First Mid-sumer build

[knightslugger]

Weird name, Mid-sumer, but i can't quite think of what else to call it.

 

I need the power to game (which i've never done on a PC) on modern titles (No VR planned) but i also want (not need) crazy fast SSD storage for mild content creation (video and photos). Time is not money for my purposes, and i don't generally game with others, so redonkulous FPS is not a big concern. 1080p 60fps gaming with as high a settings i can manage is what i'm after for gaming. content creation i just need a fast CPU and fast storage and i'm sure i'll be happy.

 

My Plan:

 

Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero - Z170

Core i7 6700k

Corsair H100i liquid cooler

16GB (4 x 4GB) Corsair Vengance LPX 3000 DDR4

nVidia GeForce 1070 SC

MasterCooler V750 Powersupply (80 Plus Gold)

Samsung 950 Pro OR Plextor M8PEG that is soon to come - 512GB M.2 NVMe

 

all wrapped up in a Mastercase Pro 5.

 

I've got a FreeNAS box for storage, and if i really think i need it i'll use some western digital spinner, i donno, 2TB black i've got loitering in a drawer.

 

Thoughts? oh, don't care much about cost...

[RGProductions]

1 minute ago, knightslugger said:

 

If you really don't care about cost, I would suggest X99

[JJVGaming]

Good, but you could probably save more to go with 2x8gb instead. Do you have a 1080p 144hz, cuz the extra fps would not really affect anything if your monitor is 60hz unless you want it as a buffer to not go below 60.

[knightslugger]

3 hours ago, RGProductions said:

If you really don't care about cost, I would suggest X99

And give up DMI3? what's the trade?

 

1 hour ago, JJVGaming said:

Good, but you could probably save more to go with 2x8gb instead. Do you have a 1080p 144hz, cuz the extra fps would not really affect anything if your monitor is 60hz unless you want it as a buffer to not go below 60.

THAT is a fine point, and something i had NOT considered (and no i do not, but i can fix that).

[antisleep]

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($80.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($317.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($439.99 @ NCIX US) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($124.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($84.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $1695.92

 

Maybe get a 1060 if you're just playing in 1080p.

[Captain_WD]

8 hours ago, knightslugger said:

~snip~

Hey there

 

The build looks well planned and should suffice for your needs. If the budget is not an issue you could always do better and go after even better performance and settings, depending on where you'd like to go.

The guys gave you some good suggestions regarding the overall platform and the GPU.

You could go with 2x8GB instead of 4x4GB for the memory so you have more room for future upgrades. Though gaming doesn't really need more memory than that, you could always use more RAM in editing and content creation. 

It is a good idea to have a local internal drive in your computer if you are doing work on it. A SSD-only system could work but having an internal HDD could give you far more room for your projects instead of having to transfer them to your file server. WD Black is a good option as it delivers performance and it has a long warranty. If you don't really need the performance you could easily go with a WD Blue too (if you prefer to get a new drive instead of reusing an old one). 

 

One tip from me: if you are reusing the old drive make sure you check its health first so you know the new data from your freshly built PC is safe on it. you can do that by running both the quick and the extended tests of WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic tool on that WD Black you have. 

 

Let me know if you have any questions! 

 

Captain_WD.

[knightslugger]

I'll be sure to check out that tool Cpt. I've shuffled my basket a little on the ram, because i think having 2 slots open for future expandability is a good plan, but i can't help but think that i'm loosing out on a little performance by not dual channeling. can anyone set me straight on that? Do i gain much in dual channel mode or not so much these days?

 

Pretty set on the SSD. I'll wait until Plextor releases their M8PEG to order, MAYBE Samsung will drop their price in the 950? *fingers-crossed* otherwise the M8 is a much less expensive offer and i'm willing to wait. Leaning on the WD Black as an internal mass storage. the NVMe will do all the initial work, then be transferred to the Black when the project is done.

 

Between the G.Skill and the Corsair when it comes to memory... is there any REAL benefit to one vs. the other or is it all heat spreader design?

 

 

[antisleep]

6 hours ago, knightslugger said:

I'll be sure to check out that tool Cpt. I've shuffled my basket a little on the ram, because i think having 2 slots open for future expandability is a good plan, but i can't help but think that i'm loosing out on a little performance by not dual channeling. can anyone set me straight on that? Do i gain much in dual channel mode or not so much these days?

 

Pretty set on the SSD. I'll wait until Plextor releases their M8PEG to order, MAYBE Samsung will drop their price in the 950? *fingers-crossed* otherwise the M8 is a much less expensive offer and i'm willing to wait. Leaning on the WD Black as an internal mass storage. the NVMe will do all the initial work, then be transferred to the Black when the project is done.

 

Between the G.Skill and the Corsair when it comes to memory... is there any REAL benefit to one vs. the other or is it all heat spreader design?

1x16gb = single channel

2x8gb = dual channel

4x4gb = quad channel

 

>there's the difference on ram speed and latency, but i went with the Gskill TridentZ mainly for the design and they're at the same price point

 

[Captain_WD]

22 hours ago, knightslugger said:

~snip~

Check the video that @antisleep posted, it should give you quite good info on the topic.

 

WD Black is a good drive and should continue serving you quite well. Make sure you monitor its health every once in a while so you are not caught by surprise if something happens. 

 

Captain_WD.

[knightslugger]

I always assumed you had to install them in pairs. if there was a chip in A1, there had to be a chip in A2 (if there was a A2) but B1 & B2 could be left open. i always called that kind of setup single channel as it was one (single) bank of memory.

 

Maybe i need an (re)education? I sure got an education about PCI lanes from a recent conversation here.

 

 

[knightslugger]

So here's what i ended up with:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($339.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! PURE ROCK 51.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($157.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Plextor M8Pe 512GB PCI-E Solid State Drive 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($424.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($85.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($142.98 @ Newegg) 
Other: ASUS TPM 2.0 Module (Purchased)
Total: $1481.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-07 14:51 EST-0500