Feedback on first pcbuild ever

[Firstpcbuild]

Hey guys.

I'm building my first pc. Have had a lot af advice along the way. Budgetwise I finaly came up with this build. Budget is maxed.

Do you have anything that jumps out?

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/myfirstpcbuild3140/saved/7fcJ7P

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI B150A Gaming Pro ATX LGA1151 Motherboardngston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition w/ Window ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair VS 550W ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor

I won't be OC. Any feedback is welcome, thanks.

 

[UsandThem]

Everything looks fine.

I assume since you didn't list your location, you picked a 220v power supply on purpose?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

 

[Yuriman]

You don't need the aftermarket cooler, and the Intel stock cooler will probably be quieter at idle, but it certainly can't hurt. I would probably opt for something made by Noctua (or someone else that includes high quality fans), because the cheap fan that Coolermaster includes is not quiet at low RPM, which is probably where your PC will spend the vast majority of its time.

You might consider a mATX board and smaller case, or perhaps even ITX?

Overall solid, though.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

Thank you for the feedback!

UsandThem: Sorry about the missing location. I am from Denmark and will be using a danish site called www.edbpriser.dk.

Yuriman: About the cooler. Thanks, I will look into the Noctua coolers. Any you would recommend? I found this one: Noctua NH-L9i

 

[Yuriman]

I use an NH-L9i. It cools around the same as Intel's stock cooler, with around the same noise levels - which is to say, adequately and quietly. It's probably marginally better, but its main advantage is that it is smaller. You're probably fine using Intel's stock cooler, frankly, given that you won't be overclocking and your CPU produces so little heat. The stock cooler comes with an excellent fan and is plenty sufficient to keep an i5 from throttling.

 

[UsandThem]

Thank you for the feedback!

UsandThem: Sorry about the missing location. I am from Denmark and will be using a danish site called www.edbpriser.dk.

Yuriman: About the cooler. Thanks, I will look into the Noctua coolers. Any you would recommend? I found this one: Noctua NH-L9i

I have the Noctua nh-u12s and it's great no doubt. But for your CPU and not over clocking, it would kind of be a waste. They are nice so if you want the best and have the extra money, go for it.

I also have the R5 case and what I learned from trying many different configurations that were cool and quiet:

1. Make sure if you have carpet, put the case on a hard surface like a piece of wood if needed. Install the power supply with the fan pointing up and NOT down towards the floor.

Move the exhaust stock R5 fan to the front with the other one. Connect them to the R5 fan controller. You can run them at full speed (12v) and they are barely audible. I run mine at medium (7v). These fans are 3 pin and my Gigabyte board won't control the speed.

Buy two 140mm fans. Something that moves air and is quiet. I have a Noctua NF-a14 pwm for my exhaust and a NF-a14 flx on the bottom in the first slot towards the front.

I set my Gigabyte board to a normal sound profile, and it is silent and my GTX 970 tops out at 49c and my CPU tops out at 46c.

If you install the PSU down, my temps increased around 4c each on GPU and CPU. Adding s 2nd fan on the nh-u12s only decreases the CPU temp by 1-2c, not really worth it.

 

[lehtv]

From your other thread.

What do all of those cost and where are you buying them from?

Stay away from VS series power supplies, they are the lowest quality units Corsair makes, and not worth buying unless dirt cheap. Some good alternatives at a similar price point: Seasonic S12II/M12II, XFX TS series. Usually EVGA G2 series is worth the extra cost for a build like this.

Buy RAM in a 2x4GB kit so you don't lose performance due to lack of dual channel. 2x8GB is worth considering as it ensures you don't have to upgrade RAM in the foreseeable future. If you can find 2133MHz for significantly cheaper than 2666MHz, go with that instead, as the B150 chipset won't support over 2133MHz memory frequencies anyway.

The case seems a little expensive (usually over $100/100&#8364. I would shave $50 off the case and buy a better PSU, RAM and/or motherboard.

 

[lehtv]

UsandThem: Sorry about the missing location. I am from Denmark and will be using a danish site called www.edbpriser.dk.

Your build in the OP:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor 1731 kr
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler 277 kr
Motherboard: MSI B150A Gaming Pro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard 891 kr
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 350 kr
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 655 kr
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card 2750 kr
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition w/ Window ATX Mid Tower Case 829 kr
Power Supply: Corsair VS 550W ATX Power Supply 385 kr
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) 769 kr

That's a total of 8637 kr, using the cheapest prices at edbpriser.dk. But it probably doesn't make sense to order from many different stores due to relatively small price differences, extra shipping costs and extra hassle of doing multiple orders. So I'm just going to suggest a build from bj-trading.dk.

CPU: Good. i5-6500 is only 10% cheaper, so might as well get the i5-6600 1774 kr.
CPU Cooler: Overrated. Arctic i32 255 kr is quieter with its semi passive fan and lower max RPM, costs less, and has 6 year warranty.
Motherboard: MSI B150M Mortar has very good specs for just 649 kr.
Memory: Crucial 2x4GB 2133MHz 281 kr, does the job for less. But I would buy 16GB instead: Crucial 2x8GB 2133MHz 498 kr, that's even cheaper per GB.
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 608 kr.
Video Card: Zotac GTX 970 is a good buy at 2476 kr. 5 year warranty with registration, and cheaper than MSI - but the cooler isn't quite as quiet. If you want to spend more, I'd recommend Sapphire R9 390 Nitro for 2643 kr.
Case: There are decent enough cheaper options. You won't be needing a large amount of drive slots anyway, with just one SSD drive, maybe one HDD and no optical drive. Here: Core 2300 404 kr, Core 1300 (MicroATX) 417 kr, Corsair 200R 510 kr, Define S 647 kr.
Power Supply: VS series is entry level quality, do not buy for a high performance setup like this. XFX TS550 Gold 562 kr and TS650 Gold 615 kr both have excellent value, reliability, high efficiency and 5 year warranty. But they're not the quietest units. If you want quiet: EVGA 550 G2 746 kr, Corsair RM750x 888 kr (the latter is preferable for R9 390). There's also EVGA 650 G2 but it's not much cheaper than the RM750x, would rather get the bigger unit.
OS: OK

= 7778 kr with 2x4GB, Zotac GTX 970, Core 2300, TS550
= 8458 kr with 2x8GB, Sapphire R9 390, Define S, TS650

In addition, you might want to buy a 1TB hard disk or upgrade the SSD to 500GB, unless you have additional disk space you didn't mention about. 250GB can run out if you install many large games.

As for the monitor, buy it from somewhere else since it's 3000 kr at bj-trading.

Yuriman: About the cooler. Thanks, I will look into the Noctua coolers. Any you would recommend? I found this one: Noctua NH-L9i

Noctua coolers aren't very good value.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it!

Wow lehtv, you made a whole system with the danish site! haha, its super, thanks man!!

PSU: I found this Corsair RMx Series RM550x, but the evga g2 might be better?
GPU: I like the 970, so if its the price only, then I will keep this.
CPU cooler: I was told I could buy an OEM and not get an aftermarket cooler, do you support this?

Motherboard: I was thinking about MSI B150M GAMING PRO, but urs might again be better. Also might spend more on a motherboard, like an MSI H170 GAMING M3

Case: Thanks, I will look into this.

I will take everything you said into account. Again thanks.

 

[UsandThem]

Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it!

Wow lehtv, you made a whole system with the danish site! haha, its super, thanks man!!

PSU: I found this Corsair RMx Series RM550x, but the evga g2 might be better?
GPU: I like the 970, so if its the price only, then I will keep this.
CPU cooler: I was told I could buy an OEM and not get an aftermarket cooler, do you support this?

Motherboard: I was thinking about MSI B150M GAMING PRO, but urs might again be better. Also might spend more on a motherboard, like an MSI H170 GAMING M3

Case: Thanks, I will look into this.

I will take everything you said into account. Again thanks.

1. Seasonic RMx is a great psu. The EVGA G2 line is the best of the best. I have a 650w and 550w G2. Really can't go wrong with either of the units.

2. You can buy an OEM cpu with no cooler, but retail units come with a cooler AND a 3 year warranty. OEM CPUs here only come with warranties from the retailer (typically 30 days in the U.S.)

You will be 100% fine using the stock cooler since you aren't overclocking.

I still recommend the R5. It's such a great case to work with. However, I bought mine when they went on sale for $80. I'm not sure I would buy one at their current $119 price.

Edit: I meant to ask if you use air conditioning there during the warm months at home? I was stationed in Germany for several years, and almost all homes weren't air conditioned. I had to use higher RPM fans to keep things from overheating.

 

[Yuriman]

I'd say the stock cooler is worth $10-15, considering it comes with a nicer fan than you would find on a cheap cooler.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

I have no air conditioning in my apartment, no. Currently I have revised the build based on the response I have gotten from here and on tomshardware.

I need to install the OS somehow, but an optical drive wont work for define S. Any suggestions?

Here is the new build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H170 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($324.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($113.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lenovo 0A65618 DVD/CD Writer ($50.56 @ Mac Mall)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($269.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1300.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-06 15:36 EDT-0400

 

[UsandThem]

I have no air conditioning in my apartment, no. Currently I have revised the build based on the response I have gotten from here and on tomshardware.

I need to install the OS somehow, but an optical drive wont work for define S. Any suggestions?

Here is the new build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H170 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($324.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($113.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lenovo 0A65618 DVD/CD Writer ($50.56 @ Mac Mall)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($269.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1300.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-06 15:36 EDT-0400

You don't need a 750w power supply. I have an i7 6700k and gtx 970, and at my desktop I pull around 115w. When I game, I don't usually go over 250w. Maybe go down to 550w or 650w.

You can download Windows 10 from Microsoft and put it onto a USB drive and boot off of it. You would then just enter your Windows key to activate it.

A 250 GB drive isnt much. Are you going to be gaming or anything that will fill up your drive? I alone have 70 GB of music on mine. Plus, you want to have 10% of your drive allocated to over-privisioning to make it last. I'd step up to a 500 GB version unless you are sure you can get by with 250 GB.

 

[Yuriman]

As UsandThem says, you don't need a 750w PSU. I would be surprised if your PC draws more than 250w under load, given that the video card has a 145w TDP and the CPU, 65w, and everything else probably adds up to less than 50w.

I also use a USB flash drive to install Windows.

You might consider going with an M.2 version of the 850 EVO, rather than SATA. It's not any better or worse, but it'll save you from having to run wires across your case for the drive. The M.2 version of the 950 is actually faster than the SATA version though.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

You are right, I dont need 750w, but the difference between 550 and 750 is 14$, so I thought I might aswell get the big one.. Donnu..

I am really confused about the whole m2 thing. You say its better to setup wires with m2? Can you elaborate?

Thank you for your feedback!

 

[lehtv]

Motherboard: I was thinking about MSI B150M GAMING PRO, but urs might again be better. Also might spend more on a motherboard, like an MSI H170 GAMING M3

B150M Mortar is a better board than B150M Gaming Pro.
- full width with proper amount of mounting holes
- VRM's have heat sinks
- 4 DIMM slots instead of 2
- S/PDIF out
- Clear CMOS button at the back panel

Can you point out what the H170 board has that the B150 Mortar lacks, that you actually need? If not, no point paying the extra.

Here is the new build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sPZWMp/by_merchant/

Since pcpartpicker lists different prices than what you're paying in Danish kronor, it's says nothing about whether the components you picked are actually good purchases. It'd be simpler to just stick to the Danish site, language is not a barrier with Google Chrome / Translate.

I need to install the OS somehow, but an optical drive wont work for define S. Any suggestions?

Install the OS from a USB thumb drive, you won't need a DVD drive. Here's the download link for the Windows 10 download tool, just stick a USB drive (at least 4GB) into your current PC, and download the installation files directly onto the USB drive using the tool. Then when you start up your new PC, boot into the USB drive, install Windows, activate with a Windows 10 OEM product key.

PSU: I found this Corsair RMx Series RM550x, but the evga g2 might be better?

Same quality, really. Buy whichever is cheaper.

You are right, I dont need 750w, but the difference between 550 and 750 is 14$, so I thought I might aswell get the big one.. Donnu..

RM750x is definitely overkill for GTX 970 but if the difference is $14, doesn't really matter. However at bj-trading.dk prices the difference between RM750x and EVGA 550 G2 is 142 kr or $21.

GPU: I like the 970, so if its the price only, then I will keep this.

Okay. MSI Gaming 970 is a good card.

CPU cooler: I was told I could buy an OEM and not get an aftermarket cooler, do you support this?

Yes, if you want a very quiet PC then buy the cheaper OEM/Tray model CPU and add a quiet third party cooler. If you don't want extra costs just for keeping noise to a minimum, go with the Retail/Boxed model CPU. But it seems to me you do want to pay extra for quiet operation, given your choice of MSI Gaming over the cheaper Zotac, and of Define series case instead of the cheaper Core series models.

1. Seasonic RMx is a great psu. The EVGA G2 line is the best of the best. I have a 650w and 550w G2. Really can't go wrong with either of the units.

Corsair RMx, not Seasonic.

You will be 100% fine using the stock cooler since you aren't overclocking.

As far as temperatures are concerned, yes. But noise at 100% load will be much higher with Intel stock cooler than with a decent tower cooler like the Arctic i32.

You might consider going with an M.2 version of the 850 EVO, rather than SATA. It's not any better or worse, but it'll save you from having to run wires across your case for the drive. The M.2 version of the 950 is actually faster than the SATA version though.

Then he needs to pay extra for a motherboard that supports M.2 SSD's. H170 Gaming M3 does, the B150M boards mentioned don't. But H170 Gaming M3 is 300 kr or $45 more expensive - way too much just for M.2 support IMO.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

Hey lehtv, thank you for your extensive feedback!

I was under the understanding that the mobo should be prioritized. Based on intuition that it could be the bottleneck for the system I would prefer a very good one.

The h170 http://www.edbpriser.dk/bundkort/msi-h170-gaming-m3-id-11584599.aspx has:
- Killer Gaming E2400 network controller
- MSI gaming lan management software

b150 mortar has been ranked quite low for gaming: http://motherboardbenchmark.net/best-chipset-b150-gaming-motherboard-benchmark/

Dont know if this is just marketing or actually is worth it.

Yes I do want a quiet pc, but the artic i32 isnt available to me on www.edbpriser.dk or bj-trading. Do you have an alternative suggestion?

Also right now I am going for define S with the bootable usb for windows, thanks.

Thank you for your feedback on the PSU. I will maybe get a cheaper corsair rmx

Did I mention I will be playing mostly Dota 2 and CS:GO. It might be relevant for you guys

 

[lehtv]

Hey lehtv, thank you for your extensive feedback!

Don't mention it

The h170 has:
- Killer Gaming E2400 network controller
- MSI gaming lan management software

I've never needed any LAN management software for gaming. I would rank Intel and Realtek LANs more user friendly in this respect, there's no need to manage things beyond installing drivers.

b150 mortar has been ranked quite low for gaming: http://motherboardbenchmark.net/best-chipset-b150-gaming-motherboard-benchmark/

Dont know if this is just marketing or actually is worth it.

I have no idea how those numbers are calculated and what they mean - take that site with a generous grain of salt.

Differences in actual performance between motherboards are typically less than 1%. As far as gaming related features are concerned - in a gaming PC without overclocking, the motherboard is essentially just an interface for other components, and it's those other components that actually matter. If you have a fast GPU, a fast enough CPU, at least 8GB of RAM and an SSD drive - you're good to go.

Some argument for gaming features on motherboards can be made, however. SLI or Crossfire allows you to run two graphics cards, which is a feature reserved for enthusiast motherboard chipsets (e.g. Z170, X99, 990FX). (Technically, Crossfire works on cheaper chipsets as well but SLI compatible boards have better bandwidth for the second graphics card.) But dual graphics card users are only a small subset of hardcore gamers, it's not something most gamers have need for. Another argument is overclocking features insofar as they relate to improved gaming performance, and again we're talking about higher end chipsets. Neither overclocking nor SLI/Crossfire is possible on the H170 Gaming M3 board, however, so I don't quite see what useful gaming related features it offers that the B150M Mortar lacks.

Yes I do want a quiet pc, but the artic i32 isnt available to me on www.edbpriser.dk or bj-trading. Do you have an alternative suggestion?

I linked the i32 from bj-trading earlier, it says it's available: "OK - er på lager"

Here's the link: http://www.bj-trading.dk/bjshop/default.asp?pv=ACFRE00004A&pn=Arctic&vare=734716

Did I mention I will be playing mostly Dota 2 and CS:GO. It might be relevant for you guys

Those games are easy to run, you would be more than fine with a GTX 950/960 or R9 380 class GPU, and an i3-6100 CPU (using stock cooler, the i3 uses little power). ~200 fps in both games which is more than enough to take advantage of the 144Hz screen and to eliminate fps-related input lag from being a factor. The build as a whole is a little overkill just for those two, but if you play more graphics intensive games (say, any of GTA V, FO4, Witcher 3, Far Cry series, Battlefield etc.) then the extra horsepower that comes with GTX 970 and i5 will be of more use, and spending extra on things like 16GB RAM and aftermarket CPU cooling will make more sense as well.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it!

Wow lehtv, you made a whole system with the danish site! haha, its super, thanks man!!

I will take everything you said into account. Again thanks.

Yeah, some of the people on this forum are real pros, even putting together a build on a non-US shopping site. (I'm way too lazy to attempt that, sorry.)

It'd be simpler to just stick to the Danish site, language is not a barrier with Google Chrome / Translate.

Is that the secret? Use Chrome? Hmm. I'm not a Chrome user.

 

[lehtv]

@VirtualLarry Translate is native to Chrome (right click on page -> Translate to English). Works perfectly, you don't lose any site functionality. In Firefox, you can use Google Translator add-on, but it's a little clumsier.

 

[Yuriman]

I hadn't realized your current board choice doesn't have M.2 support, and that changes things. I like M.2, but it's not going to provide you any tangible performance benefits, and will necessitate spending a little more on a motherboard.

M.2 is the new connection for SSDs, which has the potential for much higher transfer rates. The SSD plugs directly into the board, and thus has no need for wires.

 

[Firstpcbuild]

@lehtv

CPU cooler: Thanks, I must have misspelled it.

One last question for you: How do I choose between r9 390 and the 970?

I wouldnt mind the noise too much. I know the r9 uses more power, but I will get the rm750x psu anyway, cause its cheap.

I made this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zn7ZnQ

I have been thinking about this for days and searching the web provides confusing info. I used this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sapphire-nitro-r9-390-8g-d5,4245.html

Seems like 970 is better for full hd, which fits my benq moniter, but the r9 seems better in full hd in some games..

As always, thanks in advance lehmaster.

 

[UsandThem]

@lehtv

CPU cooler: Thanks, I must have misspelled it.

One last question for you: How do I choose between r9 390 and the 970?

I wouldnt mind the noise too much. I know the r9 uses more power, but I will get the rm750x psu anyway, cause its cheap.

I made this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zn7ZnQ

I have been thinking about this for days and searching the web provides confusing info. I used this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sapphire-nitro-r9-390-8g-d5,4245.html

Seems like 970 is better for full hd, which fits my benq moniter, but the r9 seems better in full hd in some games..

As always, thanks in advance lehmaster.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1594?vs=1595

 

[Firstpcbuild]

@UsandThem Thanks a lot mate. This makes me decide to go with the 970 msi one.

I believe anandtech is relatively objective in their analysis/unbiased

 

[UsandThem]

@UsandThem Thanks a lot mate. This makes me decide to go with the 970 msi one.

I believe anandtech is relatively objective in their analysis.

They are. They have been one of the best review sites since they first started in the late 90's.

I would go with whichever I could get the best price on. As the comparison shows, outside of the 970 using less power, the performance is very similar; especially in gaming.