My Second Build.

[Thedude886]

I'm looking for some feedback on a second PC build I'm about to embark on. This is primarily going to be a gaming PC, with the ability to take on other projects if needed.

My current build is pretty solid, it's just time for a upgrade. I can post my Current Build if needed! The budget I'm looking at is $1200.00 - 1300.00 USD.

All parts will be purchased from Newegg.

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Devils Canyon Quad-Core http://bit.ly/1q5DuWo

Motherboard: ASUS Z-97A LGA 1150 http://bit.ly/1px9ezX

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB DDR3 http://bit.ly/1qiMUf1 Pulled from current build.

Storage: Intel 730 Series 240GB SSD http://bit.ly/1Hlo5cR OS boot drive, subject to change. 

              WD Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache, pulled from current build, has OS installed. 

              WD Caviar Black 2TB 7200 RPM 32MB Chace, pulled from current build

Video Card: EVGA GTX 960 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 http://bit.ly/1JNbUTr

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 ATX Mid Tower http://bit.ly/196bfyM

Power Supply: RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W http://bit.ly/QN9NcQ

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM http://bit.ly/1fYZ7O6

Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO http://bit.ly/IFNJw9

              Fans: Preferably 120mm, still doing a bit of research. 

 

Right now, I'm looking at $1104.93 USD.

 

I'm still relatively new to building PCs. I chose parts, like the GPU and motherboard, based on preference, company, and what I'm running now.

 

Other thoughts: I do have a few quesetions/concerns. 1) Currently my WD Blue is what's running my OS. Since I'm wanting to make a SSD the boot drive

I should just be able to format drive and just use it for storage, correct? If so what are the best ways of doing this? 2) If I have a OEM version of Windows 7

running on my current PC, will I re-buy it for the new build? I've looked into this but never got a straight answer, unless I just misread. 3) Learning how to 

properly overclock/optimize a PC is a goal.

 

I'm using this as somewhat of an outline, it's going to take me a few months to save for this build. I understand that things are subject to change. 

 

*Edit* My apologies for the bitly links, I didn't know how to properly label hyperlinks. It's been awhile since I've posted to a forum.

[Statik]

A 4790k and a 960 is a bad combo for gaming.

 

If that's your budget you'd be much better off with an i5 4690k and like a 970 or 980

[smeek14]

Put less money into the CPU and more in the gpu.

[Pizzatime6]

A 4790k and a 960 is a bad combo for gaming.

 

If that's your budget you'd be much better off with an i5 4690k and like a 970 or 980

Agreed. A i7 is way overkill for a 960. Save a few bucks get the 4690k and upgrade the gpu instead.

[Thedude886]

A 4790k and a 960 is a bad combo for gaming.

 

If that's your budget you'd be much better off with an i5 4690k and like a 970 or 980

 

Good to know! If that's the case I have no issue with changing that. 

 

Can I ask why? I think I may have a idea, rather ask then assume. 

[Thedude886]

Agreed. A i7 is way overkill for a 960. Save a few bucks get the 4690k and upgrade the gpu instead.

 

Haha, that's what I was thinking when Statik suggested that change. 

[cheeze_tartz]

Good to know! If that's the case I have no issue with changing that. 

 

Can I ask why? I think I may have a idea, rather ask then assume. 

An i7 is unnecessary for gaming. An i5 performs the same. The GPU is the most important part for a gaming rig. btw for the cooler I would recommend the Be Quiet! Pure Rock CPU cooler. Its way better than the Evo

[Speaker1264]

If you are removing the hard drives from your old computer, and have sold it for parts then you should be able to reuse your old windows key on your new computer, since the cd-key is no longer in use, but you might have to call microsoft and tell them your situation and have the cd-key unlocked from that computer so you can install the OS onto the new computer.  To reuse the other drives, just install windows on your SSD, then plug the hard drives into the computer after you have installed the OS, while the computer is shut down of course.  Now you can go into your computer and reformat the old drive with your old OS on it.

 

For the build, I kept the case you chose, since cases are mostly preference anyway, and made things more balanced.  You'll save $87 if you exclude the OS.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($139.99 @ B&H) 

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($48.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($97.89 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($504.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit)  ($86.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1298.80

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-22 01:11 EDT-0400

[Thedude886]

 

If you are removing the hard drives from your old computer, and have sold it for parts then you should be able to reuse your old windows key on your new computer, since the cd-key is no longer in use, but you might have to call microsoft and tell them your situation and have the cd-key unlocked from that computer so you can install the OS onto the new computer.  To reuse the other drives, just install windows on your SSD, then plug the hard drives into the computer after you have installed the OS, while the computer is shut down of course.  Now you can go into your computer and reformat the old drive with your old OS on it.

 

For the build, I kept the case you chose, since cases are mostly preference anyway, and made things more balanced.  You'll save $87 if you exclude the OS.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($139.99 @ B&H) 

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($48.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($97.89 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($504.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit)  ($86.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1298.80

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-22 01:11 EDT-0400

 

 

That's really good to know about being able to re-use the original key. 

 

Looking at the build you provided, I was planning on using the PSU and memory I currently have. The memory you have listed, I'm guessing performs better with the given CPU and motherboard? The listed PSU, is there any benefit for it outside of better cable management?

[Pizzatime6]

An i7 is unnecessary for gaming. An i5 performs the same. The GPU is the most important part for a gaming rig. btw for the cooler I would recommend the Be Quiet! Pure Rock CPU cooler. Its way better than the Evo

False I7 has it's place in gaming and games that use hyper threading will benefit more then a quad core without it. Also depends on you'r gpu set up. No way in hell would I use a i5 for my main rig.

[cheeze_tartz]

False I7 has it's place in gaming and games that use hyper threading will benefit more then a quad core without it. Also depends on you'r gpu set up. No way in hell would I use a i5 for my main rig.

well most games only utilize 4 cores so the i5 enough. No need to spend an extra $100 when you can spend it on the GPU

[Pizzatime6]

well most games only utilize 4 cores so the i5 enough. No need to spend an extra $100 when you can spend it on the GPU

Doesn't change the fact a i7 is as necessary for gaming as a i5 depending on the games you want to run/gpu config.

[cheeze_tartz]

Doesn't change the fact a i7 is as necessary for gaming as a i5 depending on the games you want to run/gpu config.

No, it kind of does. All i5's perform just as good as i7's atm.

[Speaker1264]

That's really good to know about being able to re-use the original key. 

 

Looking at the build you provided, I was planning on using the PSU and memory I currently have. The memory you have listed, I'm guessing performs better with the given CPU and motherboard? The listed PSU, is there any benefit for it outside of better cable management?

 

Nah, your PSU and memory are fine.  I didn't see that you were reusing them.  In that case your budget could easily fit a 980 ti in there.

[Speaker1264]

Doesn't change the fact a i7 is as necessary for gaming as a i5 depending on the games you want to run/gpu config.

 

There is not a single benchmark on the internet that shows any gain from hyperthreading in any game, currently.  At most I've seen 1-2 fps difference between the 4690k, and the 4790k, which is within margin of error, and could easily be explained from the slightly higher boost clock, which doesn't even matter after they have both been overclocked.  And certainly not worth $100 in anyway.  Better to spend that money on other things like the GPU.

[Pizzatime6]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-core-i5-4690k-core-i7-4790k-reviewThis site begs to differ. More then just a 2-5fps difference. In some of the benchmarks it got a full 10fps to 14fps higher in games. Also depending on your gpu set up the if won't be able to support your sli set up or bottle neck your gpu's. Games that support hyperthreading do see a sizable bump. BF4 in the benchmarks prove this to be true. So it also depends on the games you play as well.

 

  Intel Core i5 4690K Intel Core i5 4690K/4.6GHz Intel Core i7 4790K Intel Core i7 4790K/4.6GHz

Battlefield 4 127.0 135.0 149.0 149.6

Crysis 3 111.0 111.4 124.0 124.6

Metro Last Light 88.5 107.6 116.3 119.1

BioShock Infinite 157.1 166.4 169.1 169.8

Tomb Raider 224.0 225.0 225.1 225.5

[Speaker1264]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-core-i5-4690k-core-i7-4790k-reviewThis site begs to differ. More then just a 2-5fps difference. In some of the benchmarks it got a full 10fps to 14fps higher in games. Also depending on your gpu set up the if won't be able to support your sli set up or bottle neck your gpu's. Games that support hyperthreading do see a sizable bump. BF4 in the benchmarks prove this to be true. So it also depends on the games you play as well.

 

  Intel Core i5 4690K Intel Core i5 4690K/4.6GHz Intel Core i7 4790K Intel Core i7 4790K/4.6GHz

Battlefield 4 127.0 135.0 149.0 149.6

Crysis 3 111.0 111.4 124.0 124.6

Metro Last Light 88.5 107.6 116.3 119.1

BioShock Infinite 157.1 166.4 169.1 169.8

Tomb Raider 224.0 225.0 225.1 225.5

 

Looks like I was wrong, and games are starting to utilize more than 4 threads.  Doing some research I found BF4, Crysis 3, and Metro Last Light, can utilize up to 6 threads.  Unfortunately the amount of games that can use more than 4 threads still seems to be really small, though. I personally would still not spend the extra money on hyperthreading, but it is debatable.

[Captain_WD]

~snip~

 

Hey Thedude886,

 

The plan seems good and the guys gave you some pretty good advice and suggestions. 

Regarding the storage, if you are reusing older drive I would definitely recommend checking them for errors. I would suggest using the manufacturer's tools as they know best the drive's firmware. For the WD drives, that would be WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=PzlvVR

 

As @Speaker1264 pointed out, if you have the retail version of the OS, you can reuse the key to reinstall it once you have your build ready. Some new versions would require you to contact MS to reissue your certificate. You would need to do a fresh install of the Os due to the new parts.

 

Captain_WD.

[Pizzatime6]

Looks like I was wrong, and games are starting to utilize more than 4 threads.  Doing some research I found BF4, Crysis 3, and Metro Last Light, can utilize up to 6 threads.  Unfortunately the amount of games that can use more than 4 threads still seems to be really small, though. I personally would still not spend the extra money on hyperthreading, but it is debatable.

I believe dying light is also a game that uses it. I believe linus made a video where luke ran test on games with different cores and hyper threading. I should try and find it. However some games run worse when running more then 4 core with hyper threading or a 6 core cpu. From Lukes testing there was one or two games that ran worse on the 5960X.

[Thedude886]

Looks like I was wrong, and games are starting to utilize more than 4 threads.  Doing some research I found BF4, Crysis 3, and Metro Last Light, can utilize up to 6 threads.  Unfortunately the amount of games that can use more than 4 threads still seems to be really small, though. I personally would still not spend the extra money on hyperthreading, but it is debatable.

That being said, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go with the i7 and a 980ti? I would only be a bit over budget, which I'm okay with. I'm also thinking in the "long run," personally, I don't upgrade parts at a time, I usually go with a new build every 5 or so years....even though this is a second build, hah!

 

 

Hey Thedude886,

 

The plan seems good and the guys gave you some pretty good advice and suggestions. 

Regarding the storage, if you are reusing older drive I would definitely recommend checking them for errors. I would suggest using the manufacturer's tools as they know best the drive's firmware. For the WD drives, that would be WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=PzlvVR

 

As @Speaker1264 pointed out, if you have the retail version of the OS, you can reuse the key to reinstall it once you have your build ready. Some new versions would require you to contact MS to reissue your certificate. You would need to do a fresh install of the Os due to the new parts.

 

Captain_WD.

 

 

This may be a dumb question, but, can this be done while running the OS from the HD and still get a proper reading?

[Speaker1264]

That being said, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go with the i7 and a 980ti? I would only be a bit over budget, which I'm okay with. I'm also thinking in the "long run," personally, I don't upgrade parts at a time, I usually go with a new build every 5 or so years....even though this is a second build, hah!

 

 

This may be a dumb question, but, can this be done while running the OS from the HD and still get a proper reading?

 

Not really.  The 4690k and 980 are still pretty overkill as is.  It is not recommended to "future proof" your build as the future is mostly unknown.  Also, the more you go up the higher the diminishing returns.  At this point in time there is no benefit in spending more unless you are trying to run a 1440p monitor at 120+ hz, or a 4k monitor.  This computer is already going to run near 120 fps in games at ultra settings at 1080p.  You may see some of the benefit in the future, like 2 years from now, but like I said it will be greatly diminished compared to the additional money that you had to put in, and you will probably be halfway to the point of replacing your parts by then.  The hardware is all going to be obsolete pretty soon anyway.

 

Personally, I would much rather get the best bang for your buck, and use that money you saved to upgrade in faster cycles, rather than waiting 5 years.  If your budget wasn't so high I would say get a 970 or a 290x, and save the money to upgrade again in another 2-3 years, with what is undoubtedly going to be much better than anything that is out today.  Those cards are both very capable cards and get probably 80% of the performance of the 980, while being like three-fifths the price.

 

And yeah you can test your drive running the OS.

[Thedude886]

Not really.  The 4690k and 980 are still pretty overkill as is.  It is not recommended to "future proof" your build as the future is mostly unknown.  Also, the more you go up the higher the diminishing returns.  At this point in time there is no benefit in spending more unless you are trying to run a 1440p monitor at 120+ hz, or a 4k monitor.  This computer is already going to run near 120 fps in games at ultra settings at 1080p.  You may see some of the benefit in the future, like 2 years from now, but like I said it will be greatly diminished compared to the additional money that you had to put in, and you will probably be halfway to the point of replacing your parts by then.  The hardware is all going to be obsolete pretty soon anyway.

 

Personally, I would much rather get the best bang for your buck, and use that money you saved to upgrade in faster cycles, rather than waiting 5 years.  If your budget wasn't so high I would say get a 970 or a 290x, and save the money to upgrade again in another 2-3 years, with what is undoubtedly going to be much better than anything that is out today.  Those cards are both very capable cards and get probably 80% of the performance of the 980, while being like three-fifths the price.

 

And yeah you can test your drive running the OS.

 

Cool, I appreciate the info! I'll probably invest in some good fans for cooling then. Yeah, not to concerned with playing at super high frame rates, so I'll stick with the 4690k.

Hell, the CPU and GPU I'm running now is a i5-2500k Sandy Bridge and EVGA Superclocked GeForce GTX 560. It runs like a champ, but with the more recent games purchases, 

I can see the graphic quality drop, and it's using literally all 1GB of memory.

 

In other news, I was able to snag that case today for under seventy bucks!

[Speaker1264]

Cool, I appreciate the info! I'll probably invest in some good fans for cooling then. Yeah, not to concerned with playing at super high frame rates, so I'll stick with the 4690k.

Hell, the CPU and GPU I'm running now is a i5-2500k Sandy Bridge and EVGA Superclocked GeForce GTX 560. It runs like a champ, but with the more recent games purchases, 

I can see the graphic quality drop, and it's using literally all 1GB of memory.

 

In other news, I was able to snag that case today for under seventy bucks!

 

Oh man you are going definitely going to see a big difference if you are upgrading from a 560.

[Captain_WD]

This may be a dumb question, but, can this be done while running the OS from the HD and still get a proper reading?

 

 

If you are asking about if you are running the OS and the program on the drive that you are scanning, yes, you should get a proper and valid reading with no problems. It shouldn't matter for the software which drive you are scanning as long as it's plugged internally.

 

Captain_WD.