Putting a Rig Together with a $3k Budget

[Exprima]

Build 1: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cjvCgL

 

Build 2: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/vGmJTH

 

Hey guys, I'm tryna put a build together soon. My budget is $3000 overall including all the peripherals. So far I have the PCPP list above, but am definitely open to further suggestions.

[KeFy]

looks solid

[EunSoo]

raid with ssds isn't worth much. Its better to get a faster nvme drive. If your mobo has an m.2 slot, get one of them.

 

Also get this monitor instead:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CwgPxr/dell-s2417dg-238-165hz-monitor-s2417dg

[knightslugger]

9 minutes ago, Exprima said:

my biggest question is, would it be worth it to scrap the mechanical HDD and run two 2TB SSDs in RAID 0 instead?

If you're after speed, that's what I would do: NVME boot drive with RAID0 2 SSD for storage on the SATA bus.

[D148xZ]

I'd get Windows from kinguin

https://www.kinguin.net/category/19429/windows-10-professional-oem-key/

[bgibbz]

i would get a single 1tb ssd, and 2 3tb hdds in raid 0. Getting a 5tb 5400rpm hdd makes no sense.

[Exprima]

3 minutes ago, SCGazelle said:

raid with ssds isn't worth much. Its better to get a faster nvme drive. If your mobo has an m.2 slot, get one of them.

 

Also get this monitor instead:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CwgPxr/dell-s2417dg-238-165hz-monitor-s2417dg

Definitely looks great, is it IPS? I may just be blind but I don't see the panel type on Amazon.

[EunSoo]

1 minute ago, Exprima said:

Definitely looks great, is it IPS? I may just be blind but I don't see the panel type on Amazon.

No, it is not, but its a pretty good TN panel. I chose it mostly because of the 165hz.

[NTDaws]

id buy a nvme ssd.

[D148xZ]

You could even get a sound card and act like an audiophile

[dizmo]

There's a few things that I'd personally look at changing:

• Get a cheaper AIO
• Get a cheaper PSU
• Get an m.2 SSD, perhaps even bumping up to 1TB. Even if it's not NVMe it saves you cabling
• Personally I wouldn't get an ASRock board
• I'd get a different HDD. Do you need 5TB? That's a ton of space

What makes you want to go with 2 2TB SSDs in RAID0? What would the purpose be?

 

6 minutes ago, bgibbz said:

i would get a single 1tb ssd, and 2 3tb hdds in raid 0. Getting a 5tb 5400rpm hdd makes no sense.

Except if it's for mass storage, which I'd imagine it likely is.

[Exprima]

2 minutes ago, SCGazelle said:

No, it is not, but its a pretty good TN panel. I chose it mostly because of the 165hz.

I think I'll pass on that, then. The CPU, mobo, and GPU are not set in stone yet as I'm waiting for Ryzen and Vega to come out before I make a decision. Would rather have a high resolution Freesync panel at this moment.

[EunSoo]

3 minutes ago, Exprima said:

I think I'll pass on that, then. The CPU, mobo, and GPU are not set in stone yet as I'm waiting for Ryzen and Vega to come out before I make a decision. Would rather have a high resolution Freesync panel at this moment.

Fair enough

[Exprima]

5 minutes ago, dizmo said:

There's a few things that I'd personally look at changing:

• Get a cheaper AIO
• Get a cheaper PSU
• Get an m.2 SSD, perhaps even bumping up to 1TB. Even if it's not NVMe it saves you cabling
• Personally I wouldn't get an ASRock board
• I'd get a different HDD. Do you need 5TB? That's a ton of space

What makes you want to go with 2 2TB SSDs in RAID0? What would the purpose be?

 

Except if it's for mass storage, which I'd imagine it likely is.

Tbh I don't really think I need the mass storage, I just like to be sure I'll never run out of space. I don't really care much for cabling as I do aesthetics. The H440 has 2 2.5" SSD mounts in the front which is fine for my needs. Are NVME performance gains worth the extra dough? The main reason I'm leaning towards that particular 5tb HDD is it's 2.5", but my friend tells me it sucks because it's only 5400rpm, so I'm considering just getting two 1tb SSDs in RAID 0 instead as it only costs roughly $100 more and I feel like 2tb should be more than what I need.

 

The AIO is being splurged on for aesthetic reasons. The PSU is based on experience, only Seasonic has proven to be 100% reliable to me and I wanted all black cables.

[Exprima]

14 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

If you're after speed, that's what I would do: NVME boot drive with RAID0 2 SSD for storage on the SATA bus.

Is that worth the money, tho? My original idea was a 512gb NVME SSD and two 1tb SATA SSDs in RAID0 bus is that worth it tho?

[dizmo]

13 minutes ago, Exprima said:

Tbh I don't really think I need the mass storage, I just like to be sure I'll never run out of space. I don't really care much for cabling as I do aesthetics. The H440 has 2 2.5" SSD mounts in the front which is fine for my needs. Are NVME performance gains worth the extra dough? The main reason I'm leaning towards that particular 5tb HDD is it's 2.5", but my friend tells me it sucks because it's only 5400rpm, so I'm considering just getting two 1tb SSDs in RAID 0 instead as it only costs roughly $100 more and I feel like 2tb should be more than what I need.

Cabling and aesthetics are directly related.

Depends what you're doing. Is it just for gaming? Not so much.

Haha, I don't think you need to worry too much with 4TB! It's seriously loads of space. I have a 2TB external I've had for 3 years, download a ton of movies, and am only now approaching capacity.

Ahh, gotcha. I most definitely would not, if it's for mass storage. RAID0 brings forth a multitude of reliability issues.

If anything, just get a 2TB 2.5" HDD if you really have to have a 2.5" drive, or one 2TB SSD.

It's a waste for mass storage though. 5400rpm only sucks if you're trying to run programs from it.

 

Here's something to consider. It's only $2 more, but you get:

• 1TB NVMe drive. Not as fast as Samsung's but it's a nice in between for price and speed.
• "Only" 4TB of mass storage, but as you said, you don't really need it
• The motherboard has a cover for the m.2 drive, so the green isn't seen.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($344.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme S 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($174.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Intel 600p Series 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($334.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($126.89 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 8GB AMP! Edition Video Card  ($580.66 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT H440 (Matte Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($100.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($88.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($88.58 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: LG 27UD68-P 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($429.00 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech G610 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($96.85 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G403 Prodigy Wired Optical Mouse  ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Speakers: Mackie CR3 50W 2ch Speakers  ($99.99 @ Jet)
Total: $2711.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-25 15:29 EST-0500

 

[Exprima]

2 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Cabling and aesthetics are directly related.

Depends what you're doing. Is it just for gaming? Not so much.

Haha, I don't think you need to worry too much with 4TB! It's seriously loads of space. I have a 2TB external I've had for 3 years, download a ton of movies, and am only now approaching capacity.

Ahh, gotcha. I most definitely would not, if it's for mass storage. RAID0 brings forth a multitude of reliability issues.

If anything, just get a 2TB 2.5" HDD if you really have to have a 2.5" drive, or one 2TB SSD.

It's a waste for mass storage though. 5400rpm only sucks if you're trying to run programs from it.

 

Here's something to consider. It's only $2 more, but you get:

• 1TB NVMe drive. Not as fast as Samsung's but it's a nice in between for price and speed.
• "Only" 4TB of mass storage, but as you said, you don't really need it
• The motherboard has a cover for the m.2 drive, so the green isn't seen.

 

Did you mean to send a link with that? I'm also considering a 512gb Plextor M8PE for the boot drive and maybe two 1tb MX300s for storage, even if not in RAID 0. Is it RAID if I just combined the two capacities but with no striping?

[Praesi]

Get a decent Keyboard at least. The G910 should be a no brainer with that budget.

[bgibbz]

24 minutes ago, dizmo said:

 

 

Except if it's for mass storage, which I'd imagine it likely is.

2x 3tb in raid 0 is faster, cheaper, and more storage. 

[Exprima]

3 minutes ago, Praesi said:

Get a decent Keyboard at least. The G910 should be a no brainer with that budget.

Too "gamery" and what's wrong with the G610? It's got Cherry MX Reds.

[knightslugger]

38 minutes ago, Exprima said:

Is that worth the money, tho? My original idea was a 512gb NVME SSD and two 1tb SATA SSDs in RAID0 bus is that worth it tho?

well WORTH is hardly up to me to decide when it's your perception of wealth that matters.

 

i will tell you it's balls faster.

[dizmo]

35 minutes ago, Exprima said:

Did you mean to send a link with that? I'm also considering a 512gb Plextor M8PE for the boot drive and maybe two 1tb MX300s for storage, even if not in RAID 0. Is it RAID if I just combined the two capacities but with no striping?

RAID0 combines the 2 drives so it's seen as one. However if one drive fails, you lose everything.

RAID5 mirrors them iirc.

I added it in a minute or two after I posted.

A single 2TB drive is the same cost, and has a significantly longer warranty (generally). They also generally perform better.

You don't need RAID0 for mass storage. It's a stupid idea. In day to day use you'll notice absolutely no difference.

I'd bet you'd hardly notice a difference between an SSD and an HDD tbh.

31 minutes ago, bgibbz said:

2x 3tb in raid 0 is faster, cheaper, and more storage. 

Plus a much increased chance of failure. Granted, he picked an expensive drive. There are cheaper ways to get that kind of storage, WD Blues for example.

30 minutes ago, Exprima said:

Too "gamery" and what's wrong with the G610? It's got Cherry MX Reds.

I'd look into something with a wrist rest, but that's just a personal preference.

The G.Skill KM780 is quite nice, and sometimes on sale ridiculously cheap. Think K70 but better.

Have you tried MX switches before?

[Exprima]

14 minutes ago, dizmo said:

RAID0 combines the 2 drives so it's seen as one. However if one drive fails, you lose everything.

RAID5 mirrors them iirc.

I added it in a minute or two after I posted.

A single 2TB drive is the same cost, and has a significantly longer warranty (generally). They also generally perform better.

You don't need RAID0 for mass storage. It's a stupid idea. In day to day use you'll notice absolutely no difference.

I'd bet you'd hardly notice a difference between an SSD and an HDD tbh.

Plus a much increased chance of failure. Granted, he picked an expensive drive. There are cheaper ways to get that kind of storage, WD Blues for example.

I'd look into something with a wrist rest, but that's just a personal preference.

The G.Skill KM780 is quite nice, and sometimes on sale ridiculously cheap. Think K70 but better.

Have you tried MX switches before?

Really liking the build that you put together, but it doesn't appeal to me when I picture the aesthetics. I guess I'm really shallow.

 

What about this one? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8Ydw8K

 

And yes I've tried blues, browns, and reds. Reds being my favorite, I hate blues.

[dizmo]

9 minutes ago, Exprima said:

Really liking the build that you put together, but it doesn't appeal to me when I picture the aesthetics. I guess I'm really shallow.

 

What about this one? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8Ydw8K

 

And yes I've tried blues, browns, and reds. Reds being my favorite, I hate blues.

At lower price points the 960 Evo closes the gap quite significantly, and is actually cheaper in this case by $10.

So get the 960 Evo, it's by far and beyond faster.

 

Other than that it looks good, though honestly you didn't really change anything as far as aesthetics go from the build I did

 

Ah good, most people just research and assume, but you can't know unless you try them.

I too hate Blues.

I also hated my K70 though.

[Exprima]

2 minutes ago, dizmo said:

At lower price points the 960 Evo closes the gap quite significantly, and is actually cheaper in this case by $10.

So get the 960 Evo, it's by far and beyond faster.

 

Other than that it looks good, though honestly you didn't really change anything as far as aesthetics go from the build I did

Not a fan of the way the Water 3.0 looks and I like to match brands lol.