New Gaming PC build help

[Rudamental]

 

Hey everyone,

 

New here however not new to linustechtips of course. I am builing (kind of) a new gaming PC and wanted some opinions regarding what I should go for. Apologies in advance if this is the wrong thread and please move it if it is

 

Okay so my budget is around $2100-$2200 AUD and I am looking to have a custom PC built however I am unsure what to chose. I am focusing on 3 things, CPU, GFX and RAM. I know that I will go with 16gig of Ram so that's okay, however where I am torn is the gfx and cpu combo. I am using this site to build my PC: https://www.pccasegear.com/category/1411_1918/pccg-gaming-pcs/customisable-systems

 

Essentially you select a starting point and them customise the parts (to an extent) how you want them. I am wondering if I should go with an i5 8600 or an i7 8700. I understand the extra threads etc however I don't do any streaming or video editing etc so I unsure if the i7 is needed. I do a lot of gaming and play mostly Fortnite, League and the occasional big title like FarCry and GTAV etc. I will also be running on 1080p 144Hz monitor. 

 

Second thing is the gfx and I'm again torn between a 1070 ti or a 1080. I am able to make a system (Just) that has both an 8700 and a 1080. If you're interested to see then you select the link then go the 'Gunmetal Gaming' system. Make the cpu the 8700 and the gpu the MSI 1080 gaming X, and then make everything else the lowest (besides 16gig ram) and this comes to $2183.

 

Or I could change that system to an i5 8600 and it's $2043 or again keep the i7 and chamge the gfx to the MSI 1070 ti and changes to $2133. ORRR change both and it's $1993. (too cheap maybe.) This system only has a Kingston 140gig SSD and 1TB of HDD however I figure these are easily up-gradable later. 

 

So my question again is, what to go with first. the CPU and should this be the i5 or i7 and then the GFX card. 

 

Thanks.

[MatteoX10]

The i5 should do just fine for gaming. For the graphics cards you should go for the 1080.

[seon123]

Build the system yourself. I configured a reasonable bang for your buck system. Meaning an 8400, 1070 Ti (or equivalent) GPU, 16GB RAM running at 2666MHz (what the motherboard supports), a motherboard with 4RAM slots, a high end 250GB class SSD, a 1TB HDD, a high end PSU and the Pure Base 600 with Window for the case. 

On PCCG, based on the Obsidian build: AU$2040

Spoiler

PCPP: AU$1557,91

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor  ($258.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B360M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($122.00 @ Skycomp Technology) 
Memory: Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  ($229.40 @ Amazon Australia) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($86.00 @ IJK) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.50 @ Shopping Express) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($599.01 @ PCCaseGear) 
Case: be quiet! - Pure Base 600 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear) 
Power Supply: Antec - Earthwatts Gold Pro 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($90.00 @ IJK) 
Total: $1557.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 21:29 AEST+1000

So they take approx AU$500 to build the PC. 

 

Now, what you can get if you build it yourself. 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor  ($258.00 @ Shopping Express) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Pure Rock Slim 35.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.00 @ PCCaseGear) 
Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($159.00 @ Mwave Australia) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($235.00 @ Umart) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($86.00 @ IJK) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.50 @ Shopping Express) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB iCX GAMING Video Card  ($1013.99 @ Amazon Australia) 
Case: Thermaltake - Core G21 Tempered Glass Edition ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Power Supply: Antec - Earthwatts Gold Pro 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($90.00 @ IJK) 
Total: $2024.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 21:34 AEST+1000

[Rudamental]

25 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Build the system yourself. I configured a reasonable bang for your buck system. Meaning an 8400, 1070 Ti (or equivalent) GPU, 16GB RAM running at 2666MHz (what the motherboard supports), a motherboard with 4RAM slots, a high end 250GB class SSD, a 1TB HDD, a high end PSU and the Pure Base 600 with Window for the case. 

On PCCG, based on the Obsidian build: AU$2040

  Reveal hidden contents

PCPP: AU$1557,91

  Reveal hidden contents

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor  ($258.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B360M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($122.00 @ Skycomp Technology) 
Memory: Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  ($229.40 @ Amazon Australia) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($86.00 @ IJK) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.50 @ Shopping Express) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($599.01 @ PCCaseGear) 
Case: be quiet! - Pure Base 600 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.00 @ PCCaseGear) 
Power Supply: Antec - Earthwatts Gold Pro 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($90.00 @ IJK) 
Total: $1557.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 21:29 AEST+1000

So they take approx AU$500 to build the PC. 

 

Now, what you can get if you build it yourself. 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor  ($258.00 @ Shopping Express) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Pure Rock Slim 35.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.00 @ PCCaseGear) 
Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($159.00 @ Mwave Australia) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($235.00 @ Umart) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($86.00 @ IJK) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.50 @ Shopping Express) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB iCX GAMING Video Card  ($1013.99 @ Amazon Australia) 
Case: Thermaltake - Core G21 Tempered Glass Edition ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Power Supply: Antec - Earthwatts Gold Pro 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($90.00 @ IJK) 
Total: $2024.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 21:34 AEST+1000

The price includes windows and also 2 year warranty So I don't think they charge $500 to build. I think it works out to be roughly $100-$150 to build. Also I believe all of the prices you quoted do not include shipping costs which appears to add an additional $150 or so. And doesn't have Windows which is another $160. Making that price over $2300

 

I was able to build the Arctic system with the i5, a larger SSD and the MSI 1080 for $2099 which I thought good which includes Windows, assembly and a 2 year warranty. 

I considered building it myself however I am impatient and can't be bothered waiting for parts when I can have it all done for me in a couple days. 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2018 by Rudamental
Additional points

[seon123]

2 minutes ago, Rudamental said:

The price includes windows and also 2 year warranty So I don't think they charge $500 to build. I think it works out to be roughly $100-$150 to build.

 

I was able to build the Arctic system with the i5, a larger SSD and the MSI 1080 for $2099 which I thought good which includes Windows, assembly and a 2 year warranty. 

I considered building it myself however I am impatient and can't be bothered waiting for parts when I can have it all done for me in a couple days. 

 

 

You can get a Windows key from Reddit or Kinguin for ~AU$30. The parts come with individual warranties, which you can use. 1 year for the shorter ones to 7 years for the PSU. 

Meaning that's still AU$500. 

Not all SSDs are created equal. The crappier ones will of course be cheaper than nicer ones. The 500GB version of the MX500 costs $50 more than the 250GB version, if you want that. 

The 1080 Ti performs much better than the 1080, contrary to what the name might suggest. 

[Rudamental]

5 minutes ago, seon123 said:

You can get a Windows key from Reddit or Kinguin for ~AU$30. The parts come with individual warranties, which you can use. 1 year for the shorter ones to 7 years for the PSU. 

Meaning that's still AU$500. 

Not all SSDs are created equal. The crappier ones will of course be cheaper than nicer ones. The 500GB version of the MX500 costs $50 more than the 250GB version, if you want that. 

The 1080 Ti performs much better than the 1080, contrary to what the name might suggest. 

You make a good point (although shipping costs add over $150). I know the 1080 Ti is a better card than the 1080 however on average only 14% better for gaming unless overclocked. And for an extra $300 I'm not sure the value $ per fps is worth it. 

 

 

[seon123]

9 minutes ago, Rudamental said:

You make a good point (although shipping costs add over $150). I know the 1080 Ti is a better card than the 1080 however on average only 14% better for gaming unless overclocked. And for an extra $300 I'm not sure the value $ per fps is worth it. 

 

 

From this testing, it's more 20-30% faster in most titles, where it isn't CPU bottlenecked. Looking at 4K results, as that's where to look when comparing GPUs. 

https://www.techspot.com/amp/review/1352-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-ti/

And 25-35% here. 

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/2830-nvidia-gtx-1080-ti-fe-review-and-game-benchmarks/page-5

You could always get the build I made to compare prices, just change some parts to make it more sensible, rather than just comparable. 

[Rudamental]

3 minutes ago, seon123 said:

From this testing, it's more 20-30% faster in most titles, where it isn't CPU bottlenecked. Looking at 4K results, as that's where to look when comparing GPUs. 

https://www.techspot.com/amp/review/1352-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-ti/

And 25-35% here. 

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/2830-nvidia-gtx-1080-ti-fe-review-and-game-benchmarks/page-5

You could always get the build I made to compare prices, just change some parts to make it more sensible, rather than just comparable. 

I was looking here: http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1080-Ti-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1080/3918vs3603

If you scroll down to the average FPS it appears only 14% faster but I'm no expert at all. I'll loook more into it however I think the i5 with either a 1080 or 1080 Ti sounds like the way to go. 

 

[seon123]

1 minute ago, Rudamental said:

I was looking here: http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1080-Ti-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1080/3918vs3603

If you scroll down to the average FPS it appears only 14% faster but I'm no expert at all. I'll loook more into it however I think the i5 with either a 1080 or 1080 Ti sounds like the way to go. 

 

Userbenchmark is not very useful, imo. They don't have standardised equipment for testing, as anyone can benchmark with their system. 

Yes, a Coffee Lake I5 is plenty for just gaming. It often performs better than the previous gen 7700K. 

Don't get the 1080. It performs ~5% better than the 1070 Ti. The 1070 Ti is mostly a 1080 with 128 CUDA cores disabled (2432 Vs 2560, 5% fewer) and no factory overclocks. Just get the 1070 Ti, and you'll either save some cash, or you could get a nicer 1070 Ti cooler for lower noise. 

[Rudamental]

8 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Userbenchmark is not very useful, imo. They don't have standardised equipment for testing, as anyone can benchmark with their system. 

Yes, a Coffee Lake I5 is plenty for just gaming. It often performs better than the previous gen 7700K. 

Don't get the 1080. It performs ~5% better than the 1070 Ti. The 1070 Ti is mostly a 1080 with 128 CUDA cores disabled (2432 Vs 2560, 5% fewer) and no factory overclocks. Just get the 1070 Ti, and you'll either save some cash, or you could get a nicer 1070 Ti cooler for lower noise. 

Okay so there's only $50 difference between the MSI GeForce GTX Gaming 1070 Ti and The MSI GeForce GTX Gaming X 1080

[Rudamental]

Okay So I think I have settled on the build. It turns out they have an option where you can select any parts on their site and they will build it for you for only $169

 

PC Case Gear - Shared Shopping Cart
1 x Microsoft Windows 10 Home 32bit/64bit USB Drive - $169.00ea
1 x Cooler Master MWE Bronze 650W Power Supply - $79.00ea
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST1000DM010 - $62.00ea
1 x Western Digital Green PC M.2 2280 SSD 240GB - $69.00ea
1 x MSI H310-A Pro Motherboard - $109.00ea
1 x Team T-Force Dark 3000MHz 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 Grey Black - $249.00ea
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8GB - $799.00ea
1 x Intel Core i5 8600 - $329.00ea
1 x PCCG Full Custom System Assembly Service - $169.00ea
1 x Corsair Carbide 270R Case - $95.00ea
Total: $2,129.00 - @pccasegear.com 14/08/2018

 

Only part I'm unsure of is the power supply. Do I need 650W or can I easily get away will 600W?

 

Also, I know this should run Fortnite (I assume lol) however, will it run most other games at 1080p 144Hz?