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First-Time Builder! Is This PC Good?

CoolZakCZ
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My first post, please be at least partially gentle. :P 

 

Hello everyone! I'm new to Linus Tech Tips and I've recently gained an interest in building my own computer. Although I'm new to it, I have pulled apart a few laptops and done extensive research on how to build a computer. I put the parts together, and I'm super excited to start building.

 

I'm doing a new build, with a budget of $1.35k USD, and I'm going to be mainly using it for gaming. I'm going to be running 1 23" monitor, and I've managed to include all peripherals inside my budget. I'm upgrading because my current computer is a Dell All-in-one touchscreen computer that runs basic games that have extremely low system requirements at 60 fps. Not only that, but it is very loud, especially since I'm in a pretty quiet room. This isn't up to par for me since I want to start playing with new games such as Battlefield 4/Hardline, XCOM 2, Rocket League, and other games similar. I also would like the build to be relatively quiet. Lastly, overclocking would be nice but it's not a necessity for me. On a side note, I'm trying to stick mostly to a blue/black setup.

 

So my question is, will my current build run said games with minimal bottlenecking? If not, what changes can I make to lower the amount of bottlenecking while sticking to my budget ($1.35k USD). Finally, is this build even worth my money? Is it possible to make a better build for less money?

 

Thanks in advance for the help, it's really appreciated. 

 

My build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/T38wQ7

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Thermal Compound: Arctic Cooling MX4 4g Thermal Paste  ($6.95 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Mwave) 
Storage: Transcend  32GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($36.24 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card  ($124.99 @ NCIX US) 
Case: Rosewill STAR PREDATOR ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($17.28 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($91.75 @ OutletPC) 
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($53.51 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1273.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:50 EDT-0400
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For 1.2k you could get a lot better build. Remove the Win 10, I have the MSDN account at MS. Contact me if you need a key or something. And one more tip, go for a GTX 780.

CPU Intel Core i5 4670k 4.4Ghz Motherboard MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming RAM Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB 2400Mhz

GPU GIGABYTE GTX 780 Windforce 3X OC Case Cooler Master HAF XM Storage Samsung 850 PRO 256GB, Samsung 840 EVO 256GB, Western Digital Blue 1TB

PSU Corsair RM 750 Display(s) Philips 22" Cooling Corsair H80i Keyboard OZONE Strike Pro

Mouse GIGABYTE M7 Thor Sound Genius 5.1 Surround Sound System Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Voltage Control NZXT Sentry 3

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Hello everyone! I'm new to Linus Tech Tips and I've recently gained an interest in building my own computer. Although I'm new to it, I have pulled apart a few laptops and done extensive research on how to build a computer. I put the parts together, and I'm super excited to start building.

 

I'm doing a new build, with a budget of $1.35k USD, and I'm going to be mainly using it for gaming. I'm going to be running 1 23" monitor, and I've managed to include all peripherals inside my budget. I'm upgrading because my current computer is a Dell All-in-one touchscreen computer that runs basic games that have extremely low system requirements at 60 fps. Not only that, but it is very loud, especially since I'm in a pretty quiet room. This isn't up to par for me since I want to start playing with new games such as Battlefield 4/Hardline, XCOM 2, Rocket League, and other games similar. I also would like the build to be relatively quiet. On a side note, I'm trying to stick mostly to a blue/black setup.

 

So my question is, will my current build run said games with minimal bottlenecking? If not, what changes can I make to lower the amount of bottlenecking while sticking to my budget ($1.35k USD). Finally, is this build even worth my money? Is it possible to make a better build for less money?

 

Thanks in advance for the help, it's really appreciated. 

 

My build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/T38wQ7

lol like 200 for keyboard mouse and headset and you get a 750ti?

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That's a really unbalanced build. You can do much better for your money. Give me a bit

"Rawr XD"

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CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($103.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 




Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($329.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ Micro Center) 


Total: $1326.90

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:54 EDT-0400

As the guy above said, Contact him.

Just go black and white.

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.49 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC)

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

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($339.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Amazon)

Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($17.28 @ OutletPC)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($91.75 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ Newegg)

Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)

Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($53.51 @ Amazon)

Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset ($49.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1364.78

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:53 EDT-0400

This is much better. Fan controller and case fans are not needed (fans come with the case), and a CPU cooler other than the stock one is also not needed.

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($359.99 @ NCIX US) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($103.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 

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

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($329.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $1326.90

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:54 EDT-0400

As the guy above said, Contact him.

It needs to include peripherals. Also why would you get an I7 and an expensive liquid cooler and a 390? Could have got a 390X, possibly a fury into there.

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@CoolZakCZ this is a much better build for your money, and not even changing peripherals cause I don't really know anything about those, but I'm sure you can get a better keyboard, mouse, and headset for your money as well

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($69.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card  ($252.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Rosewill STAR PREDATOR ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($17.28 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($91.75 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($129.99 @ Newegg) 
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($53.51 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1329.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:58 EDT-0400

"Rawr XD"

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It needs to include peripherals. Also why would you get an I7 and an expensive liquid cooler and a 390? Could have got a 390X, possibly a fury into there.

TBH, I just had most of the components in there already xD

I just went off of that, Removed the M.2 SSD I had in there and just like

cheap $5 mouse and keyboard lol

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CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($85.66 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Pareema 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: A-Data XPG SX900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.99 @ NCIX US) 


Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($32.99 @ Micro Center) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($91.75 @ OutletPC) 



Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 

Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($53.51 @ Amazon) 

Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $1284.58

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:58 EDT-0400

Computing enthusiast. 
I use to be able to input a cheat code now I've got to input a credit card - Total Biscuit
 

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TBH, I just had most of the components in there already xD

I just went off of that, Removed the M.2 SSD I had in there and just like

cheap $5 mouse and keyboard lol

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.95 @ B&H)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($109.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC)

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

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 Fury 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($564.98 @ Newegg)

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1369.76

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:58 EDT-0400

$40 more, 390 to Fury :P

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You spent about $100 on cooling that has almost no impact on overall system performance. That money is better spent on a better graphics card. I'd even spend a little less on the mouse and keyboard and put that towards the graphics card. 

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That $40 can be easily dropped by going for Haswell+DDR3 instead of Skylake+DDR4.

True, although did you see the news thread just now about supposed 2.4x performance in single threaded tasks? That was fascinating.

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True, although did you see the news thread just now about supposed 2.4x performance in single threaded tasks? That was fascinating.

Yeah but that "supposed" synthetic benchmark surely won't translate into 2.4x real-world performance, maybe ~1.5x is what you should expect. Still a pretty good and very welcome increase, but IMO not worth the money at this point, and a Haswell i5 isn't bottlenecking a 390/Fury any time soon (except in stupid stuff like ARMA 3 which rapes even 5960X's).

"Rawr XD"

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.95 @ B&H)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($109.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC)

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

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 Fury 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($564.98 @ Newegg)

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1369.76

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 02:58 EDT-0400

$40 more, 390 to Fury :P

The only thing wrong with the fury (That will be fixed soon) Is the 4GB of VRAM, and even then it isn't that much of a big deal, I may switch over to the Fury X, but then again, I do want a 980Ti for VRAM future proofing. Fury X is really convincing though, for the time being it would be good, Just waiting for HBM 2.0 hopefully it will swing the vote. +1 on this build

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Alright guys, I have an update. I've used different pieces from your suggestions to (hopefully) balance the setup a bit more to prevent bottlenecking and get more value for my money. I went slightly over budget, but I think I can survive with an extra $50, although I definitely do not want to go any higher. So, what do you think?  ^_^

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($87.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Pareema 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Vapor-X Video Card  ($308.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Rosewill STAR PREDATOR ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($17.28 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($91.75 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer G227HQLbi 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($126.00 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($53.51 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1412.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 05:34 EDT-0400
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Alright guys, I have an update. I've used different pieces from your suggestions to (hopefully) balance the setup a bit more to prevent bottlenecking and get more value for my money. I went slightly over budget, but I think I can survive with an extra $50, although I definitely do not want to go any higher. So, what do you think?  ^_^

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($87.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Pareema 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Vapor-X Video Card  ($308.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Rosewill STAR PREDATOR ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($17.28 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($91.75 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Gelid Solutions FN-PX12-15 58.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($9.98 @ OutletPC) 
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller  ($27.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer G227HQLbi 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($126.00 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($53.51 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Logitech G430 7.1 Channel Headset  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1412.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-17 05:34 EDT-0400

 

 

- Make sure you really need extra fans and a fan controller. Fans will probably be included with the case already, and can be controlled with the mobo. Once set up, I usually never change speeds of my fans.

(My suggestion is to start out with the included ones and buy other ones later if you really need them)

 

- Never heard of Pareema, the brand of memory. Make sure they have a decent reputation.

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- Make sure you really need extra fans and a fan controller. Fans will probably be included with the case already, and can be controlled with the mobo. Once set up, I usually never change speeds of my fans.

(My suggestion is to start out with the included ones and buy other ones later if you really need them)

 

- Never heard of Pareema, the brand of memory. Make sure they have a decent reputation.

Good suggestions. I've decided to get rid of the fan controller and fans. If I want to later, I'll buy the fan controller/fans, but it's definitely a good idea to test the default fans first.

Also, I've gone with the Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 16GB(2x8GB) for the RAM now, which is from a much more reputable company, and is about the same price. ($79)

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