[Build Log] Project Halcyon

[StayFrostyy]

It’s finally here. After almost 3 months of research and planning, I have made Project Halcyon a reality. This $900 PC build features an unlocked Intel Core i5 processor based on the Devil’s Canyon architecture, a MSI Gaming X RX 480 graphics card with 8GB of GDDR5, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and an ASRock Z97 motherboard, all inside of a matching black-and-blue NZXT S340 case. So, in the words of Green Ham Gaming, “Grab a cup of tea (or a beer, if that’s more your thing)…” and let’s get started with the Project Halcyon build log.

The Origins of Project Halcyon

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It all began as a simple question; “What do you want for Christmas?” There were several things that came to mind; a new putter for golf season (I am an avid golfer), some new clothes to outfit my wardrobe, and even a new DSLR camera. However, one thing was really on my mind; a new PC. I was using a slow Pentium G3258-based machine, with a weak R7 250X at its graphical core. It could barely handle CS:GO, let alone the triple-A titles I was intending on playing when I could afford new games. I wanted to ditch my console almost completely, but I couldn’t do that without a well-built, reasonably powerful machine at my service. It was then that the search began.

The Parts

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PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RnfqNN
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RnfqNN/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($235.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H50 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.60 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 8GB GAMING X Video Card  ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 44.7 CFM  120mm Fans  ($12.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 44.7 CFM  120mm Fans  ($12.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $881.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-04 22:05 EST-0500

Picking the Components

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CPU

I initially planned to outfit my new rig with an AMD FX-8300 processor, along with some other components that would’ve been able to create a nice, powerful rig on a budget. It was then that my dad told me I’d have to pick between the CPU or the GPU as a gift. But there was a plus side to this; I could get a far more powerful CPU, along with a good motherboard and CPU cooler. I was left with only two reasonable choices; a Skylake i5-6600K, or the older Devil’s Canyon i5-4690K. Seeing as I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford DDR4 RAM to pair with the system, I picked the i5-4690K. Although I did go for the older platform, the benchmarks showed that the performance difference in games was minimal and it was still a very good choice.

CPU Cooler

I’ll make this one short. I wanted to water cool my PC, as it’s quieter and looks a lot cleaner inside. The Corsair H50 was a no-brainer for me; it was from the reliable Corsair name, it looked great, was quieter than the competing high-end air coolers, and reviews indicated that it enabled very good overclocks on the i5-4690K I picked.

Motherboard

For the $100 budget I had available to pick a good Z97 motherboard, there were only a few options available to me.  I could get an open-box ASUS board, a refurbished Gigabyte G1 Gaming motherboard, or a brand-new ASRock Z97 Anniversary. Seeing as I trusted ASRock, and that the reviews on the other motherboards were not great, I picked the ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard.

RAM

The RAM I decided to use was what was already in my Pentium G3258 machine, Project Forerunner. I had two 4GB sticks of G.Skill NS Series DDR3-1333 RAM. I figured this would work well enough, and I could always get either two more 4GB sticks of the same stuff or get a completely new 16GB kit of RAM for about $50 either way later on.

GPU

Oh, boy, this wasn’t an easy choice. I was stuck between the GTX 1060 and the RX 480, and I switched back and forth several times. I had thought I had settled on a Sapphire Nitro+ RX 480 - but then decided on the MSI Gaming X model, as the card runs cooler, quieter, and I believe it will yield a higher overclock. It may not match the color scheme as well, but I’ll take higher overclocks and lower temperatures over aesthetics any day of the week.

Hard Drive

I knew I couldn’t afford to buy an SSD, so I just decided to reuse the Seagate Barracuda 1TB physical HDD I already had in Forerunner.

Power Supply

Picking the right power supply is crucial to any great PC build. I needed a 550W PSU, and I easily narrowed it down to 3 choices; an EVGA Supernova G2, a SeaSonic G-series, and a Corsair CX550M. Seeing as the EVGA PSU was $80, it was simply out of budget. Between the SeaSonic G-series unit and the Corsair CX550M, the SeaSonic was a better built PSU and a better buy.

Case

I originally was picking between the Corsair 100R and the Thermaltake V21. However, a much more attractive option came to my attention. For just $20 more than the 100R, I could get the NZXT S340, which had far superior cable management, a PSU shroud, and best of all, I could get it in a matching black-and-blue color scheme. Therefore, I went with the S340.

Behind the Name

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I’ve always named my PCs after storyline elements in Halo, my favorite childhood game. I named my first build Forerunner, after the race of technologically-advanced beings that preceded the humans. They identified themselves as the Forerunners because they knew they’d be succeeded by a more advanced, superior race later. I named my PC after them for the same reason; I knew it was a good machine, but I also knew I would have a more powerful, superior PC to succeed it in the future.

The Pillar of Autumn was a Halcyon-class UNSC cruiser that you probably saw in the first mission of Halo: Combat Evolved. It wasn’t the biggest class of UNSC ship, but it was still a very powerful ship. I named my PC, again, for similar reason; maybe I didn’t have a 5960X or a Titan XP, but I knew this baby would kick some ass.

Cooling

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Aside from the Corsair H50 cooling the CPU, I have decided to use two 120mm Cooler Master fans I had lying around and put them to use, should my motherboard have enough connectors. The 2x120mm Cooler Master fans would blow cool air onto the components from the front of the case, and the 1x120mm NZXT fan at the top would exhaust any hot air from the system. The rear 120mm slot would be used for the Corsair H50’s radiator and fan. This should hopefully create a nice airflow that should result in better temperatures and thus higher overclocks.

Thanks for tuning in; next update will be in about a week or so, when I actually build this thing. Until then, cheers!

 

[Shiv78]

THE NAME ITSELF HAS MY FOLLOW.

 

#halo4life

#onlyreasoniownanxbox

[arnavvr]

Why did you go with Devil's Canyon and not Skylake/Kaby Lake?

[StayFrostyy]

1 minute ago, arnavvr said:

Why did you go with Devil's Canyon and not Skylake/Kaby Lake?

I wouldn't have been able to afford all of the components I wanted, plus DDR4 RAM.

[Shiv78]

<--- Also, forgot to mention; if you played Reach, look at my Location

[StayFrostyy]

36 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

<--- Also, forgot to mention; if you played Reach, look at my Location

I see, I see

[StayFrostyy]

It's done. I've finally finished the build. It was actually finished on January 7, but I haven't had access to a camera to take some build pictures. However, I just got a new phone (if you're wondering, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) and I'm finally able to share some build pictures with you guys! Obviously, 16GB of RAM and an SSD are upgrades I intend to make within a year or so, but even with what I have, this PC shreds everything I throw at it without even breaking a sweat.

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Thank you guys for all of your help with the build! I'll be around the forums!