First "Properish" Build.

[Swanky]

Hi Guys,

Ill be in the US for a year, so i decided to build a new PC. As I want to carry it back home when i going back (on plane), i decided to go with a small build as i possibly can. Also, as prices back home are double++ what ill be paying for it here, im trying to stuff as much power into it as I possible, so ill be sacrificing looks of the build, so hopefully it will last me 10+ years lol. Im trying to keep it around $1200, but the max i can do it $1300. No SSD/HDD/Windows required. I play CPU heavy games and simulators. I also plan to do an overclock to around 4.5ghz This is what i have so far:

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/92cZd6
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/92cZd6/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($305.06 @ Jet) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($57.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock - Z270M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($118.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Team - Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($111.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Mini Video Card  ($329.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Thermaltake - Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($56.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-R8 redux-1800 PWM 31.4 CFM  80mm Fan  ($9.90 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-R8 redux-1800 PWM 31.4 CFM  80mm Fan  ($9.90 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Acer - R240HY bidx 23.8" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Cooler Master - Lite L Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse  ($52.99 @ Jet) 
Total: $1223.57

 

CPU: I Choose the 6700k over the 7700k, because it was essentially the same, but cheaper, and a little overclock should bring it to par. I even saw one on ebay for $280 which ill look into.

 

Monitor: This is the part that im definitely going to do last as im stumped. I have in mind 3 different monitors, this one, and two other 1440p monitors for $220. The 1440p monitors (25" and 27") will make me cross over the $1300 so im contemplating it still. One the other hand ill be happy with this Accer 1080p, as im currently using a crappy monitor that even isn't 1080p, smaller than this one and paired with the 1070 will blow games out of the water.

 

Any changes/advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Guest]

looks good, get a c1 for better cooling and not so ugly mustard poop noctua if you want

 

[Ctown0812]

4 minutes ago, Swanky said:

-snip-

Looks good except for that monitor.  Using a GTX 1070  for 1080p at 60Hz is a HUGE waste imo.  You need a higher refresh rate monitor to take advantage of those high frame rates, otherwise you'll just end up with really bad screen tearing and nobody wants to use vsync.  a good 1440p monitor wouldn't be bad idea either.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Ctown0812 said:

Looks good except for that monitor.  Using a GTX 1070  for 1080p at 60Hz is a HUGE waste imo.  You need a higher refresh rate monitor to take advantage of those high frame rates, otherwise you'll just end up with really bad screen tearing and nobody wants to use vsync.  a good 1440p monitor wouldn't be bad idea either.

well crysis3, deua ex, watch dogs 2 are sime example of games that would barely making 60fps 1080p with 1070

[EunSoo]

21 minutes ago, Swanky said:

Monitor: This is the part that im definitely going to do last as im stumped.

I gotchu.

 

If you're getting a 1070 you get a 1440p or a 1080p144hz monitor. If you don't you are wasting your money.

 

One thing I don't get is why people always think about the monitor last as an afterthought. Isn't the monitor one of the primary ways you interact with your computer? Why get a kickass PC when your monitor is going to be the biggest bottleneck? You buy the PC to run the monitor anyway.

 

1 minute ago, deXxterlab97 said:

well crysis3, deua ex, watch dogs 2 are sime example of games that would barely making 60fps 1080p with 1070

I wouldn't get a 1080p monitor only so I can run the most intensive games at max settings.

[Ctown0812]

9 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

well crysis3, deua ex, watch dogs 2 are sime example of games that would barely making 60fps 1080p with 1070

Absolutely.  Generally speaking, a 1070 is a waste at 1080p 60hz.  But, there are always exceptions to the rule as you mentioned.

[Swanky]

25 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

looks good, get a c1 for better cooling and not so ugly mustard poop noctua if you want

 

Thanks for the chart, ill definitely go with the C1.

[Swanky]

12 minutes ago, SCGazelle said:

I gotchu.

 

If you're getting a 1070 you get a 1440p or a 1080p144hz monitor. If you don't you are wasting your money.

 

One thing I don't get is why people always think about the monitor last as an afterthought. Isn't the monitor one of the primary ways you interact with your computer? Why get a kickass PC when your monitor is going to be the biggest bottleneck? You buy the PC to run the monitor anyway.

 

I wouldn't get a 1080p monitor only so I can run the most intensive games at max settings.

Thanks for the fast replies! I think you guys has settled and eased my mind a bit to just go for the 1440p monitor.

[Swanky]

Is this a good enough monitor? https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1YU-00GN-00005

[Ctown0812]

16 hours ago, Swanky said:

Is this a good enough monitor? https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1YU-00GN-00005

It's decent.  The stand is kind of junk, and is not VESA mountable would be the only complaint I would have.  I also prefer the more glossy finish on the screen, but thats just a personal preference.  For a 1440p monitor from Acer, i don't think you could do better for that price.  Also, check amazon, i think it may be cheaper on there

[aithos]

Two things:

 

1) No "gaming" computer is going to last 10 years.  Not because it won't run, but because by about 7~ your stuff is so out of date that new games just won't run without drastically turning down the settings.  So unless the only games you play are eSports titles like CSGO and League of Legends you can expect a realistic lifespan for most builds in your budget around 5-6 years, and anything beyond that will mean compromised performance.

 

2) Do NOT buy a 60hz monitor.  The order of feature priority is as follows: 120hz+ > ULMB > 1440p > IPS > GSync > 4K

 

So what you want to do is get as many of the features to the left as possible.  A 1080p 144hz monitor with ULMB is the baseline for gaming, it gives you little to no input lag, a fast response time, gets rid of frame persistence and motion blur, and will have nice and smooth motion.  In the future when you can afford to make the jump to a 1440p IPS with those same features (120hz + ULMB) you'll also get a nicer image with better color/clarity and overall better immersion.  However, those are still north of $700 so on your budget it's a no go.  The good news is that they will continue to get more affordable in the next few years, so you can pick one up later (maybe when you upgrade your video card down the road).

 

What you don't want to do is jump up a resolution and sacrifice refresh rate, because you'll also be adding input lag (in most cases).  Don't cheap out on your monitor, it's the one part of your build you will DEFINITELY use longer than the PC.