1080ti build - which monitor to get / what do you think of the build parts?

[toastji]

Hey everyone!

 

If you want to read how I ended up with a 1080ti build, look at the end of the post, but for now...

 

TL;DR Here is my current build plan:
- Please give me your feedback?
- Please tell me about any bottle-necking you foresee?
- And also... please tell me which monitor should I get in terms of resolution/frame rate? I'm considering BenQ Zowie XL2730 27in 144Hz

 

Thank you

 

New list:

after some recommendations from everyone (thank you ), this is what the build has changed to

 

PCPartPicker part list 
CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor 
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB FTW3 GAMING iCX Video Card
Case: NZXT - S340 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan: Corsair - ML120 75.0 CFM  120mm Fans 

and the monitor I'm considering now is the Asus MG279Q

 

Old list:

 

PCPartPicker part list 

CPU	Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H80i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB FTW3 GAMING iCX Video Card
Case	NZXT - S340 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case
PSU	Corsair - RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan	Corsair - ML120 75.0 CFM 120mm 2 x Fans

Storage I'm keeping the ones I already got. 2x Samsung 850 EVO Pro 500GB, a WD Black 1TB and a WD Green 2TB.

 

The story: 

So I've been whining to my parents about feeling like I've hit the end of the line with my current build (that I've had since early 2014 and includes a GTX 770) since... I can't even play something like Wolfenstein II at the lowest settings without a 30 fps average... boo. I've been playing on my 2017 Razer Blade, kid you not.

I didn't however, expect them to google "best graphics cards 2017" (I'm assuming this is what they did, I don't know tbh) and buy me... a GTX 1080 ti for Christmas as a result.

Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy about that! Bless them, really. But... I'm rocking a 1080p @ 60hz monitor and I was already planning out a build to upgrade to and now... I got this 1080ti (which was way outta my budget) to factor in. Which is exciting but now I have questions to make sure I'm not wasting this gift.

 

My goal:

My goal, I guess, is not be a crazy 1080ti wielding enthusiast, I just wanted to upgrade to a build that was gonna get me consistently good fps in AAA titles at high settings for 3-4 years to come (prior to the gift, I was looking at the GTX 1060 6GB or the GTX 1070 and swapping to a higher frame rate 1080p monitor).

Edited January 6, 2018 by toastji
new list added

[LienusLateTips]

Switch to a tower air cooler instead. Better performance.

[toastji]

2 minutes ago, JDE said:

Switch to a tower air cooler instead. Better performance.

I'll be honest... I hate the way they look. But if there's a better AIO liquid cooler anyone wanted to recommend in case you don't feel like the H80i is enough? I'm getting extra fans to make sure I get the best airflow possible in the case.

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, toastji said:

I'll be honest... I hate the way they look. But if there's a better AIO liquid cooler anyone wanted to recommend in case you don't feel like the H80i is enough? I'm getting extra fans to make sure I get the best airflow possible in the case.

Go up to the H100i or to an air cooler. 

[Unimaginative Name]

For monitor, you should look into a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. The BenQ you have listed would do great, but I personally would opt for an IPS panel.

Just now, toastji said:

I'll be honest... I hate the way they look. But if there's a better AIO liquid cooler anyone wanted to recommend in case you don't feel like the H80i is enough? I'm getting extra fans to make sure I get the best airflow possible in the case.

A 240mm AIO with good fans. Also check out the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3, I think they look pretty good.

[Crunchy Dragon]

Just now, toastji said:

I'll be honest... I hate the way they look. But if there's a better AIO liquid cooler anyone wanted to recommend in case you don't feel like the H80i is enough? I'm getting extra fans to make sure I get the best airflow possible in the case.

H100i v2. Should be able to get your CPU to 5Ghz, provided your PSU and VRMs are up to the task.

 

No bottlenecks in sight, looks good!

 

Also props to your parents for getting you a freaking 1080Ti for Christmas.

[seon123]

Don't get a 120mm AiO. Either get a decent air cooler (H5, R1, NH-D15/U14S, DRP3, Mugen 5), or a 280/360mm AiO, depending on what fits inside the case. 

That's among the worst motherboards for that price. For around AU$250, you could get an Extreme4, Prime-A, K6 or Strix-F. 

Other than that, it looks fine. Not my first choice of case, though, due to the 161mm CPU cooler clearance and questionable airflow. 

 

As for the monitor, consider getting one that supports G-sync. 

[toastji]

5 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

For monitor, you should look into a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. The BenQ you have listed would do great, but I personally would opt for an IPS panel.

A 240mm AIO with good fans. Also check out the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3, I think they look pretty good.

I've read mixed things about IPS vs TN. any reason you prefer IPS over TN? the thing with the BenQ is that.. it just fits my budget. anything more than $800AUD and.. I'm hesitant. also... you will never convert me to air coolers hahaha! seriously I just.. nah.

5 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

H100i v2. Should be able to get your CPU to 5Ghz, provided your PSU and VRMs are up to the task.

 

No bottlenecks in sight, looks good!

 

Also props to your parents for getting you a freaking 1080Ti for Christmas.

H100i v2 is actually just $20 more at the store I'm getting everything from so... worth the upgrade  don't know why I didn't consider it before... 

and yes.. major props to my parents. they had no clue what they were doing but bless them, they did good.

[Unimaginative Name]

1 minute ago, toastji said:

I've read mixed things about IPS vs TN. any reason you prefer IPS over TN? the thing with the BenQ is that.. it just fits my budget. anything more than $800AUD and.. I'm hesitant. also... you will never convert me to air coolers hahaha! seriously I just.. nah.

H100i v2 is actually just $20 more at the store I'm getting everything from so... worth the upgrade  don't know why I didn't consider it before... 

and yes.. major props to my parents. they had no clue what they were doing but bless them, they did good.

IPS panels look significantly better. Better colors, better viewing angles. People point out that they have lower GTG response times, but most, basically all, are below 8ms which is more than enough. Once you use an IPS, looking at a TN panel can rather difficult for some people. They just look so much better. Check out the Asus MG279Q, I bought mine open-box, which to me was totally worth it and it is a fairly cheap option for the category (IPS, 1440p, 144Hz). 

[toastji]

19 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Don't get a 120mm AiO. Either get a decent air cooler (H5, R1, NH-D15/U14S, DRP3, Mugen 5), or a 280/360mm AiO, depending on what fits inside the case. 

That's among the worst motherboards for that price. For around AU$250, you could get an Extreme4, Prime-A, K6 or Strix-F. 

Other than that, it looks fine. Not my first choice of case, though, due to the 161mm CPU cooler clearance and questionable airflow. 

 

As for the monitor, consider getting one that supports G-sync. 

I'm now considering the H100i v2 that crunchy dragon recommended. thoughts? will upgrading to 280mm make a huge difference? I'm fairly sure the case can fit up to 280mm radiator at the front. Bitwit did a build in it that sold it for me... seemed really nice and he didn't mention airflow issues... 

 

and honestly I know next to nothing about motherboards so thanks for the heads up. I will look at the other ones you suggested. 

 

I've found g-sync 27" 1440p monitors that aren't over $800AUD... hard to find. but maybe that's just me? 

[Jenjar]

3 minutes ago, toastji said:

I'm now considering the H100i v2 that crunchy dragon recommended. thoughts? will upgrading to 280mm make a huge difference? I'm fairly sure the case can fit up to 280mm radiator at the front. Bitwit did a build in it that sold it for me... seemed really nice and he didn't mention airflow issues... 

 

and honestly I know next to nothing about motherboards so thanks for the heads up. I will look at the other ones you suggested. 

 

I've found g-sync 27" 1440p monitors that isn't over $800AUD... hard to find. but maybe that's just me? 

The way G-Sync works is that unlike AMD's freesync, Nvidia makes companys pay to be able to use that technology in there monitors and laptop screens and such, and that in turn drives the price up on those products a bit. I have a 1080p 144Hz Monitor from MSI that has FreeSync and I use it on a GTX 1060 6GB and I find it works just fine, and I only notice screen tearing when I am really looking for it, unlike in my old 60Hz HP monitor where you could see the screen tearing all the time. Now with saying that if you are interested, MSI makes newer monitors now that are either 2K or 4K, and they look and act much better then the one I have now if that is what you would be interested in, still no G-Sync options though.

 

 

[toastji]

7 minutes ago, Unimaginative Name said:

IPS panels look significantly better. Better colors, better viewing angles. People point out that they have lower GTG response times, but most, basically all, are below 8ms which is more than enough. Once you use an IPS, looking at a TN panel can rather difficult for some people. They just look so much better. Check out the Asus MG279Q, I bought mine open-box, which to me was totally worth it and it is a fairly cheap option for the category (IPS, 1440p, 144Hz). 

ooooooh that Asus looks good  I think I'll head to the store and just compare TN vs IPS in person because honestly, I haven't done that yet.  

[toastji]

5 minutes ago, Jenjar said:

The way G-Sync works is that unlike AMD's freesync, Nvidia makes companys pay to be able to use that technology in there monitors and laptop screens and such, and that in turn drives the price up on those products a bit. I have a 1080p 144Hz Monitor from MSI that has FreeSync and I use it on a GTX 1060 6GB and I find it works just fine, and I only notice screen tearing when I am really looking for it, unlike in my old 60Hz HP monitor where you could see the screen tearing all the time. Now with saying that if you are interested, MSI makes newer monitors now that are either 2K or 4K, and they look and act much better then the one I have now if that is what you would be interested in, still no G-Sync options though.

 

 

I like the way the MSI's look but I can only seem to find a 1080p 27" for sale here in Australia from my usual go-to retailers

I think we can all kind of agree that 1080p and the GTX 1080ti would be... a waste. 

[seon123]

1 minute ago, toastji said:

I'm now considering the H100i v2 that crunchy dragon recommended. thoughts? will upgrading to 280mm make a huge difference? I'm fairly sure the case can fit up to 280mm radiator at the front. Bitwit did a build in it that sold it for me... seemed like nice and he didn't mention airflow issues... 

 

and honestly I know next to nothing about motherboards so thanks for the heads up. I will look at the other ones you suggested. 

 

I've found g-sync 27" 1440p monitors that isn't over $800AUD... hard to find. but maybe that's just me? 

In terms of just surface area, a 280mm radiator will be 36% larger. (140mm/120mm)². In terms of temperature, a few degrees. 

The S340 Elite isn't as bad as I recalled. Gamersnexus does testing, and it's roughly in the middle of the cases they've tested. 

 

There are a few AU$900 27" 1440p 165Hz IPS G-sync monitors. Afaik, all 1440p 165Hz IPS monitors use the same panel. 

Under that, you'll only find 24" 165Hz TN G-sync monitors. Another alternative would be a non-G-sync 27" 1440p 165Hz IPS monitor, like the MG279Q. 

[toastji]

6 minutes ago, seon123 said:

In terms of just surface area, a 280mm radiator will be 36% larger. (140mm/120mm)². In terms of temperature, a few degrees. 

The S340 Elite isn't as bad as I recalled. Gamersnexus does testing, and it's roughly in the middle of the cases they've tested. 

 

There are a few AU$900 27" 1440p 165Hz IPS G-sync monitors. Afaik, all 1440p 165Hz IPS monitors use the same panel. 

Under that, you'll only find 24" 165Hz TN G-sync monitors. Another alternative would be a non-G-sync 27" 1440p 165Hz IPS monitor, like the MG279Q. 

I might stick with the 240mm H100i v2 (still need to be mindful of budget) and if it starts getting in the way later, I'll see about upgrading.  

you're now the second person on this thread to recommend the MG279Q... I'm sensing a trend  $900AUD for the monitor is just... too much. 

also, thinking of swapping out the mobo for the Asus Prime Z370-A, it will actually fit the colour scheme better haha

[toastji]

after some recommendations from everyone (thank you ), this is what the build has changed to:

 

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor 
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB FTW3 GAMING iCX Video Card
Case: NZXT - S340 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan: Corsair - ML120 75.0 CFM  120mm Fans 
and the monitor I'm considering now is the Asus MG279Q

 

if you've got any other thoughts or suggestions, keep them coming

[Jenjar]

13 minutes ago, toastji said:

I like the way the MSI's look but I can only seem to find a 1080p 27" for sale here in Australia from my usual go-to retailers

I think we can all kind of agree that 1080p and the GTX 1080ti would be... a waste. 

Yeah, I think they only announced them a couple of weeks ago. I think it might be another couple weeks before they start shipping them to stores, but I do not regret for one second buying this monitor. I also got it on sale for around $320 CAD, the cheapest 1080p 144Hz monitor I could find around here :P, it is pretty good though.

[toastji]

1 minute ago, Jenjar said:

Yeah, I think they only announced them a couple of weeks ago. I think it might be another couple weeks before they start shipping them to stores, but I do not regret for one second buying this monitor. I also got it on sale for around $320 CAD, the cheapest 1080p 144Hz monitor I could find around here :P, it is pretty good though.

oh.. interesting. well then. I won't be buying the monitor just yet (gotta save more money, you know) so I should be able to check out the msi's before then, fingers crossed.