$1500 Gaming and general purpose PC build

[bville.pete]

I am looking to build a gaming PC that also is a great overall PC for surfing the web, MS Office apps and occasional video editing to replace my 7 year old home-built system. My target cost is $1500 after rebates.

What do you think of the following:

$279.99 - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz LGA 1150 (microcenter)
$119.99 - Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 LGA 1150 ATX Intel MB (microcenter)
$89.99 - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 Model F3-14900CL8D-8GBXM (newegg)
$299.99 - Toshiba 512GB Q Series Pro (microcenter)
$56.99 - Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM HDD (microcenter)
$109.99 - EVGA Supernova 850 G2 PSU (newegg - after $30 rebate)
$94.99 - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower (Amazon)
$15.99 - Samsung SH-224DB24x DVD Burner OEM (microcenter)
$99.00 - Windows 8.1 64-bit
$383.99 - XFX R9290AEDFD Radeon 290 4GB DDR5 Video Card (microcenter -after 10% discount and $30 rebate)

I have been told that the i7-4790K is "too much" for a gaming build, but I still want to get it since it will probably be another 7 years before I replace this system.

Revised build as of 8/7/14:
$279.99 - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz LGA 1150 (microcenter)
$119.99 - Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 LGA 1150 ATX Intel MB (microcenter)
$79.99 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 (microcenter)
$209.99 - Crucial MX100 512GB (microcenter)
$56.99 - Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM HDD (microcenter)
$109.99 - EVGA Supernova 850 G2 PSU (newegg - after $30 rebate)
$89.99 - Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey (newegg)
$15.99 - Samsung SH-224DB24x DVD Burner OEM (microcenter)
$103.67 - Windows 8.1 Full version (amazon)
$404.99 - MSI AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (microcenter -after 10% discount)
$29.99 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (microcenter)

TOTAL = $1501.57 before tax

 

[nsafreak]

Well, there are some changes that I would make to the build, let me list them:

• RAM: save some cash and go with DDR3-1600. Having higher speed RAM really doesn't affect the system for your main purposes
• SSD: I'd go with the Crucial MX100 512GB over the Toshiba. The performance difference between the two is very small and I doubt that you'd notice it. But you would be saving a significant amount of cash
• PSU: Save some more cash and go with a SeaSonic M12II 620. 850 watts is more than you need even with a 290 and a well equipped 620 watt PSU should be just fine
• Case: I like Antec cases but it seems like other case manufacturers have passed them by and I haven't really ever been a big fan of the 900. I would suggest looking into a Fractal Designs Define R4 or a Corsair Carbide 400R.
• Consider the MSI R9 290 and the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X as well if you're into overclocking, the Gigabyte R9 290 if you're not quite into it. All 3 have better coolers than the XFX cooler while the MSI and Sapphire cards typically overclock better. The Gigabyte card has the potential to overclock really well but that only applies if Gigabyte hasn't locked the voltages like they have on some previous cards.

 

[DownTheSky]

Well, there are some changes that I would make to the build, let me list them:

• RAM: save some cash and go with DDR3-1600. Having higher speed RAM really doesn't affect the system for your main purposes
• SSD: I'd go with the Crucial MX100 512GB over the Toshiba. The performance difference between the two is very small and I doubt that you'd notice it. But you would be saving a significant amount of cash
• PSU: Save some more cash and go with a SeaSonic M12II 620. 850 watts is more than you need even with a 290 and a well equipped 620 watt PSU should be just fine
• Case: I like Antec cases but it seems like other case manufacturers have passed them by and I haven't really ever been a big fan of the 900. I would suggest looking into a Fractal Designs Define R4 or a Corsair Carbide 400R.
• Consider the MSI R9 290 and the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X as well if you're into overclocking, the Gigabyte R9 290 if you're not quite into it. All 3 have better coolers than the XFX cooler while the MSI and Sapphire cards typically overclock better. The Gigabyte card has the potential to overclock really well but that only applies if Gigabyte hasn't locked the voltages like they have on some previous cards.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[bville.pete]

Well, there are some changes that I would make to the build, let me list them:

• RAM: save some cash and go with DDR3-1600. Having higher speed RAM really doesn't affect the system for your main purposes
• SSD: I'd go with the Crucial MX100 512GB over the Toshiba. The performance difference between the two is very small and I doubt that you'd notice it. But you would be saving a significant amount of cash
• PSU: Save some more cash and go with a SeaSonic M12II 620. 850 watts is more than you need even with a 290 and a well equipped 620 watt PSU should be just fine
• Case: I like Antec cases but it seems like other case manufacturers have passed them by and I haven't really ever been a big fan of the 900. I would suggest looking into a Fractal Designs Define R4 or a Corsair Carbide 400R.
• Consider the MSI R9 290 and the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X as well if you're into overclocking, the Gigabyte R9 290 if you're not quite into it. All 3 have better coolers than the XFX cooler while the MSI and Sapphire cards typically overclock better. The Gigabyte card has the potential to overclock really well but that only applies if Gigabyte hasn't locked the voltages like they have on some previous cards.

Thanks for the feedback. I was debating between the Samsung 840 EVO, the MX100 and the Toshiba Q Series. It looked like the Toshiba was the fastest but if I won't notice a difference, I'll switch it to the MX100.

Any recommendation for the DDR3-1600 RAM that will save me money?

The EVGA PSU seemed to get a great review on this site and so I thought the extra 230 W and 80 GOLD Certification was worth the extra $30. You don't think so?

Is this the MSI card you are talking about: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-774-_-Product

The case selection has caused me more grief than I anticipated. I looked at the Fractal Designs Define R4 case but thought it was rather boring and I was looking so something a little nicer looking... not necessarily with the lights but maybe brushed aluminum or white exterior or something like that. I will look at the Corsair one you mentioned.

Thanks again!

 

[Essence_of_War]

I have been told that the i7-4790K is "too much" for a gaming build, but I still want to get it since it will probably be another 7 years before I replace this system.

It's probably true. You can save ~$80, and sacrifice little to no performance by going with the i5-4690k. I think your budget is probably fine though, that might be my first suggestion of things to cut down to if you can't get all of the GPU-grunt you need.

Thanks for the feedback. I was debating between the Samsung 840 EVO, the MX100 and the Toshiba Q Series. It looked like the Toshiba was the fastest but if I won't notice a difference, I'll switch it to the MX100.

The Toshiba Q-series is great, but $299 for 512GB is not a competitive price for it right now. If I were buying an SSD today, it would be the MX100 512 GB, and not even looking back for a second. Price point is top notch, performance is solid, and Crucial's RMA process doesn't seem to be horribly oppressive. Samsung's EVO is basically an up-charge for RAPID. Which really doesn't do much other than make your bench numbers higher, and allow the specter of un-committed data in the event of a power-loss loom over your head.

Case: I like Antec cases but it seems like other case manufacturers have passed them by and I haven't really ever been a big fan of the 900. I would suggest looking into a Fractal Designs Define R4 or a Corsair Carbide 400R.

The case selection has caused me more grief than I anticipated. I looked at the Fractal Designs Define R4 case but thought it was rather boring and I was looking so something a little nicer looking... not necessarily with the lights but maybe brushed aluminum or white exterior or something like that. I will look at the Corsair one you mentioned.

I personally quite like the R4.

As far as Corsair cases go, the carbide 400R/500R are both nice, and usually well priced. The Obsidian 450D is also quite nice, and fairly well priced as well. If you only have a single gpu, and two drives, you could consider going mATX and hitting up something like the Obsidian 350D for that nice brushed aluminum finish. I think MC will give you the combo deal on any compatible CPU+MoBo they have in stock, not just ones that they advertise. It might be worth investigating.

If you don't need/want an optical drive, the NZXT H440 (in any of its varied color schemes) seems great. Can usually be found (depending on popularity of color scheme) for ~$110.

I've been really impressed by reviews I've seen of Phantek's Enthoo Pro as well. Usually about $110. A very well built case for the $.

On your budget, you could afford 2x8GB sticks of RAM. Here's a solid pair available at MC for $140. Alternatively, if you want more affordable 2x4GB, and honestly, that's probably all you NEED for gaming, here's a decent pair of Team Vulcan 2x 4GB for $72 from newegg. They're a little ugly (IMHO) but they perform fine, and they're in-voltage-spec.

I don't see an after market HSF to go with that K-series CPU. Have you considered any of those yet? Even something like CM EVO for $30 will get you quite a bit better thermals, especially if you're OC'ing, than the stock cooler.

Here's a sample build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($209.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($369.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($101.37 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1107.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-07 15:47 EDT-0400

CPU+MoBo Combo i7-4790k + AsRock Extreme4 ~$387 After Tax
=$1495 total

That includes a bunch of places to save money if you'd like to spend less than $1500:
1) Drop down to OEM Win8 license ($20)
2) No optical drive if you don't need it ($14)
3) Drop down to 1 TB HDD ($20)
4) Drop down to 256GB SSD ($100)
5) Drop down to i5-4690k ($80)
6) Drop down to CM EVO for HSF (~$40)
= $274 (which will get you a nice monitor if you need a new one of those to go with your shiny GPU generated eye candy)

 

[bville.pete]

Revised build as of 8/7/14:
$279.99 - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz LGA 1150 (microcenter)
$119.99 - Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 LGA 1150 ATX Intel MB (microcenter)
$79.99 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 (microcenter)
$209.99 - Crucial MX100 512GB (microcenter)
$56.99 - Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM HDD (microcenter)
$109.99 - EVGA Supernova 850 G2 PSU (newegg - after $30 rebate)
$89.99 - Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey (newegg)
$15.99 - Samsung SH-224DB24x DVD Burner OEM (microcenter)
$103.67 - Windows 8.1 Full version (amazon)
$404.99 - MSI AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card (microcenter -after 10% discount)
$29.99 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

TOTAL = $1501.57 before tax

 

[escrow4]

7yrs is way too long. You'd be lucky to get 2-3yrs out of that for a gaming system before you'd have to start gutting settings. Otherwise it is serviceable although I'd make sure you put in 16GB RAM at least and a better aftermarket 290.

It's not terribly useful to make vaguely disparaging remarks without suggesting alternatives or at least detailing why you think the OP has made an inferior choice.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

 

[DigDog]

what, no monitor?

 

[bville.pete]

Otherwise it is serviceable although I'd make sure you put in 16GB RAM at least and a better aftermarket 290.

The MSI, Sapphire and Gigabyte brands were recommended by nsafreak. What "better aftermarket 290" would you recommend?

what, no monitor?

No I have a 1920x1080 monitor.

 

[Essence_of_War]

The MSI 290 is fine if you prefer to get it at MC, I'd go with the Asus one I mentioned just on the back of saving $30, but that it largely up to you since you're still basically within budget.

Is there any reason you went with the 850W PSU over the $30 cheaper 750W one I mentioned from the same manufacturer/platform?

 

[bville.pete]

The MSI 290 is fine if you prefer to get it at MC, I'd go with the Asus one I mentioned just on the back of saving $30, but that it largely up to you since you're still basically within budget.

I guess because I was looking at MSI, Sapphire and Gigabyte brands that were recommended by nsafreak. It's actually available from TigerDirect for $349.99 after $20 rebate. The reviews on newegg aren't great. In your opinion this will be a reliable card? (I know there are lemons for every manufacturer.)

Is there any reason you went with the 850W PSU over the $30 cheaper 750W one I mentioned from the same manufacturer/platform?

I kept the original 850W version based upon the strength of the Anandtech review of the G2. The model you recommended was a G1 model and didn't look quite as well made as the G2.

EDIT - I do see the EVGA Supernova G2 750W PSU at Newegg for 94.99 after $20 rebate... I will switch to that one to save another $15.

 

[nsafreak]

I guess because I was looking at MSI, Sapphire and Gigabyte brands that were recommended by nsafreak. It's actually available from TigerDirect for $349.99 after $20 rebate. The reviews on newegg aren't great. In your opinion this will be a reliable card? (I know there are lemons for every manufacturer.)

This is true, any manufacturer can have a bad card or two. Asus makes some nice video cards, it's just that my past experience with their RMA process for a faulty video card soured me on the brand so I don't recommend them anymore. That's not to say you couldn't have issues with the brands that I have recommended as everybody's experience tends to be different. Feel free to get the best bang for the buck as any of the recommended brands in this thread will do just fine.

I kept the original 850W version based upon the strength of the Anandtech review of the G2. The model you recommended was a G1 model and didn't look quite as well made as the G2.

EDIT - I do see the EVGA Supernova G2 750W PSU at Newegg for 94.99 after $20 rebate... I will switch to that one to save another $15.

Money saved is always good and the 750 watts it puts out should be plenty.

 

[bville.pete]

This is true, any manufacturer can have a bad card or two. Asus makes some nice video cards, it's just that my past experience with their RMA process for a faulty video card soured me on the brand so I don't recommend them anymore. That's not to say you couldn't have issues with the brands that I have recommended as everybody's experience tends to be different. Feel free to get the best bang for the buck as any of the recommended brands in this thread will do just fine.

How is the cooler on the ASUS cards... comparable to the MSI/Sapphire/Gigabyte and better than the XFX?

 

[nsafreak]

The cooler on the Asus cards typically cools about the same as the MSI/Sapphire/Gigabyte cards the last time I looked through some benchmarks and reviews.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Here's a SeaSonic gold 650W unit for $60, AP/AR I'd pocket the extre $30-40 on that one if you're only using a single gpu.

 

[bville.pete]

What is everyone's opinion of the Diamond AMD Radeon R9 290 HD 4GB DDR5 PCIe 3.0x16 Video Card ($321.99 after 10% discount & $20 MIR at microcenter)?
http://www.microcenter.com/product/431164/AMD_Radeon_R9_290_HD_4GB_DDR5_PCIe_30x16_Video_Card

My indecision on a graphic card is holding be back on making the bulk of my parts purchases...
Other than the Diamond above, the other ones I was considering are:
Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 290 Overclocked 4096MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0x16 Video Card ($359.99 at mircocenter)
MSI AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB PCIe x 16 3.0 Video Card ($404.99 at microcenter)
Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($378.99 at newegg) *** Corrected price***

 

[nsafreak]

Oddly enough there aren't a lot of reviews of the card so I'm not sure how its cooler competes against the likes of the other manufacturers listed. My first video card I purchased was a Diamond (a Viper V550) but the company has been bought a few times over the years. From the forum posts that I've fond and read it seems to get good temperatures but I really can't find anything that goes in depth about its cooler design. From the pictures it looks like there are 2-3 heatpipes that make contact with the GPU but I'm not quite sure what cooling there is on the VRM and memory sections of the card. It also only has a 2 year warranty while the other manufactures all have 3 year warranties. Nothing against Diamond but that extra year warranty makes a big difference for me and I would stick with one of the other recommended brands.

 

[bville.pete]

Thanks nsafreak for all your help.

General question: The gigabyte MB supports 1 x M.2 PCIe connector and 1 x SATA Express connector and 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors. What should the Crucial MX100 512GB SSD be connected to?

 

[nsafreak]

The SATA Express is going to be the fastest connection of the ones listed although I'm not sure the MX100 can utilize all of the speed it provides, it wouldn't hurt though as it is backwards compatible. Go ahead and hook up the MX100 to it for now and if you get a device that can take full advantage of its speed down the road simply move the MX100 to a SATA 6GB connection.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks nsafreak for all your help.

General question: The gigabyte MB supports 1 x M.2 PCIe connector and 1 x SATA Express connector and 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors. What should the Crucial MX100 512GB SSD be connected to?

The MX100 is a standard SATA drive, so there is no benefit to using any connector other than one of the normal SATA 6Gb/s ones.