My First Ever Gaming PC

[SwervinPersian]

Hi everyone, hope yall having a great day

 

So after being absouletely dissapointed with my BF1 gaming experience on my Xbox One S I decided to build my first ever rig. I have done weeks of research prior to purchasing my parts but I have finally bought 80% of my parts, before I go any further here they are:

 

-NZXT Manta Black

-Intel i5 6600K

-Nvidia GEFORCE GTX 1070 Founders Edition

-San Disk 240GB SSD PLUS 2.5''

-Corsair CSM550 550W

-Seagate 1TB ST1000DM003 3.5''

-NZXT HUE+

 

I used discounts and site comparers to find the cheapest price. In total I have spent €1090,99 till now. 

 

Before I get into my questions I want to state why I picked what. 

First of all I hate PC cases, they all look either too simple or too tacky, but when I saw the Manta I fell in love with it. I do not regret this purchase at all.

As I will be gaming on this rig, hopefully 1440p 144hz, I wanted a good CPU so it was either the 6500 or the 6600K, thought the extra €30 for a newer part would do no harm.

The GPU I picked primarly because of aesthetics, it just looks so cool! I know the founders edition costs more than the MSI or any other brands' versions, and has one less fan, but when I saw it I knew I had to have this in my rig. Also I read somewhere this is the GPU you want for 144Hz, as I was debating between getting the 1060 or 1070. I ordered the 1060 and cancelled my order same day.

I have seen in many videos that the SSD's of Samsung and Intel show upside down (as in the logo) on the NZXT Manta, and in another video I saw that with San Disk it was the right side up. So when I saw it for 10€ discount I had to buy it (530Mb/s).

The PSU I bought had 50% off so I bought that immediately.

The harddrive was also discounted with 10€ so I bought that too.

I had seen videos of the NZXT HUE+ and I knew I needed to have it, when I saw it with 20€ discount I bought it ASAP!

 

As you can see I am missing a mini ITX motherboard (as the case is a mini ITX), 2x 8GB DDR4 RAM, some fans, thermal paste and liquid cpu cooler (I want to opt for the NZXT model to have a set). 

I have not decided what motherboard to go for so I would love to hear from yall what some good choices are for my rig. 

Also I have seen some RAM with cool lights on it, was wondering which one you guys suggest that will fit my rig. 

What fans should I go for?

 

Next question I have is, is this all compatible? I have checked it out on pcpartspicker.com and it seems to check out. If I am missing anything please let me know!

 

Also as I am a complete noob and will be building this PC by myself I want to know all the other aspects to building besides the parts.

ESD static mats; one of my buddies told me the static in my body could fry up my parts if I don't have this. Do I need this?

Also do I need to use thermal paste on the CPU? Keep in mind I will be buying a NZXT CPU cooler, this liquid cooler needs to be replaced every 2 years right?

I've been told I need to clean my PC with an aerosol airspray regurlaly. 

Also any tips and tricks from you pro's will be highly appreciated. I don't want to mess things up, and want to take absolute care of my parts to maintain a long lifespan and optimal usage.

 

Thanks in advance

 

EDIT: I changed DDR5 or DDR4, did not know they did not exist

 

[iRileyx]

I'd honestly stay away from founders edition cards and get an aftermarket card, better cooling. 
The power supply should be better, If you can afford to an Evga G2/G3 500-550 watt would be fine, or a CX550M if youre on a tight budget.

 

DDR5 ram doesnt exist, you need DDR4. Corsair Vengeance LPX is the usual "go-to"

Edit - Hadn't read youd already purchased the ones listed.

[DarkBlade2117]

Might I add, you chose decent parts except the PSU could of been a bit better and the SSD has horrible IOPs. Read/Write speeds aren't the thing to look for in SSDs, IOPs are and there is a reason you can't find them anywhere for the SSDPLUS

[SwervinPersian]

11 minutes ago, RKRiley said:

I'd honestly stay away from founders edition cards and get an aftermarket card, better cooling. 
The power supply should be better, If you can afford to an Evga G2/G3 500-550 watt would be fine, or a CX550M if youre on a tight budget.

 

DDR5 ram doesnt exist, you need DDR4. Corsair Vengeance LPX is the usual "go-to"

Edit - Hadn't read youd already purchased the ones listed.

I will send the PSU back and purchase one which you have recommended

[Herman Mcpootis]

14 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

 

Also I have seen some RAM with cool lights on it, was wondering which one you guys suggest that will fit my rig. 

What fans should I go for?

 

Next question I have is, is this all compatible? I have checked it out on pcpartspicker.com and it seems to check out. If I am missing anything please let me know!

 

Also as I am a complete noob and will be building this PC by myself I want to know all the other aspects to building besides the parts.

ESD static mats; one of my buddies told me the static in my body could fry up my parts if I don't have this. Do I need this?

Also do I need to use thermal paste on the CPU? Keep in mind I will be buying a NZXT CPU cooler, this liquid cooler needs to be replaced every 2 years right?

I've been told I need to clean my PC with an aerosol airspray regurlaly. 

For the ram, can try avexir core ram or corsair vengeance LED ram. Everything is compatible. You don't really need an ESD mat, just remember to touch the case a few times and you'll be fine. You will need thermal paste for your cpu, the heatsink should already have this.

[SwervinPersian]

12 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Might I add, you chose decent parts except the PSU could of been a bit better and the SSD has horrible IOPs. Read/Write speeds aren't the thing to look for in SSDs, IOPs are and there is a reason you can't find them anywhere for the SSDPLUS

You are right, I will send back my PSU and SSD and choose better parts. Do you recommend a cost effective but still good IOP?

[iRileyx]

1 minute ago, SwervinPersian said:

I will send the PSU back and purchase one which you have recommended

If you go for the Corsair CXm make sure that its a grey label model and not a green one.

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 minute ago, SwervinPersian said:

I will send the PSU back and purchase one which you have recommended

If you already bought it don't worry, its not that bad, tier 3 on the psu tier list. Good enough for a 6600k and 1070.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-updated/

[thenastyjbenny]

15 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

Hi everyone, hope yall having a great day

 

So after being absouletely dissapointed with my BF1 gaming experience on my Xbox One S I decided to build my first ever rig. I have done weeks of research prior to purchasing my parts but I have finally bought 80% of my parts, before I go any further here they are:

 

-NZXT Manta Black

-Intel i5 6600K

-Nvidia GEFORCE GTX 1070 Founders Edition

-San Disk 240GB SSD PLUS 2.5''

-Corsair CSM550 550W

-Seagate 1TB ST1000DM003 3.5''

-NZXT HUE+

 

I used discounts and site comparers to find the cheapest price. In total I have spent €1090,99 till now. 

 

Before I get into my questions I want to state why I picked what. 

First of all I hate PC cases, they all look either too simple or too tacky, but when I saw the Manta I fell in love with it. I do not regret this purchase at all.

As I will be gaming on this rig, hopefully 1440p 144hz, I wanted a good CPU so it was either the 6500 or the 6600K, thought the extra €30 for a newer part would do no harm.

The GPU I picked primarly because of aesthetics, it just looks so cool! I know the founders edition costs more than the MSI or any other brands' versions, and has one less fan, but when I saw it I knew I had to have this in my rig. Also I read somewhere this is the GPU you want for 144Hz, as I was debating between getting the 1060 or 1070. I ordered the 1060 and cancelled my order same day.

I have seen in many videos that the SSD's of Samsung and Intel show upside down (as in the logo) on the NZXT Manta, and in another video I saw that with San Disk it was the right side up. So when I saw it for 10€ discount I had to buy it (530Mb/s).

The PSU I bought had 50% off so I bought that immediately.

The harddrive was also discounted with 10€ so I bought that too.

I had seen videos of the NZXT HUE+ and I knew I needed to have it, when I saw it with 20€ discount I bought it ASAP!

 

As you can see I am missing a mini ITX motherboard (as the case is a mini ITX), 2x 8GB DDR5 RAM, some fans, thermal paste and liquid cpu cooler (I want to opt for the NZXT model to have a set). 

I have not decided what motherboard to go for so I would love to hear from yall what some good choices are for my rig. 

Also I have seen some RAM with cool lights on it, was wondering which one you guys suggest that will fit my rig. 

What fans should I go for?

 

Next question I have is, is this all compatible? I have checked it out on pcpartspicker.com and it seems to check out. If I am missing anything please let me know!

 

Also as I am a complete noob and will be building this PC by myself I want to know all the other aspects to building besides the parts.

ESD static mats; one of my buddies told me the static in my body could fry up my parts if I don't have this. Do I need this?

Also do I need to use thermal paste on the CPU? Keep in mind I will be buying a NZXT CPU cooler, this liquid cooler needs to be replaced every 2 years right?

I've been told I need to clean my PC with an aerosol airspray regurlaly. 

Also any tips and tricks from you pro's will be highly appreciated. I don't want to mess things up, and want to take absolute care of my parts to maintain a long lifespan and optimal usage.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

Yes you must use thermal paste. Pretty much use thermal paste no matter what. 

 

I would recommend Corsair Vengeance LED series DDR4 RAM. If you want DDR5 you'll be waiting till 2020 like the rest of us.

 

I would send the SSD back and grab a Samsung or Kingston drive for better IOPS. They affect performance more than you think... Sandisks are useful in video recording applications because of their high read/write speed, but the IOPS level on them will hurt your PC's performance because it's required to do more than just transfer data.

 

I would get some sort of anti-static mat just in case. It's a low cost comparing to what you'll save in the long run if you shock one of your components out of existence  

[Kevo05s]

15 minutes ago, RKRiley said:

If you go for the Corsair CXm make sure that its a grey label model and not a green one.

If you return it I STRONGLY recommend an EVGA powersupply, me and my friends have been running their powersupply for over 4 years without issues, and we're talking about 15 different build config with different power requirements.

 

I also have been using HyperX Fury ram since they released them on DDR3 platform, now they have their DDR4 option (which you will need) I think they look great, they overclock great if you want, they are cheap and very stable. Just keep in mind you can only buy one set of 2 sticks since mini-itx form factor only supports 2. 16GB would be your best bet.

 

The Founder Edition card is NOT a bad thing, especially in a mini-itx build, since it throws the hot air out of the case.

Now, on the motherboard; Make sure to buy a mini-itx z170 board. That's all you need to check. the rest will be compatible, no problem. Just check Features, then aesthetics then price. I'd recommend the EVGA stinger.  It's feature packed and is all black, so it blends it with any theme. I really like Gigabyte boards usually, but their "SHOVE RED DOWN YOUR THROAT" trend kept me away from them lately

*Edit: I noticed you didn't talk much about the cooler. I strongly recommend NZXT's Kraken cooler, they look great, a killer good warranty and performs amazing with very little to no noise. And no they don't need to be replaced after 2 years, my kraken had a 6 years warranty, and my friend's x61 has been running for about 4 years now and he has about the same temp as when he got it, and he still has no issue with it*

[SwervinPersian]

4 minutes ago, Kevo05s said:

If you return it I STRONGLY recommend an EVGA powersupply, me and my friends have been running their powersupply for over 4 years without issues, and we're talking about 15 different build config with different power requirements.

 

I also have been using HyperX Fury ram since they released them on DDR3 platform, now they have their DDR4 option (which you will need) I think they look great, they overclock great if you want, they are cheap and very stable. Just keep in mind you can only buy one set of 2 sticks since mini-itx form factor only supports 2. 16GB would be your best bet.

 

The Founder Edition card is NOT a bad thing, especially in a mini-itx build, since it throws the hot air out of the case.

Now, on the motherboard; Make sure to buy a mini-itx z170 board. That's all you need to check. the rest will be compatible, no problem. Just check Features, then aesthetics then price. I'd recommend the EVGA stinger.  It's feature packed and is all black, so it blends it with any theme. I really like Gigabyte boards usually, but their "SHOVE RED DOWN YOUR THROAT" trend kept me away from them lately

*Edit: I noticed you didn't talk much about the cooler. I strongly recommend NZXT's Kraken cooler, they look great, a killer good warranty and performs amazing with very little to no noise*

Do I really need the cooler? I have looked into the NZXT Kraken, and when full set up it removes the beautiful frame of the GTX 1070.

[Kevo05s]

1 minute ago, SwervinPersian said:

Do I really need the cooler? I have looked into the NZXT Kraken, and when full set up it removes the beautiful frame of the GTX 1070.

I'm sorry, the cooler I'm talking about is for your CPU, not your graphics card. I meant something like the Kraken X62 for the CPU

[SwervinPersian]

2 minutes ago, Kevo05s said:

I'm sorry, the cooler I'm talking about is for your CPU, not your graphics card. I meant something like the Kraken X62 for the CPU

Oh haha yeah I did mention that:

 

'Keep in mind I will be buying a NZXT CPU cooler, this liquid cooler needs to be replaced every 2 years right?'

 

Havn't chosen the model yet, but do want it for the complete NZXT look

[Kevo05s]

5 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

Oh haha yeah I did mention that:

 

'Keep in mind I will be buying a NZXT CPU cooler, this liquid cooler needs to be replaced every 2 years right?'

 

Havn't chosen the model yet, but do want it for the complete NZXT look

I kinda read fast the last few parts of your questions since you had quite a few. From what NZXT said you can fit any of their cooler you want in there, if you can afford it the Kraken X62 is the biggest, so you wont need to run your fans as fast to get the same cool temps. and no you dont need to replace it every 2 years... their lifespan is about 5-6 years. most would last longer but I cant guarantee that. the 2 year rule you heard is the maximum lifespan of the liquid in custom loops (which has nothing to do with All-in-One like you're buying)

 

Hope I helped!

[SwervinPersian]

2 minutes ago, Kevo05s said:

I kinda read fast the last few parts of your questions since you had quite a few. From what NZXT said you can fit any of their cooler you want in there, if you can afford it the Kraken X62 is the biggest, so you wont need to run your fans as fast to get the same cool temps. and no you dont need to replace it every 2 years... their lifespan is about 5-6 years. most would last longer but I cant guarantee that. the 2 year rule you heard is the maximum lifespan of the liquid in custom loops (which has nothing to do with All-in-One like you're buying)

 

Hope I helped!

My bad, I know I wrote almost an essay lol

You are helping me so much. Appreciate it a lot! 

My last question was what EVGA PSU do you recommend for my rig? 

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 minute ago, SwervinPersian said:

My bad, I know I wrote almost an essay lol

You are helping me so much. Appreciate it a lot! 

My last question was what EVGA PSU do you recommend for my rig? 

The GQ/GS/G2/G3 are all very good choices, but if you already bought the CSM than don't bother as its good enough.

[Kevo05s]

Just now, SwervinPersian said:

My bad, I know I wrote almost an essay lol

You are helping me so much. Appreciate it a lot! 

My last question was what EVGA PSU do you recommend for my rig? 

I would recommend you the one I'm using right now, the EVGA 650GQ powersupply, it has been running since june for me without an issue, and right now it's keeping a GTX 1080 at 2050MHz and an i6 6700K at 4.7GHz no problem (high overclocks means a clean power in a generally) it's very quiet with it's "ECO mode" which turns off the fan when it doesn't need it

[Kevo05s]

Here's the PC it's in 
[Black 5L1M3]

the build log has not been released since I'm not done doing small details, mods and loop configuration

[SwervinPersian]

14 minutes ago, Kevo05s said:

I would recommend you the one I'm using right now, the EVGA 650GQ powersupply, it has been running since june for me without an issue, and right now it's keeping a GTX 1080 at 2050MHz and an i6 6700K at 4.7GHz no problem (high overclocks means a clean power in a generally) it's very quiet with it's "ECO mode" which turns off the fan when it doesn't need it

I looked into your suggested EVGA Stinger Mini ITX motherboard and I think I will go for it. I did read somewhere that for the NZXT HUE+ I need a USB 2.0 header, does this Stinger motherboard include this? This is what the specs say:

• 'USB – 6 USB 3.0 / 2 USB 2.0'

Also this motherboard cost €250 in The Netherlands while it goes for 139,99$ in the states! The E-172 model. 

That's ridicolous hahah

Edited January 3, 2017 by SwervinPersian

[SwervinPersian]

6 minutes ago, Kevo05s said:

Here's the PC it's in 
[Black 5L1M3]

the build log has not been released since I'm not done doing small details, mods and loop configuration

Very beautiful setup! 

[AdmiralIronside]

9 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

I looked into your suggested EVGA Stinger Mini ITX motherboard and I think I will go for it. I did read somewhere that for the NZXT HUE+ I need a USB 2.0 header, does this Stinger motherboard include this? This is what the specs say:

• 'USB – 6 USB 3.0 / 2 USB 2.0'

 

 

If you use the gaming 5 board you get a m.2 slot and can use a m.2ssd e.g.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nzLm2R

Edited January 3, 2017 by AdmiralIronside
Added case fans to parts list.

[Kevo05s]

4 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

I looked into your suggested EVGA Stinger Mini ITX motherboard and I think I will go for it. I did read somewhere that for the NZXT HUE+ I need a USB 2.0 header, does this Stinger motherboard include this? This is what the specs say:

• 'USB – 6 USB 3.0 / 2 USB 2.0'

Good call, it sadly does not have a USB2 header. 
if you don't mind the red too much, the Gigabyte G1 Gaming Ga-Z170N-Gaming 5 does and have a little bit more features  (like wifi for when you bring it with you, a perk of mini-itx)

[Kevo05s]

One last thing, if you buy a kraken cooler, you don't need thermal paste, it comes pre applied on the cooler, you just have to install it, plug in the wires and you're ready to game!  

 

8 minutes ago, SwervinPersian said:

Very beautiful setup! 

Thanks a lot! a lot of time and work went into it!

[DarkBlade2117]

1 hour ago, SwervinPersian said:

You are right, I will send back my PSU and SSD and choose better parts. Do you recommend a cost effective but still good IOP?

Crucial or PNY is my go-to for Budget SSDs

[SwervinPersian]

3 hours ago, AdmiralIronside said:

If you use the gaming 5 board you get a m.2 slot and can use a m.2ssd e.g.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nzLm2R

So lets say I decided to choose the gaming 5 board, would that mean the m.2ssd will be placed in the motherboard? Meaning I could have an m.2ssd AND a normal ssd?

I want to get the additional ssd to not leave any empty slots in my case

 

A buddy of mine really was trying to get me to get m.2ssd

 

Also could you recommend another mini ITX motherboard that supports my parts, has a 2.0 header USB that does not include red? I'm looking for like a black motherboard to go with the rest of my set

Edited January 3, 2017 by SwervinPersian