Advice and criticism on $1200 build for gaming/coding/office

[dnut_00]

Hi all.

After having some discussion with mfenn before about the $800 - $900 build I had in mind (and was rightfully criticized for it ) 3 things happened:

1. I've got a bit more budget ($400 being that "a bit")
2. I've discussed OC with a knowledgeable friend and read up on it
3. I found the way to get most of the parts delivered from US (aside from case and PSU), so while that means that US prices are applicable, any deals and bundles may not be (we are talking next 2 - 3 weeks)

The build is intended to:

1. last as much as possible (and be passed on to my 3 y.o. kid later on)
2. do coding, office and moderate action RPG gaming (Diablo III, Torchilight 2, PoE) at 1920x1200
3. be overclocked in a year or two (or when given to the kid?)
4. be as cool and as quite as possible
5. there is a very distant possibility that I might SLI in the future

Side notes:

1. I live in the Middle East and the temperatures are relatively high - on average around 28-30C from May to October
2. Electricity prices are high (0.2$/kW - and relatively to purchase power are one of the highest)
3. I just illogically like that motherboard (so I must be overpaying)
4. I really don't need all on ultra or anything, but longevity at high
5. 280x are out of stock as far as I understand

This is the build at the absolute top of budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($80.17 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer
Total: $1165.09

Please, voice opinions on anything really. But the following is something I have doubts:

1. is PSU not an overkill wattage-wise (and will need to be upgraded anyway for SLI)?
2. is cooler enough for the OC or will I need to replace?
3. will I need that additional fan?

 

[Charlie98]

1. Dunno... it supports SLI/Crossfire but it depends on which GPU you wind up with.
2. That cooler probably won't have a lot of temperature overhead... meaning you might want to look at something else or just understand you may have to upgrade when you OC. It also depends on the OC... I've never considered the 212 to be the most efficient design and I had problems with my 212+ when I was OC'ing my 2500K. I wound up putting 2 fans on (push/pull,) taping up the sides to try to get more air through the exchanger... Quite frustrating.
3) If it's going to be in a hot room, yes.

3. I just illogically like that motherboard (so I must be overpaying)

Yes, but if you are willing to pay the price of admission, then it's all good!

 

[dnut_00]

I meant "if that PSU is an overkill, wattage-wise, for the build"?

What cooler would you recommend then? Noctua? Which?

And the rest looks OK? Nothing wrong that jumps to the eye?

 

[Charlie98]

I meant "if that PSU is an overkill, wattage-wise, for the build"?

What cooler would you recommend then? Noctua? Which?

And the rest looks OK? Nothing wrong that jumps to the eye?

With a single GPU, the 650w is overkill. I have a 750w on mine, running an old 560ti... with everything on my desk and running LinX or other benchmark, I only pull 400w at the wall.

The Noctua NH-D14 seems to be the darling at the OC dance, currently... it's just very big.

CM has 'new-and-improved' the 212 cooler, the EVO may be marginally better by now.

 

[dnut_00]

Marginally better than the "new-and-improved"? OK. Apparently I can't get CM anyway, aside from GeminII M4, V6GT, V4GTS and 812.

Should I get any of those, really, or just stick with stock one till I decide to OC? Or any of smaller Noctua? Like NH-L9 for example?

Thank you.

P.S.

Also, does it make any sense to add $30 or so and get 770 4GB?

P.P.S.

I have access to the following 280x cards (at prices lower that 770, naturally):

1. Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 280X OC 3GB
2. Sapphire AMD Radeon R9 280X Dual-X OC 3GB
3. PowerColor AMD Radeon R9 280X 3G

I am wondering if these are better than 770 (I don't mind the price difference), as I've seen reviews talking about noise and power consumption of the Gigabyte being meh. Couldn't find anything on the other two. I am torn.

 

[mfenn]

Your new build looks pretty reasonable. I have a few comments (if I don't mention it, it's good as-is):

- Mobo: Yes, it is overkill for a non-SLI rig. And let's face it, "very distant possibility" means "no". This ASRock Z87 "Fatality" board is also overkill, but it's only $110 so it can be forgiven. (Many normal Z87 boards are out of stock right now.)
- HSF: I think that will be fine. 30C is not really hot in computer terms. I have lived plenty of places in the US where it gets hotter and my computers didn't care. So I say keep the HSF the same.
- RAM: I don't see much reason to get that $80 kit over this Team Vulcan kit for $50.
- GPU: Fine, but if you can get an R9 280X for less, then do so. The Sapphire comes with a pretty decent cooler
- PSU: Good deal at the current $80 price, look around for other Gold PSUs when you order. The Antec TruePower Classic and Rosewill Capstone are good alternatives.

As for your specific questions:
1. 650W is the sweet spot for a single-GPU machine. You can run any single-GPU that's out there or will likely be released (there's pretty much a cap at 300W).
2. You're good, see above.
3. The fans that come with the R4 are plenty.

 

[dnut_00]

Thank you.

A couple of questions:

1. Evo is OOS. Can't get one. Would Noctua NH-U12S do?
2. Do I need some special thermal paste or any will do?

3. I am a bit concerned over 280x reported coil whines (since 7950 days, no?), fan noise and power consumption. I really can't afford to get a bad one (time/effort wise). Should I go with 770 and call it a day (since it is likely to matter little in games I play)?

 

[mfenn]

A U12S is better than the 212 EVO, so yes it would be fine. It costs a bit more though, so you could also look for the 212+. All of these HSF's come with thermal paste, so you don't need extra unless you plan to remount it a lot.

As for coil whine, any GPU can have it. It's pretty much luck of the draw, getting an Nvidia card is no guarantee.

 

[dnut_00]

Thank you very much for all the help.

 

[mfenn]

No problem, glad to help.

 

[disappoint]

Coil whine? Can you just take it apart and glue the coil down? High voltage putty, paraffin or hot glue gun glue should stop that. Cover the coils completely.

 

[mfenn]

Coil whine? Can you just take it apart and glue the coil down? High voltage putty, paraffin or hot glue gun glue should stop that. Cover the coils completely.

Nail polish will work as well. The trick is figuring out what is causing the noise. "Coil" whine can be produced by a lot of different components, including pretty much any largish IC.

 

[dnut_00]

Well, not everyone is a EE/electrician and feels comfortable going with a putty into a component worth hundreds of $.

How bad is it really? I just went through several YouTube videos to experience and they all show an open case. Would a good silent case aleviate the horror?

 

[Torn Mind]

You don't need to have any of the theoretical knowledge an engineer has to know to do basic servicing of circuit board components, and electricians wouldn't know anything about the finer details of what goes on a circuit board. It is a mundane task that simply involves putting a non-conductive material to stop the component from vibrating; the vibrating is what creates the coil whine.

 

[mfenn]

Well, not everyone is a EE/electrician and feels comfortable going with a putty into a component worth hundreds of $.

How bad is it really? I just went through several YouTube videos to experience and they all show an open case. Would a good silent case aleviate the horror?

Silencing coil whine isn't something that you have to do. It doesn't bother everybody because cards don't usually whine unless their under load, at which point many people will have game sounds playing.