Final build thoughts?

[immanueltja]

I have had a lot of help from people in this forum, and I found out my final build and I wanted your guys' opinion on it, and what I should change about it. I have a 1100-1200 budget and I'm planning to play CS:GO and other games, future proofing and etc.. I wanted to use a GTX 970 because of the lower power consumption but the r9 390 just really caught my attention.. I have currently 2 builds, and I was either going for a Micro ATX, or a full ATX. I'm a new builder, very new and I wanted to use a full atx because I'm kinda knowledgeable with the cases and the cable management, and I kinda have trouble with the SSD/HDD and I need help on that.. but I love the velcro ties that the fractal design cases offer, and I'd love to incorporate that. Here are my two builds

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($244.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($65.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card  ($309.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($249.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1159.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:17 EST-0500

(for this one, I don't know if the power supply is enough, thoughts on that?)

 

and the micro atx is

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($244.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($67.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: PNY CS1211 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($318.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($269.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1140.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:18 EST-0500

 

which one is user friendly for me? noob-friendly as well.

[Jer45]

6 minutes ago, immanueltja said:

I have had a lot of help from people in this forum, and I found out my final build and I wanted your guys' opinion on it, and what I should change about it. I have a 1100-1200 budget and I'm planning to play CS:GO and other games, future proofing and etc.. I wanted to use a GTX 970 because of the lower power consumption but the r9 390 just really caught my attention.. I have currently 2 builds, and I was either going for a Micro ATX, or a full ATX. I'm a new builder, very new and I wanted to use a full atx because I'm kinda knowledgeable with the cases and the cable management, and I kinda have trouble with the SSD/HDD and I need help on that.. but I love the velcro ties that the fractal design cases offer, and I'd love to incorporate that. Here are my two builds

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($244.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($65.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card  ($309.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($249.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1159.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:17 EST-0500

(for this one, I don't know if the power supply is enough, thoughts on that?)

 

and the micro atx is

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($244.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($67.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: PNY CS1211 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($318.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($269.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1140.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:18 EST-0500

 

which one is user friendly for me? noob-friendly as well.

why xeons? this isnt a workstation or a sever i5 4460 or something like that would be better

[HelplmChoking]

4 minutes ago, immanueltja said:

*snip*

With the 390, you'd be really pushing that PSU, and you'd probably want a 650W to be safe with it. That being said, it is a little more powerful than the 970 and has a lot more VRAM.

At the end of the day though, you'll be gaming at 1080p, and games like CS:GO don't exactly need 8GB of VRAM, plus the mATX case is obviously smaller and more efficient, without being too difficult to build in.
I say go for the mATX, and if you really want to 390 you'll need to look at a 650W PSU.

Good luck on your build!

[immanueltja]

Just now, Jer45 said:

why xeons? this isnt a workstation or a sever i5 4460 or something like that would be better

someone said it was a 4790 kind of cpu without the integrated graphics.. what would be good?

[HelplmChoking]

Just now, immanueltja said:

someone said it was a 4790 kind of cpu without the integrated graphics.. what would be good?

Yes that's correct, it's basically an i7 without the iGPU. It's a really good option, and with the H97 board you won't be overclocking anyway so its a great buy. Plus, with a Xeon your getting greater reliability with lower temps.

[immanueltja]

Just now, Rangaman42 said:

With the 390, you'd be really pushing that PSU, and you'd probably want a 650W to be safe with it. That being said, it is a little more powerful than the 970 and has a lot more VRAM.

At the end of the day though, you'll be gaming at 1080p, and games like CS:GO don't exactly need 8GB of VRAM, plus the mATX case is obviously smaller and more efficient, without being too difficult to build in.
I say go for the mATX, and if you really want to 390 you'll need to look at a 650W PSU.

Good luck on your build!

right right, I won't be really going with a 1440p monitor, only a benq or an asus... so a 970 is better for me? 970 + mATX? can you build me something like that? or is my second build exactly what you said.

[HelplmChoking]

Just now, immanueltja said:

right right, I won't be really going with a 1440p monitor, only a benq or an asus... so a 970 is better for me? 970 + mATX? can you build me something like that? or is my second build exactly what you said.

Your second build is a great rig for what you want  

[stconquest]

Comparative build:

$1204 - I know the case is cheap, but it works.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card  ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($236.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1184.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:37 EST-0500

[HelplmChoking]

1 minute ago, stconquest said:

Comparative build:

$1206 - I know the case is cheap, but it works.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card  ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($236.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1186.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:37 EST-0500

That's quite a good build actually.. 

[stconquest]

2 minutes ago, Rangaman42 said:

That's quite a good build actually.. 

I just remembered the mobo only supports 2133MHz RAM, that saves $2!

[immanueltja]

1 hour ago, stconquest said:

Comparative build:

$1204 - I know the case is cheap, but it works.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card  ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LBR 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)  <<Front intake
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($236.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1184.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-01 23:37 EST-0500

I don't know if I'm gonna really be using those 2 fans since I don't really know how to install them, and i think 16gb would be too much.. although I like the i7 cpu but what would happen if you took out those 2 intake fans, and upgraded the case to something better like an 88r?

[stconquest]

52 minutes ago, immanueltja said:

I don't know if I'm gonna really be using those 2 fans since I don't really know how to install them, and i think 16gb would be too much.. although I like the i7 cpu but what would happen if you took out those 2 intake fans, and upgraded the case to something better like an 88r?

You need airflow to keep things cool.  There is nothing difficult about the installation.  Just screw them in facing the right way, and plug them in.  They spin. 

The 88R only comes with one 120mm exhaust, just like the Versa H22.  I don't even think the 88R comes with any dust filters for the intakes.  The cases perform similar enough that you can say they are the same.  You get a window, but that does not affect performance.

If I save any money on things like RAM, I would recommend you put it into a Z170 motherboard so you have the option of overclocking the 6700 later on when you need it. 

The best value for gaming is still an i5.

If you are going to buy a cheap case (Versa H22/88R/etc...) get the cheapest possible that has the right features and internal layout.  They are going to be cheap no matter what they look like. 

If you want a good case, then get a good case.  S340, H440, Define S, Enthoo Pro etc...

$1208:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)  <<This will overclock if you need the extra speed later on
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($322.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Acrylic ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon)  <<2 140mm fans, a fan hub controller, acrylic window, well built
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($236.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1198.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-02 01:30 EST-0500

[immanueltja]

8 hours ago, stconquest said:

You need airflow to keep things cool.  There is nothing difficult about the installation.  Just screw them in facing the right way, and plug them in.  They spin. 

The 88R only comes with one 120mm exhaust, just like the Versa H22.  I don't even think the 88R comes with any dust filters for the intakes.  The cases perform similar enough that you can say they are the same.  You get a window, but that does not affect performance.

If I save any money on things like RAM, I would recommend you put it into a Z170 motherboard so you have the option of overclocking the 6700 later on when you need it. 

The best value for gaming is still an i5.

If you are going to buy a cheap case (Versa H22/88R/etc...) get the cheapest possible that has the right features and internal layout.  They are going to be cheap no matter what they look like. 

If you want a good case, then get a good case.  S340, H440, Define S, Enthoo Pro etc...

$1208:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)  <<This will overclock if you need the extra speed later on
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($322.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Acrylic ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon)  <<2 140mm fans, a fan hub controller, acrylic window, well built
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($236.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1198.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-02 01:30 EST-0500

I'm not really trying to overclock.. is it possible to fit an i7 into the budget? I took away the 16gb for a cheaper 8gb and it's gonna be easy for me to upgrade, but i'm 100% certain I won't be needing to upgrade. I also got an ASUS VG248QE and it was a total of the same thing you gave me, added a gtx 970 strix.

edit. I just saw that the b150 mobo's are pretty much the same price as the z170 one you gave me.

[immanueltja]

8 hours ago, stconquest said:

*snip*

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($87.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($38.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($318.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($249.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1161.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-02 09:35 EST-0500

 

like this basically, I heard the define s is really good for modding and stuff since they took out the drive bays,

[stconquest]

4 hours ago, immanueltja said:

I'm not really trying to overclock.. is it possible to fit an i7 into the budget? I took away the 16gb for a cheaper 8gb and it's gonna be easy for me to upgrade, but i'm 100% certain I won't be needing to upgrade. I also got an ASUS VG248QE and it was a total of the same thing you gave me, added a gtx 970 strix.

edit. I just saw that the b150 mobo's are pretty much the same price as the z170 one you gave me.

The i7 is $130 more.  I took that 130 and:

- Gave you the option to overclock later on with a Z170 (+25?)

- Popped in 16GB 3000MHz RAM (+$20 for the speed)

- Grabbed a well made case with a lot of verstility (+$60)

- I know you are leaning to a GTX 970 so I changed that (+$30)