Advice for a potential Gaming PC build

[Seplod]

I'm thinking about upgrading to a new gaming PC and since I'm not sure if I could wait until the release of the GTX 960, I decided to see if I could scramble another potential build using the GTX 970 instead.

Since picking PC parts out is somewhat new for me, I would like a general opinion of how well this build will fare in terms of gaming in terms of how pretty I can keep the graphics while still maintaining an acceptable FPS (both old and new games) as I'm planning on keeping this for as long as possible. Furthermore, I have a couple of questions regarding the build listed at the bottom:

• First of all: Does the parts seem to be compatible with each other? I ran the build through PCPartsPicker and it didn't seem to come up with any issues.
  
• Motherboard: I picked the Asus Z97-P since it seemed like the best motherboard for a single GPU setup. My other consideration was the MSI Z97 Gaming 3 for about $47 extra and if it is better performance-wise over the Z97-P even though I'm only going to use one GPU.
  
• GPU: Anyone have experiences with the Gainward Geforce GTX 970 Phantom 4GB? Is it a good GTX 970 GPU? My primary concern is the performance and the temperatures since I'm not familiar with the general cooling of Gainward cards. Other alternatives might be the ASUS Geforce GTX 970 STRIX, MSI Geforce GTX 970 (non-gaming), and the Zotac Geforce GTX 970. It seems that the Gainward Phantom has the highest factory overclock of all the GPUs. Not sure how effective the cooling of it is compared to the alternatives, though.
  
• PSU: Anyone who has any experience with the Cooler Master G650M? I assume that the wattage is enough to handle the build even under full load. My other choices are the Corsair CX 500, Corsair CX 500M, Corsair CX 600W and Corsair CX 600M - all which are about $13 more expensive than the Cooler Master.
  
• Case: My primary concern is whether the build will fit inside the case and how the general alrflow/temperature management of the case is. I'm really considering switching swapping it for the Cooler Master CM 690 III which is about $9 more. Is the CM 690 III better in terms of room (making it all fit) and cooling compared to the Corsair Carbide 330R?

I should add that I'm residing outside the US and having the PC prebuilt from a certain selection of parts so my alternatives are pretty much narrowed down to the ones I've posted.

Finally, I would like to thank anybody who are reading this and willing to help. It is greatly appreciated!


CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Asus Z97-P ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Gainward Geforce GTX 970 Phantom 4GB Video Card
Case: Corsair Carbide 330R
Power Supply: Cooler Master 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

 

[mfenn]

It would be really helpful if you would let us know your budget in your native currency as well as a link to all the parts that are available to you. It's quite possible that there are some deals that you have missed out on.

You build in general looks OK, everything is compatible. Some things that seem off though:
- Overclocking Z97 motherboard with non-overclockable CPU. There's no performance difference between different motherboards, so if you're not going to overclock, then you don't need to spend money on a board that is capable of it.
- No SSD. In my opinion any build of this caliber needs an SSD, otherwise you are hamstringing your overall performance.

It's hard comment on value without seeing the exact pricing of what you have an the alternatives.

 

[Seplod]

My budget is around 9000-9500 DKK. It may be possible to stretch it, but I would prefer it not going to much over the maximum.

https://www.komplett.dk/k/config.aspx?ConfigSystemId=10946

I've included a link to the selection of hardware available and it should add up the total price at the end in my native currency.

- Unfortunately, the Z97 is all that is available.

- In regards to SSD, I think I'll hold on for now and see if I can pick one up later and slot it in if I feel it's too slow.

 

[mfenn]

Hmmm, OK I didn't realize you were looking at a prebuilt. You're really limiting your component choice (and thus performance per dollar) by going that direction. Are you sure that you don't want to build it yourself?

Also, adding an SSD after the fact is a pretty big pain because you have to shrink down your system and then image it over, or you have to reinstall from scratch. It's much easier to add on a storage drive later.

 

[meeshu]

Regarding power supply, the proposed system would take only ~ 300W, with no overclocking. Suggest a quality power supply rated at a minimum of 450W.

If the choice of PSU's is only that shown in the link (post #3), then the best recommended PSU is probably the Corsair RM550 as it uses quality components and its performance is fairly good. It should last quite a few years.

The Corsair CX series and the Cooler Master PSU's use lower grade components, so the durability/reliability of these PSU's is questionable, therefore they are not really recommended.

 

[Seplod]

I'm almost ready with a new gaming build - I just need help with choosing
a PSU and the right storage. Also it would be greatly appreciated if I got some
feedback on how the build is. It should be noted that I do not plan on overclocking the system.

The build:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Asus Z97-P ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Cooler Master 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)


First problem is that I do not know what PSU and how much wattage I need if the system will be primarily used for (high end?) gaming. I first considered the Cooler Master G650M, but I'm leaning towards the Corsair RM650 or RM750. The Corsair CX 650M/750M is also an option, but I think it's inferior compared to the others.

Second problem is that I'm not sure whether I should get the Seagate Desktop SSHD 1TB or WD Blue 1TB. I've heard that WD is more reliable, but the Seagate SSHD is (marginally) cheaper (for me) and faster(?)
I do not plan on getting a SSD at the moment.

Also feedback about whether the motherboard is fine for gaming would be greatly appreciated.

New thread on same build merged in here.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

 

[lucklessgorath]

I would choose a different motherboard. You don't need to pay for Z97 if you are not going to overclock, unless you want to use SLI (in the future). However the Asus Z97-P ATX doesn't support SLI.

 

[Ken g6]

I do not plan on getting a SSD at the moment.

Why not? If you don't get an SSD, I'd at least get the SSHD.

Without an overclocking CPU (no K), and since you're not SLI-ing, you don't need an overclocking motherboard. I'd look at H97s to save money...for an SSD. :sneaky:

The GTX 970 doesn't need as much power supply - 650W should be plenty. I'm not sure about specific Corsair models.

Is this the same build as in [thread=2411411]this thread[/thread]? Please try to keep each build in a single thread.

 

[Seplod]

Why not? If you don't get an SSD, I'd at least get the SSHD.

Without an overclocking CPU (no K), and since you're not SLI-ing, you don't need an overclocking motherboard. I'd look at H97s to save money...for an SSD. :sneaky:

The GTX 970 doesn't need as much power supply - 650W should be plenty. I'm not sure about specific Corsair models.

Is this the same build as in [thread=2411411]this thread[/thread]? Please try to keep each build in a single thread.

Yes - in a way, it is a revision of the build you have linked where I have swapped out the case, PSU, motherboard, GPU and storage. My apologies as I didn't realize the previous thread was still open.

Regarding the motherboard, would the MSI H97 Gaming 3 be a better choice if I do not plan on overclocking?


Edit: I finished the build with the Corsair GM650, MSI H97 Gaming 3 and Seagate Desktop SSHD 1TB. Thank you for the help!