Another 'Is this build good' topic / first post etc...

[ExitRitual]

HI all,

Long time watcher, first time poster.

 

I'll be buying myself a new PC in a few months time to replace my 5 year old system, and i'm looking for some feedback on the suitability of the parts compared to my needs etc listed below.

 

Budget & Location:

UK £2000 - £2500 (US$2880 to $3600)
So far, the build, monitor, peripherals and delivery are at £2300 / $3313

Aim:
Media consumption, gaming, general web use, 5 year life-span

Monitor:
40 inch iiyama X4071UHSU-B1 3480x2160

• Mostly so i can have a nice, big screen for films and TV shows that i can watch from a greater distance
• I currently run 2x 1080p monitors and like having a fair number of apps open
• I don't bother with a TV and just use my PC for everything
• Totally happy to up-scale from 1440p for some games but mostly won't need to

Peripherals:
Keyboard & Mouse: MS Sculpt ergo desktop
OS will be Win 10 x64

Why I'm upgrading:
Current system is 5 years old and is struggling to play games like Fallout 4 even on the lowest settings and generally feels like it's having a hard time keeping up

 

The spec:
See here on PCpartpicker

The CPU, RAM, Motherboard and cooler are all part of a pre-overclocked (4.6GHz) bundle from scan.co.uk, which will be tested and guaranteed, then shipped out whole so that i can avoid the risky part of the build.

 

Notes & questions:

• I know the 980ti isn't ideal for 4k gaming (but can probably handle it in most cases), but i'm happy to up-scale from 1440p, and provided i get at least 30-40fps minimum, i'm happy. At least until i can justify a second card.
• I've chosen the PSU and motherboard for that theoretical second card as it wasn't much extra and was a LOT cheaper than replacing both later - With 1x GFX, peak load is 470w, with 2x it's 720w
• I haven't chosen a soundcard as i don't need more than the onboard sound, as my damaged hearing wouldn't be able to tell the difference
• The motherboard, CPU, RAM and cooler are being purchased as a pre-assembled and over-clocked bundle to save me the risk of screwing it up as the last time i built a PC was 5 years ago, then 5 before that, and 5 before that.
• The SSD will be partitioned for OS and game installs (60GB for OS (current usage is 27.2GB), rest for games)
• The 4TB drive is for everything else, and music playback
• The case was chosen because it's reviewed well and is under £100 with dust filters and excellent cable management possibilities
• Do i really need bitlocker? I feel like i want it, given that i currently have 10 pro (via updates from 7, to 8, 8.1 etc...) but can't legally transfer my license to this new PC, can i?

 

And because everyone likes some images with a post, here's two showing the rad/fan plan, and the mockup for the case decals.

* Updated fan layout from feedback for better positive pressure

 

It's PC04 because this will be my 4th PC.
The 'Nostromo' decal will be applied to the inner side of the panel to keep the glossy aesthetic.
PC04 will be applied to the PSU shroud
I doubt i'll bother with LED lighting

 

[Bananasplit_00]

looks like a solid build to me, good specs and cool case, ongly thing is that you might get some negative pressure in your case and then you might get more dust then you are expecting when it crawls in through the cracks, other then that awesome PC and i hope that your going to be happy with it

[Dzzope]

Everything looks like you've done your research... Though not sure why you would put the rad in the front rather than top... Your giving negative pressure allong with heating the incoming air.

[ExitRitual]

I guess i'll switch the rad to the top, then and make the 2x 140's on the front run at a higher speed to create positive pressure.

[ShiroArikawa]

Cost more in the UK? I've seen aria pc sell things 20$ cheaper than newegg, almost everything I look at actually.

[DakeDravis]

This is my edit of your parts list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/XkVsqs 

 

Before you freak out, let me explain my reasoning. I changed the PSU to something a little more "Future Proof", as you said you wanted this build to last a long time. The SSD I changed because with the Z170 platform it offers M.2 which gives insane read/write speeds over sata express (which is what the SSD you selected uses). The motherboard . . . well put it this way. The thing is just about as premium as it gets. Tons of options for expansion, a solid look. You won't need another motherboard for a long while. A friend of mine has a Formula VIII he just recently got, and man is it a beauty AND a beast! (Which is why my next upgrade will be that motherboard). The case I selected is a very popular case, which I find to be extremely suitable for this type of rig. The RAM is the same 16GB you had selected, just a more premium version of Corsair's RAM line. And god, is it sexy. And finally, the CPU. If you're going to follow what I suggest and build this beast of a machine, you might as well shoot for the highest consumer grade i7 currently on the market, the i7 6700K. These are just my suggestions. If you want to save money there are tons of different options you can cut down on, but if it's within your budget, build this beast and ascend to Godhood.

 

Hope this helps!

[ExitRitual]

Hey, thanks for the feedback!
Not totally sold on the suggested build though;

• I don't see how i need the i7, especially for the cost difference
• The mobo isn't an available option from scan.co.uk where i'm getting the pre-built and OC'd/tested/guaranteed mobo/ram/cpu/cooler from - also seems like massive overkill/bling - the only reason i didn't go with the lowest spec board which supported my needs was the fact that i may end up using SLI
• The RAM is also not available as part of the pre-built option and i also think it looks OK.
• With 2x GFX, the total peak power draw is under 800w, so 1000w seems crazy - though i do get the concept of reduced efficiency over product lifetime.
• While i love the idea of M.2, i don't see a use for it within my needs. An SSD boots windows and loads programs fast enough for my foreseeable needs, especially at that price point. Most games don't currently benefit from an M.2 and the extra space of the SSD is desired.
• Also not a fan of that case. Black and red has never been a combination i've liked.
• While the budget is... generous, it still needs to factor in the almost £500 for the monitor, plus delivery etc... (the budget is where it is because that's what i was going to spend / can spend on a different motorbike this year along with part-exchanging my current bike, but decided i needed a new PC instead).

 

This isn't me throwing it back in your face, this is me discussing things. Just to be clear

[DakeDravis]

Didn't know you were getting it pre-built . . . I guess I missed that part. All is well! Hope you enjoy the build, for what you need I think it'll be great! Thanks for responding and opening my eyes a bit!  (Also sorry for the late response, I was at work!)

[ExitRitual]

Hey, it's all good. We're in different time-zones and i have no expectations of immediate replies as i am not an emotionally compromised 14 year old.

I'll be building most of it, but just the cpu/mobo/ram/cooler will be pre-assembled. I like to think this doesn't count as a pre-built system