White gaming PC - high end, looks are important

[lachyman]

Hello,

a friend of mine is planning to build a new PC with one goal in mind, to do everything right, in accordance to his vision. The budget is quite high, €1600-1700 and this does not include storage, because he wants to just move his SSD+HDD over to the new machine. As mentioned in the title, looks are one of the most important factors here, the color scheme is black & white. Apart from that he prefers classy looks, so no weird shapes and just some white LEDs to light up the interior and that's it. I picked the Corsair 400C white case for him because he said it fits him perfectly and as I know Corsair it should be quality. So here is the rest of the build, don't look at the prices however because we are in the EU:

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($242.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler  ($149.99 @ B&H) 
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  ($6.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z270-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($159.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($105.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($629.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Corsair Carbide 400C White ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition 37.9 CFM  120mm Fan  ($16.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM  120mm Fans  ($26.44 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($20.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($13.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1569.01
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 16:17 EST-0500

 

 He might not get a 1080 if in the meantime new cards are announced, he just said he wants the best single-core GPU he can afford without sacrificing other things, preferably EVGA as the ACX cooler not only looks really good but we also have positive experience with the noise levels and EVGA warranty. The 750W PSU is there to handle any future additions, possibly SLI or watercooling. Currently I put the NZXT X52 in there, it looks a lot better than air coolers and the budget can handle it. PCPartPicker says some Z170 boards might need a BIOS update before using Kaby Lake, though I don't know if that's true for the one I picked or not. 

 

Thanks for reading, I would like to know the opinions of others on this build I created.

Edited January 12, 2017 by lachyman
Changed the motherboard to Z270 as people have advised.

[NTDaws]

Is that euros I can't tell

[lachyman]

Just now, Dawson Wehage said:

Is that euros I can't tell

Don't look at the prices PCPartPicker put there because those are US stores, it comes up to around €1650 where he can buy those things from, in Austria.

[weberdarren97]

Z170 motherboard with a Kaby Lake CPU? How about no. It won't run the CPU with default BIOS. You'll need a Skylake CPU to update BIOS before you can use a Kaby Lake CPU.

 

TBH, Kaby Lake is the result of a complacent Intel. How about the i5 6600K?

[NTDaws]

1 minute ago, weberdarren97 said:

Z170 motherboard with a Kaby Lake CPU? How about no. It won't run the CPU with default BIOS. You'll need a Skylake CPU to update BIOS before you can use a Kaby Lake CPU.

 

TBH, Kaby Lake is the result of a complacent Intel. How about the i5 6600K?

No, it makes sense to get a kaby lake because the prices are almost the same right now

[weberdarren97]

1 minute ago, Dawson Wehage said:

No, it makes sense to get a kaby lake because the prices are almost the same right now

But his motherboard can't run a Kaby Lake CPU without a BIOS update.

 

Also, batch one of Kaby Lake has shown to have crazy voltage fluctuations. I'm no noobie to the silicon lottery, but Kaby Lake seems to have larger default voltage deltas than most. There is no improvement in IPC between Skylake and Kaby Lake. I suggest either get a Skylake CPU (which I guess you guys disagree with), or get a Z270 motherboard which is designed to work with Kaby Lake from factory.

[kurtstir]

11 minutes ago, lachyman said:

Hello,

a friend of mine is planning to build a new PC with one goal in mind, to do everything right, in accordance to his vision. The budget is quite high, €1600-1700 and this does not include storage, because he wants to just move his SSD+HDD over to the new machine. As mentioned in the title, looks are one of the most important factors here, the color scheme is black & white. Apart from that he prefers classy looks, so no weird shapes and just some white LEDs to light up the interior and that's it. I picked the Corsair 400C white case for him because he said it fits him perfectly and as I know Corsair it should be quality. So here is the rest of the build, don't look at the prices however because we are in the EU:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($242.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler  ($149.99 @ B&H) 
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  ($6.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.10 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($105.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($629.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Corsair Carbide 400C White ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition 37.9 CFM  120mm Fan  ($16.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM  120mm Fans  ($26.44 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($20.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($13.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1558.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 15:50 EST-0500

 

 He might not get a 1080 if in the meantime new cards are announced, he just said he wants the best single-core GPU he can afford without sacrificing other things, preferably EVGA as the ACX cooler not only looks really good but we also have positive experience with the noise levels and EVGA warranty. The 750W PSU is there to handle any future additions, possibly SLI or watercooling. Currently I put the NZXT X52 in there, it looks a lot better than air coolers and the budget can handle it. PCPartPicker says some Z170 boards might need a BIOS update before using Kaby Lake, though I don't know if that's true for the one I picked or not. 

 

Thanks for reading, I would like to know the opinions of others on this build I created.

Please Replace your build with this in the post. This is the correct list!

 

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£233.99 @ Aria PC) 
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler  (£128.90 @ Alza) 
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  (£6.95 @ Amazon UK) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£131.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  (£100.98 @ Amazon UK) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  (£645.90 @ Alza) 
Case: Corsair Carbide 400C White ATX Mid Tower Case  (£88.92 @ Ebuyer) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  (£116.63 @ More Computers) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition 37.9 CFM  120mm Fan  (£14.43 @ Amazon UK) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM  120mm Fans  (£23.98 @ Amazon UK) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fans  (£15.48 @ Amazon UK) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fan  (£10.94 @ Ebuyer) 
Total: £1519.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 21:04 GMT+0000

[lachyman]

1 minute ago, weberdarren97 said:

Z170 motherboard with a Kaby Lake CPU? How about no. It won't run the CPU with default BIOS. You'll need a Skylake CPU to update BIOS before you can use a Kaby Lake CPU.

 

TBH, Kaby Lake is the result of a complacent Intel. How about the i5 6600K?

I don't really know what the diffirence between the two is, but the price is virtually the same here and this one is newer so I put it there. PCPartPicker said some, implying not all Z170 boards may need a BIOS update, without providing a list however, so I don't know if it is the case for this one or not. But I can switch it up for a Z270 board I think, that will not be a problem because they are not a lot more expensive.

[weberdarren97]

1 minute ago, kurtstir said:

Please Replace your build with this in the post. This is the correct list!

But you still didn't use a factory compatible motherboard. It will need a BIOS update to use that CPU and won't run to update the BIOS unless you provide it with a Skylake CPU.

[weberdarren97]

2 minutes ago, lachyman said:

But I can switch it up for a Z270 board I think, that will not be a problem because they are not a lot more expensive.

I definitely recommend doing this.

[kurtstir]

1 minute ago, weberdarren97 said:

But you still didn't use a factory compatible motherboard. It will need a BIOS update to use that CPU and won't run to update the BIOS unless you provide it with a Skylake CPU.

I didn't change his build. All I did was update it to the correct currency and stores

[weberdarren97]

1 minute ago, kurtstir said:

I didn't change his build. All I did was update it to the correct currency and stores

I feel stupid now.

[kurtstir]

15 minutes ago, lachyman said:

Hello,

a friend of mine is planning to build a new PC with one goal in mind, to do everything right, in accordance to his vision. The budget is quite high, €1600-1700 and this does not include storage, because he wants to just move his SSD+HDD over to the new machine. As mentioned in the title, looks are one of the most important factors here, the color scheme is black & white. Apart from that he prefers classy looks, so no weird shapes and just some white LEDs to light up the interior and that's it. I picked the Corsair 400C white case for him because he said it fits him perfectly and as I know Corsair it should be quality. So here is the rest of the build, don't look at the prices however because we are in the EU:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($242.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler  ($149.99 @ B&H) 
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste  ($6.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.10 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($105.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($629.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Corsair Carbide 400C White ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition 37.9 CFM  120mm Fan  ($16.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM  120mm Fans  ($26.44 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fans  ($20.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($13.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $1558.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 15:50 EST-0500

 

 He might not get a 1080 if in the meantime new cards are announced, he just said he wants the best single-core GPU he can afford without sacrificing other things, preferably EVGA as the ACX cooler not only looks really good but we also have positive experience with the noise levels and EVGA warranty. The 750W PSU is there to handle any future additions, possibly SLI or watercooling. Currently I put the NZXT X52 in there, it looks a lot better than air coolers and the budget can handle it. PCPartPicker says some Z170 boards might need a BIOS update before using Kaby Lake, though I don't know if that's true for the one I picked or not. 

 

Thanks for reading, I would like to know the opinions of others on this build I created.

trust me use the list I replied with its the same but with correct currency and stores

[Edea]

3 minutes ago, weberdarren97 said:

But his motherboard can't run a Kaby Lake CPU without a BIOS update.

 

Also, batch one of Kaby Lake has shown to have crazy voltage fluctuations. I'm no noobie to the silicon lottery, but Kaby Lake seems to have larger default voltage deltas than most. There is no improvement in IPC between Skylake and Kaby Lake. I suggest either get a Skylake CPU (which I guess you guys disagree with), or get a Z270 motherboard which is designed to work with Kaby Lake from factory.

Either get Z270 with Kaby Lake or Z170 with Skylake. I see no point in getting newer cpu but older board either..

[lachyman]

Just now, kurtstir said:

I didn't change his build. All I did was update it to the correct currency and stores

Not really, we are not Brits, the parts are to be purchased in Austria and PCPartPicker does not cover this country, there is only Germany with diffirent stores and some products I mentioned are not there.

[weberdarren97]

Ignore this

[lachyman]

Just now, weberdarren97 said:

PCPartPicker supports Australia.

 

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/

Austria is no Australia though. 

We live here: 

[weberdarren97]

I know that, I just read it wrong. Ever heard of Dyslexia?

[lachyman]

1 minute ago, weberdarren97 said:

I know that, I just read it wrong. Ever heard of Dyslexia?

Chill, I don't mind, people make that mistake all the time for various reasons, my point was to definitely clarify, not to offend.

[stconquest]

All good quality components and not a Corsair part in the list.... no offense Corsair =P.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (€381.60 @ Amazon Deutschland)
CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€73.00 @ Aquatuning)
Motherboard: ASRock Z270 Killer SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (€157.70 @ Mindfactory)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (€145.29 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  (€695.94 @ Mindfactory)
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case  (€80.83 @ Mindfactory)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  (€89.49 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM  140mm Fan  (€9.79 @ Aquatuning)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM  140mm Fan  (€9.79 @ Aquatuning)
Total: €1643.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 22:25 CET+0100

[lachyman]

5 minutes ago, stconquest said:

All good quality components and not a Corsair part in the list.... no offense Corsair =P.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (€381.60 @ Amazon Deutschland)
CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (€73.00 @ Aquatuning)
Motherboard: ASRock Z270 Killer SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (€157.70 @ Mindfactory)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (€145.29 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  (€695.94 @ Mindfactory)
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case  (€80.83 @ Mindfactory)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  (€89.49 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM  140mm Fan  (€9.79 @ Aquatuning)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM  140mm Fan  (€9.79 @ Aquatuning)
Total: €1643.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-12 22:25 CET+0100

Why the i7 in a mainly gaming PC though?

[stconquest]

9 minutes ago, lachyman said:

Why the i7 in a mainly gaming PC though?

High end gaming rig and and i5 don't mix.  Some games benefit from the extra threads.  The i7 is well within his budget.

 

What kind of monitor does your friend have.  A GTX 1080 driving a 1920x1080, 60Hz panel is an awful waste.

 

@lachyman  The i7 should lasted a minimum of five years, more like 7-10.  Do you know how games will utilize hardware a year from now?  Go with the i7.  It can't hurt.

 

Also, Ryzen should launch before March.  Might be worth waiting for.

[lachyman]

Just now, stconquest said:

High end gaming rig and and i5 don't mix.  Some games benefit from the extra threads.  The i7 is well within his budget.

 

What you should be asking the OP is what kind of monitor does his friend have.  A GTX 1080 driving a 1920x1080, 60Hz panel is an awful waste.

I just can't justify investing €110 more into just hyper-threading, nor can I imagine a latest i5 with some OC being a bottleneck. 

 

He plans to buy a 4K monitor for the new computer as they are pretty affordable now.

[stconquest]

1 minute ago, lachyman said:

I just can't justify investing €110 more into just hyper-threading, nor can I imagine a latest i5 with some OC being a bottleneck. 

 

He plans to buy a 4K monitor for the new computer as they are pretty affordable now.

Because of the 4K monitor, the i5 might not be so bad.  Still, go with the i7 and get an air cooler instead of water.  That way it is not $110 more.

 

 

[lachyman]

2 minutes ago, stconquest said:

Because of the 4K monitor, the i5 might not be so bad.  Still, go with the i7 and get an air cooler instead of water.  That way it is not $110 more.

 

 

Well if he went for the i5 + the AiO i picked he would be able to possibly overclock it more or get better temps, also he would get the superior looks he keeps dreaming about. Personally I might would have went for the i7, probably saved up a bit more, but I have to respect what is important for him and I know he would not really like a giant black thing in his PC overshadowing everything else, I can understand that.