Help with building a high end gaming machine

[ricleo2]

After ten years it's time to build a new gaming machine. I can budget $3500.00 but will increase this if I have too. I will be buying from the USA. Brand preference is for Intel and nVidia. I do not intend to use my old parts. I will not overclock. Resolution will be 2560 x 1440. I plan to build it asap. I need to buy windows.
Will need:
1. CPU
2. Video card
3. Monitor
4. Case
5. Memory
6. Motherboard
7. 3 Hard Drives
8. 1 ssd
9. Windows: Which one?
10. Power supply
11. Speakers with subwoofer
Thanks in advance.

 

[Newbian]

Try sites like these to give you a general idea:

http://www.logicalincrements.com/

https://pcpartpicker.com

You can get a great system for $1,400-$1,500 and a high end gaming monitor for that resolution for around $700 with all the bells and whistles like 144hz / ips / g-sync.

If you do not want to wait for the new gen of stuff coming out, intels new cpu's and amd's vega gpu, then the base items would be like this:

1. I7 7700k
2. Gtx 1080ti
3. Either of these two:
https://www.amazon.com/PG279Q-2560x...1498592080&sr=8-4&keywords=1440p+g-sync+144hz

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...1498592080&sr=8-5&keywords=1440p+g-sync+144hz

4. Shop around as this is based on your preference and what you feel you need such as front ports or a certain size / look.
5. 16 or 32 gb ddr4 ram
6. Modern 270 motherboard
7. You really do not need 3 hard drives for a gaming machine and a 2 TB hard drive will be plenty
8. A 480-500 gb ssd
9. Windows 10
10. A high rated 650 -750 watt power supply will be enough for a normal setup unless you do sli but doing that is not worth it really anymore.

 

[UsandThem]

8. A 480-500 gb ssd

A great list and suggestions, but if I were building today, I'd get a NVMe drive like the 960 EVO. I have seen the 500 GB version on sale for $199 several times lately, and at that price it's not huge increase in price over a quality SSD like the 850 EVO.

Just my .02.

 

[EliteRetard]

"I've got $1k to spend..." Take a hike, that's a crap budget!
"I've got $3.5k to spend..." We recommend spending $1k for these crappy parts.

LOL WTF?! I don't understand the recommendations here at all. If he has $3.5k and wants Intel/Nvidia then he wants X299 and a 1080ti.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7820X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($599.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.15 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - STRIX X299-E GAMING ATX LGA2066 Motherboard ($349.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 16-16-16-36 ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba - X300 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC2 Video Card ($719.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($127.89 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-14 (White) 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Acer - XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($699.99 @ B&H)

Total: $3483.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-28 12:51 EDT-0400

7820k has high clock speeds so it can match a 7700k in single threaded workloads, but has twice the cores to smash it's face in when real work needs to be done.

NH-D15 because it's the best air cooler (that easily competes with AIO water), one of (if not) the quietest coolers for it's TDP capacity, and for a high end system like X299 you need airflow over the VRMs and other components (which water wouldn't provide).

I haven't done research/reading on X299 MOBOs yet, so I just chose a mid-range option from the tier 1 manufacturer. There are other good brands too, and perhaps there's a better fit for your needs and/or a better value (you usually do get more for your money with ASRock and Gigabyte).

With a budget like this, this system will be around for years, so skimping on RAM is just stupid. You're paying for more cores and quad channel to feed it, so you want 4 sticks...with the optimal total being 32GB. So I've selected a 32GB kit with a higher range speed and low latency. I also considered the height restrictions with the NH-D15, so this RAM should be an excellent fit for the system.

960 Evo is an obvious choice, great balance of speed, reliability, and cost. Then a standard disk for mass storage. You can add more and/or larger drives if you wish...

You wanted Nvidia, this is their best gaming GPU...and EVGA is the premier Nvidia manufacturer.

Case is always a personal preference kinda thing. So I simply selected a properly sized (again, NH-D15), silence oriented, high quality, well reviewed case in a standard unoffensive black box shape. I also included an additional matching 140mm for you to place in the front panel to provide the extra airflow that a high end system will need.

A quality PSU is always important, but especially for a power hungry system like this. Seasonic Prime PSU's are probably the best available, and I think 750w is the ideal size for this system as is. I expect it'll use 350-400w under load (not stress load), and it's best to keep your typical load at 50-65% of the max power on your PSU.

Win 10 64bit, I don't really see any other option for a modern gaming system. You could get pro vs home if you had a reason.

I'll admit I don't know much about high end Gsync displays (I've got my own preferences)...so I selected one of the two that were recommended by Newbian.

 

[Loop2kil]

"I've got $1k to spend..." Take a hike, that's a crap budget!
"I've got $3.5k to spend..." We recommend spending $1k for these crappy parts.

LOL WTF?! I don't understand the recommendations here at all. If he has $3.5k and wants Intel/Nvidia then he wants X299 and a 1080ti.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7820X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($599.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.15 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - STRIX X299-E GAMING ATX LGA2066 Motherboard ($349.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 16-16-16-36 ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba - X300 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC2 Video Card ($719.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($127.89 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-14 (White) 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Acer - XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($699.99 @ B&H)

Total: $3483.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-28 12:51 EDT-0400

7820k has high clock speeds so it can match a 7700k in single threaded workloads, but has twice the cores to smash it's face in when real work needs to be done.

NH-D15 because it's the best air cooler (that easily competes with AIO water), one of (if not) the quietest coolers for it's TDP capacity, and for a high end system like X299 you need airflow over the VRMs and other components (which water wouldn't provide).

I haven't done research/reading on X299 MOBOs yet, so I just chose a mid-range option from the tier 1 manufacturer. There are other good brands too, and perhaps there's a better fit for your needs and/or a better value (you usually do get more for your money with ASRock and Gigabyte).

With a budget like this, this system will be around for years, so skimping on RAM is just stupid. You're paying for more cores and quad channel to feed it, so you want 4 sticks...with the optimal total being 32GB. So I've selected a 32GB kit with a higher range speed and low latency. I also considered the height restrictions with the NH-D15, so this RAM should be an excellent fit for the system.

960 Evo is an obvious choice, great balance of speed, reliability, and cost. Then a standard disk for mass storage. You can add more and/or larger drives if you wish...

You wanted Nvidia, this is their best gaming GPU...and EVGA is the premier Nvidia manufacturer.

Case is always a personal preference kinda thing. So I simply selected a properly sized (again, NH-D15), silence oriented, high quality, well reviewed case in a standard unoffensive black box shape. I also included an additional matching 140mm for you to place in the front panel to provide the extra airflow that a high end system will need.

A quality PSU is always important, but especially for a power hungry system like this. Seasonic Prime PSU's are probably the best available, and I think 750w is the ideal size for this system as is. I expect it'll use 350-400w under load (not stress load), and it's best to keep your typical load at 50-65% of the max power on your PSU.

Win 10 64bit, I don't really see any other option for a modern gaming system. You could get pro vs home if you had a reason.

I'll admit I don't know much about high end Gsync displays (I've got my own preferences)...so I selected one of the two that were recommended by Newbian.

Great write up with the explanations for your choices!!!

 

[UsandThem]

For what it's worth, I don't think going with a z270 based system is a bad, or crappy choice. It's not like Newbian recommended an AMD FX build. If a person's primary computer use is gaming, the 7700k is still a very solid choice. I understand that with Ryzen and now Skylake X releases, everyone is clamoring for "most cores!" and "only having 4 cores is so 2016".

While the Skylake X build is also a high-end choice, since it is a new (rushed) release, there are always the early adopters headaches. From what I have read reading through the various posts here, and reviews, is Intel moved up the release by 90 days, and there are motherboard design/cooling issues, and some stability concerns (Anandtech didn't even publish gaming results). I imagine The motherboard manufacturers will soon release new revisions on their boards, so I wouldn't want to buy one of the current ones with VRM concerns (much like EVGA did with their Nvidia 10* cards). The same kind of thing happened with the Ryzen release. Immature BIOS, driver issues, and compatibility concerns. Some people are ok dealing with that sort of thing to be among the first to own it, and some (like myself) don't want to.

The point of responding to these "build my PC" posts (which I normally just scroll right by anymore) is to give the person their options, and hopefully they can actually take the time to read an article/review or two, so they can see what works for them. I know if I was going to buy anything over $500, I would use the all-powerful (but apparently unknown) Google, and read a review. Some people think they need to spend $3.5k for a gaming PC, when they don't. Maybe they want to anyways, and that's fine as well. At least they (hopefully) know for sure before they click and buy their components.

 

[bononos]

"I've got $1k to spend..." Take a hike, that's a crap budget!
"I've got $3.5k to spend..." We recommend spending $1k for these crappy parts.

LOL WTF?! I don't understand the recommendations here at all. If he has $3.5k and wants Intel/Nvidia then he wants X299 and a 1080ti.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZWtHFd/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7820X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($599.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.15 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - STRIX X299-E GAMING ATX LGA2066 Motherboard ($349.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 16-16-16-36 ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba - X300 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($115.99 @ Amazon)
...........

I'd get a 1Gb mlc SSD instead of just 500Gb even if its sata instead of nvme the large game installs these days. Prices at newegg are - Muskin Reactor MLC 1Gb $270, 850 Evo $340. And spend less on the motherboard and memory to make the budget.

 

[ricleo2]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

With that kind of budget you're nuts only getting a 500GB SSD. Game installs are just getting too ridiculously large these days. It's workable if you budget what you're actually playing, but if you're lazy or juggle a lot of games it takes absolutely nothing to eat up that space. It's not unreasonable to expect concurrent AAA releases in the near future where you would have Battlefield 6, GTA 6, and Elder Scrolls 6 all installed at the same time and I guarantee you that will be at least 300GB.

 

[EliteRetard]

Just for fun I threw together a Ryzen 1800x version (same 8 core, 16 thread), but included a 1TB SSD this time since everybody thought that was a good idea. Both overclocked, the Ryzen 1800x is probably 8-12% slower than the 7820k Intel CPU, due to lower clocks and IPC. You could also try silicon lottery for a "guaranteed" 4GHz Ryzen: https://siliconlottery.com/collections/pga-1331/products/1800x40g (though this chip is using a lot of voltage, ideally you want under 1.4v)

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jpnLTH
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jpnLTH/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1800X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($419.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 SE-AM4 140.2 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - X370 Taichi ATX AM4 Motherboard ($193.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($294.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($454.00 @ B&H)
Storage: Toshiba - X300 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC2 Video Card ($729.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Platinum 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($127.89 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-14 (White) 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($14.85 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer - XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($699.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $3314.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 17:22 EDT-0400