check for some reviews and comments from people with experience. The more you get, the better idea of the product you'll have. 

 

Captain_WD.