First Ever Gaming Build

[NimrodTheMister]

Hi all,

 

I am planning on building my first ever desktop PC, and I would like feedback on my current parts list (I have a mouse I like and nothing else).

 

1. Budget & Location

I'm looking to spend ~$2000 with $500 of wiggle room. I am in Charlotte, NC, USA.

 

2. Aim

Gaming and web browsing. I want to game at 1440p, Ultra settings without dipping below ~100fps if possible, with upgrade-potential to 4K in the future. I do not do content creation nor use video/audio software often. More CPU cores would be cool, but I get the impression that individual clock speed >> cores. I have no idea which video card to get, but I would prefer only one for the moment and NVIDIA.

 

3. Monitors

A single, ultrawide 1440p, 144Hz IPS would be ideal. 4K upgrades are planned, as well as a double monitor setup. I don't know if I should get G-Sync or not. I don't have a monitor in mind yet.

 

4. Peripherals

Mechanical, backlit keyboard is a must. I have little interest in VR. I already have speakers.

 

5. Why are you upgrading?

I have always wanted a high-end gaming build, and only recently is it a possibility.

 

Current Parts List:

Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400S PH-EC416PSTG BR Silent Edition

Board: MSI X370 Gaming Pro AM4

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 8-Core 3.0GHz (3.7 Turbo) (comes with cooler)

Drives: WD Blue 1TB Internal SSD; Toshiba P300 3TB HDD

Memory: G. Skill TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2x8) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4

Video Card: ? (Maybe the MSI 1080 Ti FE?)

Power: Corsair CS-M Series CS750M 750W 80 Plus Gold Semi Modular

Keyboard: Corsair Gaming STRAFE Mechanical Gaming Keyboard -  Cherry MX Red

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-NM

[ImNotThere]

okay, you dont need a tb ssd or a 3tb hdd

 

youre only gaming so i7 7700k is plenty enough unless you are like me and just enjoy telling people you built ryzen

[ImNotThere]

and never buy the fe cards unless you are building mini itx

[Damascus]

Change the mobo, the aorus k5 or asrock taichi are much better options for the same or less.

 

I'd get the gpu that matches the mobo, ie. aorus 1080 ti with aorus mobo, strix 1080 tI with strix mobo.  That way the rgb will be the same and sync really easily.

[DocSwag]

Is monitor keyboard and mouse included in the budget or no?

[InsanityWolf]

$2077.50 With keyboard and Monitor included.I don't recomend you to go for a 1440p monitor since they are kinda weird and expensive,4K is a much better option straight up. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3tyRtJ

[DocSwag]

1 minute ago, InsanityWolf said:

$2077.50 With keyboard and Monitor included.I don't recomend you to go for a 1440p monitor since they are kinda weird and expensive,4K is a much better option straight up. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3tyRtJ

Why NEX it's like garbage.

[NimrodTheMister]

4 hours ago, ImNotThere said:

and never buy the fe cards unless you are building mini itx

what storage and video card options do you suggest then?

 

4 hours ago, DocSwag said:

Is monitor keyboard and mouse included in the budget or no?

Yes to the keyboard, no to the mouse (I already have one I like)

 

4 hours ago, Damascus said:

Change the mobo, the aorus k5 or asrock taichi are much better options for the same or less.

 

I'd get the gpu that matches the mobo, ie. aorus 1080 ti with aorus mobo, strix 1080 tI with strix mobo.  That way the rgb will be the same and sync really easily.

Amazon and Newegg show my board as 25% cheaper than the Taichi, and I don't know what the Auros is. Does the Taichi do anything more/better than the MSI?

 

4 hours ago, DocSwag said:

Why NEX it's like garbage.

I like the Corsair CS-M better anyway. Cheaper, too.

 

4 hours ago, ImNotThere said:

okay, you dont need a tb ssd or a 3tb hdd

 

youre only gaming so i7 7700k is plenty enough unless you are like me and just enjoy telling people you built ryzen

I've been working off of a 1TB M.2 and a 1TB HDD gaming laptop build for a while, so I chose what I'm used to.

 

 

Overall, I need clarification on how to choose a video card more than anything. Also proofreading of my currently chosen parts.

 

[NimrodTheMister]

Also, arguments relevant to the Ryzen 5/7 vs. Intel Gen 7 for gaming are welcome and appreciated.

 

Also the importance of G-Sync or lack thereof.

[Damascus]

11 minutes ago, NimrodTheMister said:

Amazon and Newegg show my board as 25% cheaper than the Taichi, and I don't know what the Auros is. Does the Taichi do anything more/better than the MSI?

The taichi does well, everything better.  Msi has some of the worst am4 mobos and they've been plagued with issues.

 

Aorus is gigabytes gaming brand.  The aorus 1080 tI and the aorus x370 gaming k5/5/k7 are some very nice gpus/mobos. BTW the mobos come in white or black.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, InsanityWolf said:

$2077.50 With keyboard and Monitor included.I don't recomend you to go for a 1440p monitor since they are kinda weird and expensive,4K is a much better option straight up. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3tyRtJ

The Dell 27" 1440p G-Sync monitor is only around $50 more, so not that expensive.

[PerfectPlasma]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wMMgf8
Here's one if you want to mess with this as a template.

[Guest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AX370-Gaming K5 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($131.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: SK hynix - SL308 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($77.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB AORUS Video Card  ($724.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox 5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.29 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Dell - S2716DG 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor  ($449.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1930.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-29 15:55 EDT-0400

[DocSwag]

8 hours ago, NimrodTheMister said:

Yes to the keyboard, no to the mouse (I already have one I like)

What about monitor?

8 hours ago, NimrodTheMister said:

I like the Corsair CS-M better anyway. Cheaper, too.

Yeah it's better. Though considering your budget, I would go high end and get a G2 or a G3. Or an RMx or RMi if you like corsair more.

 

On a side note, is this pc only for gaming?

[NimrodTheMister]

12 hours ago, DocSwag said:

What about monitor?

Yeah it's better. Though considering your budget, I would go high end and get a G2 or a G3. Or an RMx or RMi if you like corsair more.

 

On a side note, is this pc only for gaming?

Monitor will be included in the budget. Looking for 1440p or 4K at a high refresh rate.

 

This PC will be used for gaming, Web browsing, and school work (Word, Excel, etc). 

 

What does a "better" power supply entail? I thought it just depended on wattage and modular cables.

[PerfectPlasma]

Just now, NimrodTheMister said:

Monitor will be included in the budget. Looking for 1440p or 4K at a high refresh rate.

 

This PC will be used for gaming, Web browsing, and school work (Word, Excel, etc). 

 

What does a "better" power supply entail? I thought it just depended on wattage and modular cables.

Better would be more efficient.Hence the Bronze+ through Titanium+ tags on each one.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, PerfectPlasma said:

Better would be more efficient.Hence the Bronze+ through Titanium+ tags on each one.

The efficiency has no bearing on quality though. I would take a good quality Bronze unit over a mediocre Gold one.

[NimrodTheMister]

15 hours ago, DocSwag said:

What about monitor?

Yeah it's better. Though considering your budget, I would go high end and get a G2 or a G3. Or an RMx or RMi if you like corsair more.

 

On a side note, is this pc only for gaming?

 

3 hours ago, PerfectPlasma said:

Better would be more efficient.Hence the Bronze+ through Titanium+ tags on each one.

 

3 hours ago, lee32uk said:

The efficiency has no bearing on quality though. I would take a good quality Bronze unit over a mediocre Gold one.

The EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3 looks like the best option to me. Low noise, great ratings, 750W for upgrade-potential, and the price is right (~$100). 

[DocSwag]

10 hours ago, NimrodTheMister said:

Monitor will be included in the budget. Looking for 1440p or 4K at a high refresh rate.

 

This PC will be used for gaming, Web browsing, and school work (Word, Excel, etc). 

 

What does a "better" power supply entail? I thought it just depended on wattage and modular cables.

Here's a list.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($326.49 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: ASRock - Z270 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($144.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Team - Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($114.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: SK hynix - SL308 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.44 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card  ($719.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($88.49 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Dell - S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor  ($399.99 @ Adorama) 
Keyboard: Corsair - STRAFE Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($88.99 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $2124.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-30 21:03 EDT-0400

 

If you want to save some money you could get this mobo instead

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WxkwrH/asrock-z270-pro4-atx-lga1151-motherboard-z270-pro4

 

Also if you prefer bigger monitors this guy is worth a consideration.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BcTrxr/dell-monitor-s2716dg

 

By better power supply I'm referring to quality both of the electricity it provides as well as the components it uses.

 

It's quite a common misconception that only wattage and efficiency matters when it comes to a psu, and that higher efficiency means better quality. This is not the case. Your power supply generally has to deliver three different voltages to your pc, 3.3v, 5v, and 12v. Usually when it comes to quality of this electricity there are two factors to consider, voltage regulation and voltage ripple.

 

Voltage regulation essentially refers to how accurate the voltage delivered is. For example, on the 3.3v rail a bad power supply might actually deliver 3.2v or so instead. This is about 3% lower than what it should be delivering, and so we say the power supply has a voltage regulation of 3% in this specific scenario. Naturally, lower voltage regulation is better, since you want your power supply to be delivering an accurate voltage. Incorrect voltages can potentially causes components in your pc to die quicker over time.

 

Voltage ripple refers to the voltage the power supply delivering "rippling" back and forth. The AC power from your wall alternates back and forth multiple times a second, hence why it's called alternating current. Alternation is very useful for things like stepping voltages up and down but your pc's components need a constant voltage. Therefore one of the jobs of your psu is to change this AC to DC. However, when converting from AC to DC your psu doesn't do a perfect job. Some of that alternation is still left over in the DC the psu produces, though the amount is much smaller. Usually the amount is between 10 and 100 mV (one one thousandth of a volt). With a bad psu, this amount might be higher, and with a good one it'll be lower. Naturally, delivering voltages that ripple back and forth is not good for your electronics and can have similar effects as what bad voltage regulation can do, causing parts of your pc to die quicker over time.

 

Another factor you have to take in is build quality. Bad PSUs might not use very good quality capacitors, for example, which might result in the psu itself dying quicker (and in some scenarios it'll take out your pc with it!), or they might not do a good job when it comes to soldering or stuff that could also be dangerous.

 

If all of this makes little sense to you just know this, bad quality psu means parts of your pc might die faster as a result, or your psu itself might die faster. It's quite pointless to try to save $40 from your psu if you're spending $2000 on a pc.

7 hours ago, NimrodTheMister said:

 

 

The EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3 looks like the best option to me. Low noise, great ratings, 750W for upgrade-potential, and the price is right (~$100). 

Yeah the G3 is an excellent psu, nothing wrong with it.