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Helping friend build 1900USD PC for gaming/art.

S

sgjackson

Junior Member
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
-Gaming at 2560x1440 with games like Skyrim/Far Cry 3/Bioware RPGs (Dragon Age 3 being one of the main reasons for the upgrade)
-Digital art using Photoshop, Corel Painter, and Paint Tool SAI

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Ideally under 1900, but we have a little wiggle room above that.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA, not close to a Microcenter.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
That blog post about hard drive reliability makes me inclined to go Western Digital for mechanical hard drives, outside of that I just buy what reviews best/has the best reputation.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
We already got an i5-4670k with a recent Amazon daily deal. The 190 we spent on that isn't part of the budget.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default speeds.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
2560x1440. She's currently at 1920x1080 but will be upgrading by summer.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
Purchasing parts ASAP.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Windows.

Here's what I have specced out.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Motherboard: Asus Z87-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($192.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($98.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($123.58 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1990.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-14 10:16 EDT-0400)

Notes:
-WiFi is a requirement and I know literally nothing about it so if you have a suggestion for an SLI-compatible motherboard+WiFi card for under 200 dollars I'm all ears. Went with the Z87-Pro since ASUS has had a rep for being solid+built in WiFi.
-I'm sort of back and forth on whether or not SLI is overkill at that rez - we could just get a 780Ti or r9 290x and pocket some cash while getting a great experience in demanding games.
 
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Not a bad build, but it may be overkill. I'd suggest getting just one 780 until you're sure it won't run DA3 as fast as she'd like. Edit: To be clear, there is a strong possibility you will want SLI. Apparently DA3 uses the same engine as BF4, and BF4 needs two cards/chips for 60FPS on 2560x1440. But I imagine it would play OK with settings turned down a little.

The other thing I'd probably change is the PSU - SeaSonic is nice, but this XFX is $40 less.

And double-check your PCPartPicker list - I see the mobo and Windows prices lower than what you show here.
 
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Return the i5 and get a Xeon 1230V3.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($116.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($116.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($473.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN822N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1387.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-14 15:57 EDT-0400)
 
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DA: Inquisition doesn't come out until the fall. I think that if that's the motivation behind the upgrade, then it's foolish to buy a machine until we know more about the game's requirements. And of course money will buy more performance then than it will now.

As for the build, Dominion's looks good overall. I think the WD Black is overpriced though. There's no real evidence that the Black is more reliable than the competition (read lehtv's takedown of BackBlaze's study). Even if the Black were more reliable by a few percent, a pair of $90 Seagate 2TB drives in RAID 1 or master/backup would be more by an order of magnitude.
 
A good IPS Monitor is something he might need for the art tasks, if he doesn't already have one. He can run the new one(s) together is his old one.
 
I agree, the 4670K is definitely preferable over Xeon E3-1230 V3 for gaming. Not because of higher stock speed, but because it's so easy to OC to 4.2 GHz or thereabouts. All the more reason to keep it if you got it on sale.

The rest of DS's build looks pretty solid. There could be a few better choices here and there, e.g. for SLI 780's I'd rather have 850W than 750W, and Zotac isn't the brand I'd go for if given other options within a reasonable $ difference. Nor would I pick Define R4 for a SLI compatible rig. The SSD could be 500GB instead.
 
hhhd1 said:
Why ? just for hyperthreading and 6 vs 8mb cache ?
Click to expand...

Duh.

sgjackson said:
-Digital art using Photoshop, Corel Painter, and Paint Tool SAI
Click to expand...


lehtv said:
There could be a few better choices here and there, e.g. for SLI 780's I'd rather have 850W than 750W, and Zotac isn't the brand I'd go for if given other options within a reasonable $ difference. Nor would I pick Define R4 for a SLI compatible rig.
Click to expand...

59710.png


SLI is 650W with an overclocked i7-4960X in Furmark, 550W in Crysis. A Xeon E3 1230v3 will be drawing a lot less, so a 750W PSU is overkill.. (Though that deal on the PSU is dead now)
The Zotac gets perfectly fine reviews. It has one of the highest factory overclocks and its cooler is quieter than the ACX. That's $473 without a rebate.
 
Do you really want to spend all of the money? For $100 less, you can get the better performing R9 290X or to save even more, a GTX 770 will be fine. I would also buy Corsair or Crucial or GSKill over Kingston, Team, or PNY. I would buy at least a 7200RPM HDD and not a 5400.
 
DominionSeraph said:
550W in Crysis. A Xeon E3 1230v3 will be drawing a lot less, so a 750W PSU is overkill.. (Though that deal on the PSU is dead now)
Click to expand...

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_780/24.html
Stock 780 = 222W in Crysis 2. That's 440W for two cards, plus everything else. so let's say 550W DC. That's already over 70% load without anything OC'd. A single 780 can get pretty close to 300W if overclocked.

I can't really find any good deals on 850W units so I guess 750W is the way to go. I'd probably grab the XFX black for $100 AR @ncix

The Zotac gets perfectly fine reviews. It has one of the highest factory overclocks and its cooler is quieter than the ACX. That's $473 without a rebate.
Click to expand...

Zotac = 2 year warranty. Almost any other brand = 3 year warranty.

The Zotac card is also limited to 2560x1600, can't use a 4K monitor with it. For a high end PC, 4K compatibility is not a bad idea, especially if you're doing more than just gaming.

I'd recommend EVGA 780 FTW ACX $490 AR. 3.6% more cost for another year of warranty.
 
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NewYorksFinest said:
Do you really want to spend all of the money? For $100 less, you can get the better performing R9 290X
Click to expand...

The R9 290X is $600. You probably mean the R9 290, but that won't save $100 unless you get the PowerColor card which interestingly has 3 reviews so far, all of them 1/5 eggs. Next up is MSI Gaming for $420 AR, then Gigabyte WF3 for $450

a GTX 770 will be fine.
Click to expand...

For 2560x1440, not really. Only 2GB VRAM. The 4GB version makes no sense cos you could just as well just grab a 780 or R9 290.
 
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lehtv said:
The R9 290X is $650. You probably mean the R9 290, but that won't save $100 unless you get the PowerColor card which interestingly has 3 reviews so far, all of them 1/5 eggs. Next up is MSI Gaming for $420 AR, then Gigabyte WF3 for $450
Click to expand...

I guess the prices changed 🙄. The sapphire 290X used to cost $500 in March.



lehtv said:
For 2560x1440, not really. Only 2GB VRAM. The 4GB version makes no sense cos you could just as well just grab a 780 or R9 290.
Click to expand...

I had a 770 on 2560 x 1440p once and it played at 40-50 frames on Ultra settings in BF4. I would will buy the 780, but the 770 was just a money saving option.
 
I typed $650 above but forgot to check it before posting, it's $550-600 for a 290X.

NewYorksFinest said:
I guess the prices changed 🙄. The sapphire 290X used to cost $500 in March.
Click to expand...

1. $500 is not less than $473, not to mention $100 less. I don't understand how that excuse in any way explains what you said earlier; you obviously mistook the 290X for the 290.
2. 290X has never been $500.
3. If you make recommendations based on weeks old prices, your recommendations are absolutely worthless, I'm afraid.

I had a 770 on 2560 x 1440p once and it played at 40-50 frames on Ultra settings in BF4. I would will buy the 780, but the 770 was just a money saving option.
Click to expand...

40-50 fps is not enough IMO. Neither is 2GB of VRAM a good idea, whatever your framerate happens to be. Also, the OP does not seem to be very concerned about saving money, so why recommend a 770?
 
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The Zotac card is also limited to 2560x1600, can't use a 4K monitor with it. For a high end PC, 4K compatibility is not a bad idea, especially if you're doing more than just gaming.
Click to expand...

I'm confused, the Zotac has DP, that should be fine up to 4k, right?
 
How strange, my suspicion is that that is a misprint (or misleading print!) that should read something like 'Max DVI resolution'. Because that is the max res for Dual-Link DVI, and there are two DVI connectors on the card.
 
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