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Help me get my first build perfect.

S

Sam60I

Junior Member
Hi guys,

I just registered on this forum to get the advices of the most people I could before buying my first rig and because this looks like to be a great community so hello everyone. :biggrin:

I wasn't sure where I was supposed to make this thread but this seemed to be the appropriated place. Sorry if it wasn't.

1- 50% gaming, 30% Web browsing, 15% movies, 5% photoshop
2- 1200-1300$, maximum: 1300-1400
3- Canada
4- I kinda like Asus.
5- I already have a 1to external drive and a wifi card.
6- The 1to drive for sure and maybe the wifi card.
7- I can try and I'd like too but I've never tried.
8- 1080p 120hz
9- Around two or three weeks.


My goal was to make a powerful and quiet gaming rig.

Here is what I made.

CPU : Intel I5 4690K
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Gene
CPU cooler: Fractal Design S24 (if it will on day be available or Swiftech H220)
Memory: Kingston fury 2 x 4GB DDR3 1866
GPU: Asus DirectCU II R9 290
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB
PSU: XFX XTR 550W
Case: Bitfenix Aegis

What do you think of my build so far? My biggest concern about this build is that it is a mATX build although I would like to save space on my desk. Should I make a ATX rig with crossfire possibility?

Also I would like to ask you a some question.

1- How went your first build? I'm hesitating to mount the tower myself or pay someone to do so. I have 0 expenrience in hardware I'm scared of broking something.

2- I would like to personalize mi rig. I know both of the CPU cooler above are modular so I should be able to change the tubing for colored ones. How do I proceed?:hmm:

Thanks for your time and have a great day. 😉
 
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maybe reconsider the PSU? dunno

not much else to add except, build yourself all the way.
my first time i had a laptop with youtubes guiding me through everything.
 
Everything looks pretty good. I am an admitted Corsair/Seasonic fanboi when it comes to PSU, so I would look for a slightly higher wattage model from one of them. A 550 Watt PSU should be enough, but you will be running it over 85% capacity during heavy gaming which will reduce it's efficiency and reduce its life. The Corsair RM750 is a high quality Gold rated PSU you can get for $90 if you do rebates and coupon codes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139055

I would also rethink the GPU. I am an admitted Asus fanboi as well, but the DCU2 coolers on their 290 do not allow for all of the heat-pipes to contact with the core reducing it's overall cooling ability. I would go for the the Sapphire Tri-X or Vapor-X model as their coolers are specifically designed for the 290s and have full contact on the core.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202080
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202103

My first build was so long ago I barely remember it. It was a DX2-66 machine with parts ordered from Treasure Chest or Pirate bay Computing out of New Orleans. I picked the parts out from a 2" thick computer shopper magazine. I vaguely remember an Abit board, but that could have been any number of iterations from 25-10 years ago.

I would absolutely build it yourself. You will get a much larger sense of satisfaction every time to use it to think, I built this! It is not difficult and there a gazillion Youtube videos out there to teach you exactly what to do. Just get a large clear work space and lay out your parts. Read the motherboard manual to learn where everything plugs in and then mount and start plugging!! If you have any problems along the way, feel free to ask us for help.

Personalizing a rig is a personal experience. Everyone has different tastes and those tastes tend to change. I used to be a very flashy mirrored finish with lots of lights and fans sort of guy. I wanted to show my rig off and it had to look impressive with exotic grill covers and such. Now I am older and enjoy the traditional understated look. There is tons more power inside, but my desk is covered in monitors now, so the tower is 6 feet away. I do not hear it or see it really, although I did take extra time to sound proof the entire case and do extensive cable management.

For your instance, if you take my suggestions and go with the RM750 PSU and Tri-X 290, both those have black and yellow features. You could continue that theme using yellow loom on the wiring and you could replace the hosing for yellow or get some yellow fans. Although I think your case may have red accents on it, so you are back to looking for something red. The MSI Twin Frozr is also red, but it also has the same problems as the Asus cooler in that the heat-pipes do not all make full contact. Maybe change cases??

As you can see, personalizing is indeed a personal experience. What you want and like are different. Look at some different computer case galleries and get some ideas. Good luck and happy building.
 
Looks good. I must say, it's a very nice build for your first time. If you do plan on getting crazy with overvolting the CPU and GPU, you may want to to step it up to a larger wattage PSU.


Also, this video from Bram @ Swiftech will help you with changing the stock coolant tubing on your H220.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpum4J6C2k
 
Moving to General Hardware, as this thread is requesting assistance with additional components besides graphics hardware.
-- stahlhart
 
Thanks for all your answers.

Mfenn: did it.

Face2face: I want to get the fastest stable clock speed while being under the danger zone for my CPU and I might OC a bit my GPU when it will start getting old, but nothing too fast since I want to keep my rig quiet. Do you think 550w will be enough? And thanks for the link. Do you think I can re-use the cooling liquid that came originally because, you know just less trouble for my wallet.

Wildthing: thank you. 😛 I think I will indeed need luck. :biggrin:
My screen will be a 1080p 120hz monitor. I'd like to max out my FPS and make good use of the refresh rate but the reason I mentioned Crossfire in my post was because I though it might be a good way to save money later on by giving me the option of enhancing my rig for cheap. Would you recommend me to do so?
And I plan to store only games in my SSD because. I have an external drive for everything else. Would you still add an HDD? Btw I like your username. 😛

Zardnod: The XFX XTR is a really good unit from I've seen. Gold rated, fully modular, and it is a rebranded Seasonic PSU. It is cheaper and better than the Corsair RM.
Here for example:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/XFX/XTR650/

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=323

But those numbers barely mean anything to me as I'm a big noob in PSU. I'd rather trust you. Do you think I should stick with the XFX XTR 550w?

As for the GPU, I choosed the DC II because it is supposed to be the most quiet r9 290. The vaporX triX is pretty expensive (520$ vs 409$ CAD) and I can't stand the color of the triX. Which r9 290 other than the trix (I can still try to get the vaporX) would you recommend me?

Here's a link to help you.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/#c=136,152&sort=a8
 
The XFX is fine if you get a deal on it, especially if it is a re-branded Seasonic. I do recommend more than a 550 watt though.

As for which 290 to use, I know the Sapphire cards have heatsinks designed for these cards. Most of the other companies used a cooler that was designed for an older Nvidia chip that would fit and work, but the heat-pipes fail to make full contact which reduces the cooling efficiency. Not sure which, other than the Sapphires, have fully functioning coolers.
 
Without knowing the prices you're looking at for the parts that you listed, I can't comment on how good your existing build is, but here's what I would do for $1300 CDN.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($251.03 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($87.71 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($429.00 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($97.83 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1272.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I kept an air cooler because AIO water coolers don't necessarily perform and better, and doing a hose swap isn't something that I'd recommend for a first timer. It's not that swapping the hoses is hard, it's that properly refilling the system and bleeding off any air is tricky unless you've had someone teach you the technique.
 
mfenn said:
Without knowing the prices you're looking at for the parts that you listed, I can't comment on how good your existing build is, but here's what I would do for $1300 CDN.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($251.03 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($87.71 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($429.00 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($97.83 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1272.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I kept an air cooler because AIO water coolers don't necessarily perform and better, and doing a hose swap isn't something that I'd recommend for a first timer. It's not that swapping the hoses is hard, it's that properly refilling the system and bleeding off any air is tricky unless you've had someone teach you the technique.
Click to expand...

I'd still go air over an AIO myself.

Have a ASUS DCII R9 280X TOP I've gotten fond over time that OC's well, like them myself.

Other than that not much to say.

:thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
MongGrel said:
I'd still go air over an AIO myself.

Have a ASUS DCII R9 280X TOP I've gotten fond over time that OC's well, like them myself.

Other than that not much to say.

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Why would you go air over AIO?

mfenn said:
Without knowing the prices you're looking at for the parts that you listed, I can't comment on how good your existing build is, but here's what I would do for $1300 CDN.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($251.03 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($87.71 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($429.00 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($97.83 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1272.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I kept an air cooler because AIO water coolers don't necessarily perform and better, and doing a hose swap isn't something that I'd recommend for a first timer. It's not that swapping the hoses is hard, it's that properly refilling the system and bleeding off any air is tricky unless you've had someone teach you the technique.
Click to expand...

Prices:
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ZwXYmG/

I want a more aesthetically correct rig. 😀 It will be sitting on my desk where I spend a lot of time.
If you could swapp the notua and the trixx it would be perfect.

I'm also a bit worried by the motherboard. Will it be enough for overclocking? I'read that it has only two phases.

Also what do you mean by tricky?
 
Sam60I said:
Why would you go air over AIO?
Click to expand...

because unless clearance space requires you to go AIO, air is typically the easier route.

Less things can fail in a Air sink vs a AIO, with marginal differences in performance.

AIO's are not a custom watercooling kit.
They do not use the pumps which a full custom uses, and typically under most situations Air setups get very close to AIO's.

On an air setup, the only thing u need to worry about is "did my fan die?" if it did, then you can get a replacement fan for about $14-$25.
Its only 1 problem u really need to worry about after installation.

On an AIO you need to worry about: (a list of problems which can happen)
did my Fan on radiator die? replace.
Did my Pump die? RMA.... as u cant replace the pump on a AIO.
Is it leaking? OMG... *panic attack* *ends up testing each hardware which had water leaked on it praying to the hardware God that u didnt fry something.*

That being said... i use both air and AIO's.
The AIO's go in places where i dont have clearance for a good heat sink.
Otherwise i will Air Sink all machines which i dont feel like setting up a full custom water setup on.

Now Air vs a full custom water setup is almost like night and day... however a full custom watersetup can run you anywhere from 400-800 dollars just for the water eq, and also require fairly large cases to fit your radiators in.
 
Last edited:
Sam60I said:
Prices:
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ZwXYmG/

I want a more aesthetically correct rig. 😀 It will be sitting on my desk where I spend a lot of time.
If you could swapp the notua and the trixx it would be perfect.

I'm also a bit worried by the motherboard. Will it be enough for overclocking? I'read that it has only two phases.

Also what do you mean by tricky?
Click to expand...

I can't see your build (bad link) so I can't really tell you anything about that.

As for tricky I was referring to your, "I know both of the CPU cooler above are modular so I should be able to change the tubing for colored ones," comment. Physically changing the tubing is the easy part. Draining the old coolant, sourcing new cooling with the appropriate anti-corrosive agents for the metals that are using the cooler, refilling the cooler, bleeding off the excess air (especially on a part that's not designed for this), and confirming that it is properly sealed are all fraught with dangers for the first timer.

If you attempt a hose swap with no prior experience, I give you an 85% probability of leaving and air bubble. Best case the air bubble lowers performance to below air cooler levels. Worse case the air bubble is in the pump housing and the pump overheats.

So just forget the idea of swapping tubes on an AIO. It's all the work of a full custom loop with none of the benefits.
 
Thanks a lot for your help. It is really appreciated.

aigomorla said:
because unless clearance space requires you to go AIO, air is typically the easier route.

Less things can fail in a Air sink vs a AIO, with marginal differences in performance.

AIO's are not a custom watercooling kit.
They do not use the pumps which a full custom uses, and typically under most situations Air setups get very close to AIO's.

On an air setup, the only thing u need to worry about is "did my fan die?" if it did, then you can get a replacement fan for about $14-$25.
Its only 1 problem u really need to worry about after installation.

On an AIO you need to worry about: (a list of problems which can happen)
did my Fan on radiator die? replace.
Did my Pump die? RMA.... as u cant replace the pump on a AIO.
Is it leaking? OMG... *panic attack* *ends up testing each hardware which had water leaked on it praying to the hardware God that u didnt fry something.*

That being said... i use both air and AIO's.
The AIO's go in places where i dont have clearance for a good heat sink.
Otherwise i will Air Sink all machines which i dont feel like setting up a full custom water setup on.

Now Air vs a full custom water setup is almost like night and day... however a full custom watersetup can run you anywhere from 400-800 dollars just for the water eq, and also require fairly large cases to fit your radiators in.
Click to expand...

Swiftech has a three years warranty that evens covers expansions, in the worst case if the pump fails, I can still change it. I don't have to throw the whole thing to the garbage. But nice point on the leak. This is pretty scary. Did it ever happened to you or someone you know? I'll mail Swiftech to know if their warranty also covers the damaged hardware.

Also I'd like to have your thoughts on the performance aspect of the h220. Do you think it is worth the cost? I can't really find a good benchmark.

mfenn said:
I can't see your build (bad link) so I can't really tell you anything about that.

As for tricky I was referring to your, "I know both of the CPU cooler above are modular so I should be able to change the tubing for colored ones," comment. Physically changing the tubing is the easy part. Draining the old coolant, sourcing new cooling with the appropriate anti-corrosive agents for the metals that are using the cooler, refilling the cooler, bleeding off the excess air (especially on a part that's not designed for this), and confirming that it is properly sealed are all fraught with dangers for the first timer.

If you attempt a hose swap with no prior experience, I give you an 85% probability of leaving and air bubble. Best case the air bubble lowers performance to below air cooler levels. Worse case the air bubble is in the pump housing and the pump overheats.

So just forget the idea of swapping tubes on an AIO. It's all the work of a full custom loop with none of the benefits.
Click to expand...

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/3dCqP6

Does it works now?

Thanks for warning me about that. I wonder if Swiftech would have covered this with their warranty. You're right I think I'll give up on doing it myself. I'll stick with the black tubing.

But just by curiosity how is the proper way of doing a hose swap so that they won't be any bubble?
 
Last edited:
Sam60I said:
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/3dCqP6

Does it works now?
Click to expand...

Yes, it works, thank you.

Overall that build looks OK, but I have two comments:

- Mobo: The MVIIG is really expensive for what it offers. You can get a pretty stacked board like the Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 for $120 AR.
- PSU: The XTR is a nice unit built on the Seasonic S12G platform, but you can get an Antec Neo Eco 620C (Seasonic S12II platform) for $50 AR.

Sam60I said:
Thanks for warning me about that. I wonder if Swiftech would have covered this with their warranty. You're right I think I'll give up on doing it myself. I'll stick with the black tubing.
Click to expand...

I doubt that Swiftech will take any responsibility for hardware that is damaged due to a customer messing up the swap. The only thing they'll cover is hardware that is damaged due to defects in quality.

Sam60I said:
But just by curiosity how is the proper way of doing a hose swap so that they won't be any bubble?
Click to expand...

The H220 doesn't have a proper bleed-off valve, so you have to do the bleed via the fill port. That means that you need to have the unit outside of the case during this time.

- Get appropriate coolant for the H220
- Drain the system via the fill port
- Swap the hoses (you might need new hose clamps)
- Refill the system via the fill port, and seal it.
- Making sure the fill port is the highest point in the system, run the system for 24 hours and check for leaks.
- Open the fill port and refill system
- Repeat previous two steps until the coolant level stays constant for 24 hours.
 
I prefer modular PSUs and I think it might be worth getting the gold efficiency since I will keep the PSU for at least 5 years.

As for the motherboard, I think the gigabyte only haves two phases and I'm scared it won't be enough to get a good speed on the CPU. I chose the MVIIG based on with I saw on the sin hardware VRM list. The Gene have 8 phases and great quality capacitator and all.

And yeah, hose swap is a way more complicated than what I thought. But i just discovered they are making a new AIO, the H220x. It looks closer to a custom loop.Do you think it would be easier make a hose swap on this unit? Also I'd like to know what you think of the H220x in general.

Edit the gigabyte board has 4 phases but I'm still not sure if it's enough.
 
I prefer modular PSUs and I think it might be worth getting the gold efficiency since I will keep the PSU for at least 5 years.
Click to expand...

I don't know what energy costs are like in Canada. In most parts of the US you're unlikely to recoup the difference from Bronze->Gold over the expected lifetime of a PSU. Unless you do the math, I wouldn't plan on a positive economic return. 😛

And yeah, hose swap is a way more complicated than what I thought. But i just discovered they are making a new AIO, the H220x. It looks closer to a custom loop.Do you think it would be easier make a hose swap on this unit? Also I'd like to know what you think of the H220x in general.
Click to expand...
I would reiterate what mfenn said above, I just wouldn't mess with hose swaps on AIOs at all. There are no reviews of the H220x yet, but if performs as well as the H220, it's certainly worth a look if you're in the market for an AIO and if it's somewhat price competitive with similar offerings from Asetek and CoolIT.
 
Agree with Essence on the cooler and PSU.

Sam60I said:
As for the motherboard, I think the gigabyte only haves two phases and I'm scared it won't be enough to get a good speed on the CPU. I chose the MVIIG based on with I saw on the sin hardware VRM list. The Gene have 8 phases and great quality capacitator and all.

Edit the gigabyte board has 4 phases but I'm still not sure if it's enough.
Click to expand...

Will the MVIIG get you a better OC than the Gigabyte? It depends on the frequency/voltage(~=current) profile of your individual CPU. It might or it might not.

However, the MVIIG costs eighty dollars more than the Gigabyte. It's highly likely that you're not going to get an $80 better overclock out of the MVIIG than the Gigabyte. It's your money though, so if $80 is worth the chance of 100 MHz higher OC, then go for it. Otherwise stick with a less expensive board and spend the money elsewhere.
 
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