Looking for opinions :)

[doubley_m]

Hi All!

 

Just looking for some opinions on a build I've theorycrafted: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2yeBC

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($369.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($113.59 @ Newegg Canada) 

Motherboard:  MSI Z87M GAMING Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory:  Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($192.83 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($186.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Storage:  Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($187.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($534.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case:  Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series SP120 High Performance Edition (2-Pack) 62.7 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($36.60 @ Newegg Canada) 

Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($139.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Total: $2032.88

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 02:36 EST-0500)

 

Primary use will be gaming with some GNS3 simulation and running virtual machines.

 

I'm pretty confident in the majority of my choices but since my last build was 3 years ago, I'm a little rusty on some things and I believe I could use some advice from you more knowledgeable people on a few things

 

Motherboard: Is the Z87M Gaming a good choice? It was a toss-up between that and the G1 Sniper M5, both seem comparable but the MSI is cheaper, although the slot layout on the Gigabyte board looks more accommodating should I wish to go SLI/XFire in the future.

 

CPU Cooler: I've been torn between the H100i and the Swiftech H220. From my research it seems to appear that the H220 provides better cooling results in most cases and has the advantage of being expandable, with a strong enough pump to support a GPU block and another radiator should I wish to go that route in future. However I've seen a few stories of pump failure and reports that fitting it into a 350d can be tricky...

 

GPU: My understanding is that the GTX 780 outperforms the R9 290X in pretty much most situations at 1080p and it's currently cheaper than the 290X, I'm guessing due to the Bitcoin mining furore? However I'm sure you guys have better knowledge of the current abilities of modern GPUs

 

I Also wanted to check that I could run 3 monitors off a single card? I know that AMD have updated the new lineup to support both DVI and a HDMI port being used at the same time (Couldn't on my old 6970 ) I read that 3 monitors are supported concurrently on the 780 but I'd like it if someone could clarify for me

 

PSU: I've selected the RM series simply because I really wanted a fully modular PSU and I also believe the flat cables might be easier to route in the 350d? It's also Gold rated which is nice Just wondered if anyone had any opinions on this series of PSU? I was also unsure if I should spend the extra 30 bucks to up it to an 850W model, since I would like to leave the option open to later add an additional GPU...

 

Finally, fans. I've added a couple of SP120 fans to the build, that I was thinking of placing in the front of the 350d to replace the single large fan. I understand it's always preferable to have a slight positive air pressure to prevent dust ingress but I'm wondering how I could achieve this, perhaps reverse the rear fan in the 350d so there is that and two 120s at the front pulling in, and the H100s two fans exhausting through the rad at the top? It looks like the PSU will draw air through the filter at the bottom of the case and exhaust out the back which wouldn't affect the overall case pressure I'm guessing...

 

Sorry for the text spam people but I appreciate any input

 

Thanks!

 

 

[chaozbandit]

PSU: You can get a XFX Pro 850W BE (Seasonic re-brand, fully modular, 80+ Gold) for $115 CAD after $15 MIR.

 

http://products.ncix.com/detail/xfx-pro-850w-black-edition-single-rail-full-modular-12v-70a-24pin-atx-psu-80-gold-cert-de-78945-1019.htm

[Retro Gaming]

Maybe change the mobo to a Asus rog. Also are you going video editing because the i7-4770K is a little much for gaming. Your ssd is a little big you planning to put photoshop or something on it? If you can try to lower the ssd and ram so you can get the 780ti! Other wise very nice build!

[brob]

Seasonic G Series 650W ATX 80PLUS Gold Modular 120mm Fan Power Supply PSU DC to DC  CA$120

 

Don't think you need the extra fans.

 

You could save a bit with an equally good Seagate Barracuda hdd.

[dizmo]

If your Western Digital is just for storage and nothing else I'd go with a WD Red drive.

Do you live in or near a city? Search Craigslist for new 4770k's. You'll still get the warranty with them, and since they were part of that Intel promotion they're quite cheap.

I've seen many for the $200 - $240 range.

That's how I got my last CPU (2700k), never had a problem with it.

[Titanicium]

What is your actual budget? Is it 2000 USD or did you by chance end up around there?

[doubley_m]

PSU: You can get a XFX Pro 850W BE (Seasonic re-brand, fully modular, 80+ Gold) for $115 CAD after $15 MIR.

 

http://products.ncix.com/detail/xfx-pro-850w-black-edition-single-rail-full-modular-12v-70a-24pin-atx-psu-80-gold-cert-de-78945-1019.htm

 

Oooo that's a nice one, I'd overlooked XFX, didn't realise they were Seasonic rebrands, thanks

 

Maybe change the mobo to a Asus rog. Also are you going video editing because the i7-4770K is a little much for gaming. Your ssd is a little big you planning to put photoshop or something on it? If you can try to lower the ssd and ram so you can get the 780ti! Other wise very nice build!

 

What would the advantage of an ROG GENE be? It seems to have pretty much the same features as the Sniper or the Z87M Gaming, but cost more?

 

I'm flexible between the 4670K and 4770K, I know HT isn't important for games but I do some virtualization work, it's not video rendering but in my last desktop I went for a 2500K instead of a 2600K and I think I might go for an i7 this time around, I got one in my laptop so I guess I should keep consistent

 

With regards to the SSD, I had looked at going for a 120GB as a boot drive, then two of them in RAID 0 for speed, then settled on a 250GB to take the OS and most of my primary games/applications, perhaps leaving the option to add a second for RAID 0 at a later date?

 

I like having a minimum of 16GB for when I run virtual machines and I just like having that headroom, especially considering the price of RAM has tumbled over the years I'll look into making some changes though, the Ti would naturally be very nice...

 

Seasonic G Series 650W ATX 80PLUS Gold Modular 120mm Fan Power Supply PSU DC to DC  CA$120

 

Don't think you need the extra fans.

 

You could save a bit with an equally good Seagate Barracuda hdd.

 

Thanks for another good PSU suggestion, I'll take a look at some of the others in the Seasonic range

 

Yea? I've never really bothered adding fans in previous builds, it's only recently I've actually read more logs and done more research and seen that it's suggested to have slightly positive air pressure, I assumed I could only really achieve that by swapping the front 140mm for 2 120mm fans.

 

I'll have a look at other drives, to be honest I just feel more comfortable with WD as a manufacturer I suppose and the Black has a 5 year warranty which is nice. I suppose I've had Samsung and Seagate drives in the past which have still performed admirably, so thanks for the suggestion

If your Western Digital is just for storage and nothing else I'd go with a WD Red drive.

Do you live in or near a city? Search Craigslist for new 4770k's. You'll still get the warranty with them, and since they were part of that Intel promotion they're quite cheap.

I've seen many for the $200 - $240 range.

That's how I got my last CPU (2700k), never had a problem with it.

 

Hmmmm I had looked into Black/Blue/Green/Red drives, as I understand it Red/Green are 5400RPM drives, both with 3 year warranties but the Red more suitable for more archived storage? Would a Blue be a nicer compromise, bit more speed but less cost than the Black? As I mentioned before I do like the 5 year warranty and I like the performance of the Black I have in my laptop

 

I live in Vancouver at the moment, with your suggestion I did check Craigslist and noticed there are a few BNIB 4770Ks around the $300 mark, I'll keep checking, might be a way to save 50/60 bucks or so, thanks for the tip

 

What is your actual budget? Is it 2000 USD or did you by chance end up around there?

 

Regarding budget, I didn't really have an overall budget when I specced it, just had a mental 'Limit' on what I'd pay for each component really, for example there was no way I'd ever consider an Extreme edition CPU, $500 Motherboard or Titan or anything, I tried to select components that I thought "Yea, I believe that's a reasonable price for what it is".

Since I don't tend to do a lot of incremental, regular upgrades (My cycle is usually 2/3 years) I usually spend around the same on a build, although my most recent was a CPU/Mobo/RAM/GPU update into the same case so this time I'm 'Budgeting' ~2000 for the build.

 

Thanks for all your input guys!

[brob]

OYea? I've never really bothered adding fans in previous builds, it's only recently I've actually read more logs and done more research and seen that it's suggested to have slightly positive air pressure, I assumed I could only really achieve that by swapping the front 140mm for 2 120mm fans.

 

Move the rear 120mm to the front. That will give you two front intakes and the H100i will act as the active exhaust. Ideally, mount the hdd in the 5.25" drive bay area and remove the 3.5" bays completely. This will improve airflow into the case.

[dizmo]

@doubley_m

That's where I get my stuff from too. There's a couple for $280. There's so many, though, that if you send offers for $240/$250 they'll most likely take it.

It is more of a NAS drive, but if all it is for is music/movies what have you then it'd be just fine.

For the SSD's I'd avoid RAID 0. I don't honestly think you'll see a speed increase in day to day usage. Just get a bigger drive.

[doubley_m]

Move the rear 120mm to the front. That will give you two front intakes and the H100i will act as the active exhaust. Ideally, mount the hdd in the 5.25" drive bay area and remove the 3.5" bays completely. This will improve airflow into the case.

 

Ahhh that's a good idea, hadn't thought of that, doh! TBH I could always mess about and add more fans in the future should the need arise, thanks I had actually though of messing with the drive cages, my original idea was to mount the SSD with the Mechanical drive in the 3.5" bays and remove the SSD cages, but I see what you mean about the 3.5" cage, it's pretty obtrusive.

 

@doubley_m

That's where I get my stuff from too. There's a couple for $280. There's so many, though, that if you send offers for $240/$250 they'll most likely take it.

It is more of a NAS drive, but if all it is for is music/movies what have you then it'd be just fine.

For the SSD's I'd avoid RAID 0. I don't honestly think you'll see a speed increase in day to day usage. Just get a bigger drive.

 

Good plan I'll send out a couple emails, would be nice save some cash on that! You mentioned there shouldn't be a warranty issue? That'd be my only concern with buying from CL

Hmmm ok, I think I'll reassess that, If I get the 250GB SSD that should be enough space for my OS/Games/Apps and I can archive anything else onto a slower mechanical instead of the Black

Ahhh ok, I've never implemented a RAID Array in my own system before, I had it in my head that using a couple of fast SSDs in RAID 0 would yield very impressive performance but if it's not super noticeable then I guess I'll leave it

 

Thanks again!

[dizmo]

Ahhh that's a good idea, hadn't thought of that, doh! TBH I could always mess about and add more fans in the future should the need arise, thanks I had actually though of messing with the drive cages, my original idea was to mount the SSD with the Mechanical drive in the 3.5" bays and remove the SSD cages, but I see what you mean about the 3.5" cage, it's pretty obtrusive.

 

 

Good plan I'll send out a couple emails, would be nice save some cash on that! You mentioned there shouldn't be a warranty issue? That'd be my only concern with buying from CL

Hmmm ok, I think I'll reassess that, If I get the 250GB SSD that should be enough space for my OS/Games/Apps and I can archive anything else onto a slower mechanical instead of the Black

Ahhh ok, I've never implemented a RAID Array in my own system before, I had it in my head that using a couple of fast SSDs in RAID 0 would yield very impressive performance but if it's not super noticeable then I guess I'll leave it

 

Thanks again!

 

I think unless you're moving large amounts of data around on a regular basis you save maybe 2-3 seconds. But, you add another point of possible failure. Highly unlikely but it's there.

I plan on going RAID 1 on my next build with my storage just for that safety level. I'd really rather not rip all my CD's again.

 

I took a quick look at a majority of the parts on Amazon.com, and if you live close to the border or can make the super quick drive to Point Roberts you can save about another $160 by ordering from there.

You might be able to find even better deals from some US retailers.

It doesn't seem like much but...think of all the Steam games that could buy.

The border crossing there is never busy.

[brob]

. . .

I plan on going RAID 1 on my next build with my storage just for that safety level. I'd really rather not rip all my CD's again.

. . .

 

I went the RAID 1 route for a while. Eventually I realized that it really is only suitable for environments where the loss of data since the last backup justified the cost. EVen RAID 1 can break in ways that are not easily recoverable. Which was a big surprise to me.

 

I now simply run automated nightly backups to an external unit - an old AMD X2-3800 with a bunch of hdd.

[dizmo]

I went the RAID 1 route for a while. Eventually I realized that it really is only suitable for environments where the loss of data since the last backup justified the cost. EVen RAID 1 can break in ways that are not easily recoverable. Which was a big surprise to me.

 

I now simply run automated nightly backups to an external unit - an old AMD X2-3800 with a bunch of hdd.

I thought about doing that as well, but the amount of space it would take up just wasn't worth it to me.

I've also thought about spending the extra $40 some odd dollars for an Enterprise rated drive. We'll see. Builds still a ways off.

[WoodenMarker]

The 780 can support up to 3 monitors in nvidia surround + 1 auxiliary display.

If you're planning to add another 780, a decent 750w would do. No need for an RM850. If you're not sure whether you'd sli or not, I'd advise you to just go with a smaller psu and 1 graphics card. Most people who plan to sli don't because there's generally less hassle with a better single graphics card when it comes time to upgrade.

With regards to the SSD, I had looked at going for a 120GB as a boot drive, then two of them in RAID 0 for speed, then settled on a 250GB to take the OS and most of my primary games/applications, perhaps leaving the option to add a second for RAID 0 at a later date?

I like having a minimum of 16GB for when I run virtual machines and I just like having that headroom, especially considering the price of RAM has tumbled over the years I'll look into making some changes though, the Ti would naturally be very nice...

Yea? I've never really bothered adding fans in previous builds, it's only recently I've actually read more logs and done more research and seen that it's suggested to have slightly positive air pressure, I assumed I could only really achieve that by swapping the front 140mm for 2 120mm fans.

 

I'll have a look at other drives, to be honest I just feel more comfortable with WD as a manufacturer I suppose and the Black has a 5 year warranty which is nice. I suppose I've had Samsung and Seagate drives in the past which have still performed admirably, so thanks for the suggestion

Hmmmm I had looked into Black/Blue/Green/Red drives, as I understand it Red/Green are 5400RPM drives, both with 3 year warranties but the Red more suitable for more archived storage? Would a Blue be a nicer compromise, bit more speed but less cost than the Black? As I mentioned before I do like the 5 year warranty and I like the performance of the Black I have in my laptop

 

Regarding budget, I didn't really have an overall budget when I specced it, just had a mental 'Limit' on what I'd pay for each component really, for example there was no way I'd ever consider an Extreme edition CPU, $500 Motherboard or Titan or anything, I tried to select components that I thought "Yea, I believe that's a reasonable price for what it is".

There's little point putting ssd's in raid 0.

I don't think you need aftermarket fans. Also, such an expensive cpu cooler is not worth the money imo. I'd go with something cheaper like a 212 Evo.

 

If you're getting a black drive, know that you're just paying extra for the warranty and not really for the performance. Barracudas are only slightly slower than blacks.

Reds are more suitable for raid. Other than that, they're pretty much like greens. Blues only go up to 1TB. 

 

There's no point separating budgets for each part. Plan the system as a whole with a total budget.