Convince me

[DutchTexan]

I’m not actually a gamer, but I want to build a solid computer that will last me years and years (at least 5 or 6). I’m not very educated on the subject. I really only play starcraft 2 and will spend most my time doing homework or watching videos. I’m not too sure if I will overclock immediately, but I will one day!

 

I will be buying a 32GB usb stick, a cheap external optical drive, and an HDMI cable on top of this. I have a windows 7 key.

 

Here’s what I have painstakingly been putting together on pcpartpicker:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.50 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($32.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor  ($267.58 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1321.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:20 EST-0500

 

My main thoughts are how good the motherboard is and if I could get a better power supply for around the same money. However, this is about as much as I would want to spend.

[8-Bit Ninja]

1 minute ago, DutchTexan said:

I’m not actually a gamer, but I want to build a solid computer that will last me years and years (at least 5 or 6). I’m not very educated on the subject. I really only play starcraft 2 and will spend most my time doing homework or watching videos. I’m not too sure if I will overclock immediately, but I will one day!

 

I will be buying a 32GB usb stick, a cheap external optical drive, and an HDMI cable on top of this. I have a windows 7 key.

 

Here’s what I have painstakingly been putting together on pcpartpicker:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.50 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($32.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor  ($267.58 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1321.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:20 EST-0500

 

My main thoughts are how good the motherboard is and if I could get a better power supply for around the same money. However, this is about as much as I would want to spend.

its fine, solid build, tho i would go with a 144hz monitor, your gpu could handle that 

[Enderman]

looks fine to me

personalyl i would get a asus Z170-a instead

 

why do you need a wifi card anyway? you know hardwired is much better right?

 

and btw you can use your windows 7 key to activate windows 10 so all you need to do is make a windows 10 USB with another PC and install from there  

[Streetguru]

4 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

I’m not actually a gamer, but I want to build a solid computer that will last me years and years (at least 5 or 6). I’m not

You're spending too much for what you want to do

Instead of spending all that on higher end hardware you could do other things like get a really compact ITX rig, or a higher end 4k display.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Qbjf7
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Qbjf7/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($70.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($30.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($204.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: AOC G2460PF 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($261.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $863.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:26 EST-0500

[DutchTexan]

Just now, 8-Bit Ninja said:

its fine, solid build, tho i would go with a 144hz monitor, your gpu could handle that 

How much do those usually go for? 

[deVIZtation]

1 minute ago, Streetguru said:

You're spending too much for what you want to do

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Dr6zqs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Dr6zqs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($70.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($30.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($204.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $601.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:25 EST-0500

Nice build. I would also add a SSD. They are so cheap now that any budget higher than 600 should have one, even when OP was willing to spend 1300.

[DutchTexan]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

looks fine to me

personalyl i would get a asus Z170-a instead

 

why do you need a wifi card anyway? you know hardwired is much better right?

 

and btw you can use your windows 7 key to activate windows 10 so all you need to do is make a windows 10 USB with another PC and install from there  

My router is downstairs

 

Thanks I’ll look into that board!

[CJPowell27]

I would go with a seagate barracuda, faster for the same price. Maybe consider a different CPU cooler, but other than that you're good.

Also, I bet you could find a 144 Hz monitor for that price

[DutchTexan]

3 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

You're spending too much for what you want to do

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Dr6zqs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Dr6zqs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($70.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($30.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($204.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $601.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:25 EST-0500

Yeah, you know, thats a good point. I’ve been consider a 1080p monitor and a lesser GPU.

 

This is my build for that philosophy, plus a ~$130 1080p monitor:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NPCFcf
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NPCFcf/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.50 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($204.99 @ Micro Center) 
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($32.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $869.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:32 EST-0500

 

[Streetguru]

5 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

How much do those usually go for? 

about $250 I edited my build to include one, but ya, maybe buy a nice chair with some of the money, or anything else really, an i5 + 380 will be fine for your needs.

[Streetguru]

Just now, DutchTexan said:

Yeah, you know, thats a good point. I’ve been consider a 1080p monitor and a lesser GPU.

 

The overclocking CPU and 16gbs of RAM is unnecessary

[daniellearmouth]

1 minute ago, DutchTexan said:

My router is downstairs

Look into powerline adapters.

 

As for the build itself, yep, pretty solid.

If there was a thing I would change, it would probably be the case, though that's your preference and not mine.

[DutchTexan]

1 minute ago, Streetguru said:

The overclocking CPU and 16gbs of RAM is unnecessary

Another good point, but how okay will my original build be compared to what is out 2 years from now?

[Streetguru]

2 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

Another good point, but how okay will my original build be compared to what is out 2 years from now?

Anything you build now will be outdated in 2 years, not unusable, just outdated. Also you can get a 150 foot Cat 6 cable on the fairly cheap if you can find a way to run it, around 30 bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Aurum-Cables-Outdoor-waterproof-Cable/dp/B00EO4SWA8/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455486035&sr=8-2&keywords=150+foot+Cat+6+Aurum

[DutchTexan]

8 minutes ago, CJPowell27 said:

I would go with a seagate barracuda, faster for the same price. Maybe consider a different CPU cooler, but other than that you're good.

Also, I bet you could find a 144 Hz monitor for that price

Can you find me one on Amazon or Newegg, please?

[DutchTexan]

16 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

Anything you build now will be outdated in 2 years, not unusable, just outdated. Also you can get a 150 foot Cat 6 cable on the fairly cheap if you can find a way to run it, around 30 bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Aurum-Cables-Outdoor-waterproof-Cable/dp/B00EO4SWA8/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455486035&sr=8-2&keywords=150+foot+Cat+6+Aurum

Im a solid 70 feet from the top of the stairs and the bottom of the turning stairs are a solid 50 yards from my parents’ router.

[Aereldor]

37 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

I’m not actually a gamer, but I want to build a solid computer that will last me years and years (at least 5 or 6). I’m not very educated on the subject. I really only play starcraft 2 and will spend most my time doing homework or watching videos. I’m not too sure if I will overclock immediately, but I will one day!

 

I will be buying a 32GB usb stick, a cheap external optical drive, and an HDMI cable on top of this. I have a windows 7 key.

 

Here’s what I have painstakingly been putting together on pcpartpicker:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/W9rpyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.50 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($32.99 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor  ($267.58 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1321.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 16:20 EST-0500

 

My main thoughts are how good the motherboard is and if I could get a better power supply for around the same money. However, this is about as much as I would want to spend.

That looks great. For someone new to this, you certainly know how to pick your parts.

MSI motherboards come with a simple, navigable UEFI bios that makes setup and overclocking easy, although I'm not sure about the motherboard choice in particular. You could ask people who have personal experience with Z170-series motherbaords by inquiring about it in the Motherboards subforum here.

 

 

[DutchTexan]

11 minutes ago, Aereldor said:

That looks great. For someone new to this, you certainly know how to pick your parts.

MSI motherboards come with a simple, navigable UEFI bios that makes setup and overclocking easy, although I'm not sure about the motherboard choice in particular. You could ask people who have personal experience with Z170-series motherbaords by inquiring about it in the Motherboards subforum here.

 

 

Okay thanks! I’m really not sure what other motherboard to get for the price that has good ratings. I sort parts on pcpartpicker from the highest rating down and then pick something at a good price.

 

I’ve also had several great suggestions from this website.

[Streetguru]

43 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

Im a solid 70 feet from the top of the stairs and the bottom of the turning stairs are a solid 50 yards from my parents’ router.

How are you getting like any signal at all from that distance? should get a second line installed if possible

Should look up reviews on any hardware rather than purely going off of ratings, the CX/NEX PSUs are highly rated, yet from a place like Jonnyguru, they're actually rather sub par as far as power supplies go.

[DutchTexan]

11 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

How are you getting like any signal at all from that distance? should get a second line installed if possible

Should look up reviews on any hardware rather than purely going off of ratings, the CX/NEX PSUs are highly rated, yet from a place like Jonnyguru, they're actually rather sub par as far as power supplies go.

It’s almost directly underneath me:p

[BurblingBarbacoa]

I would go down to a 380 or a 950 or something along those lines and ditch that cpu for something cheaper like an i5 6400 or a i3 6100. That will 100% fine for what you are doing and then  you can splash out son something that you can actually see the benefits of, like a nice big monitor. Maybe even 1440p or IPS or somthing like that. Maybe a mechanical keyboard... 

[Beepen]

You could probably even get away with a G3258 (cliché I know). Or something else:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($62.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($44.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($35.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card  ($159.99 @ NCIX US) 
Case: Fractal Design Core 1300 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive  ($17.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $482.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 18:01 EST-0500

[SteveGrabowski0]

Unlocked i5 and R9 390 to watch videos and do homework? That has to be the stupidest use of $1300 I have ever seen.

[Streetguru]

18 minutes ago, DutchTexan said:

It’s almost directly underneath me:p

You said it was like 50 yards away...

 

 

11 minutes ago, Beepen said:

You could probably even get away with a G3258 (cliché I know). Or something else:

You can't OC a G3258 on that board, and it wouldn't be worth it at all with that budget.

[CJPowell27]

1 hour ago, DutchTexan said:

Can you find me one on Amazon or Newegg, please?

To be honest this is what I would go with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($224.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14S_BK 68.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($126.99 @ Micro Center) 
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($84.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($308.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($207.58 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1240.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-14 18:34 EST-0500

 

When I said 120 Hz I meant in 1080p which this build has, however you could go for 1440p (which is what I would do) and would still be cheaper than your other one without compromising any performance or downgrading GPUs