i5 4670k Gaming, Build is 'complete', opinions please

[crockman]

This i5 4670k Gaming Build was originally started as a Thread in which I was asking for RAM Choice assistance for a proposed A10-7850k Gaming build, needless to say I was talked out of the A10 Idea. Thread can be found here...
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2377792

This i5 Build is originally and still is for my Nephew, I will as well use a good bunch of these parts as a Large Upgrade to my aging Phenom I PC.

Most these parts are from Micro Center (MC), semi-on purpose MC is the store of choice being we have an MC within driving distance to us.

This is a 'Budget' Build, but no set $Dollar Amount. i7's have been ruled out as too expensive and not really needed for our usage.

Our Usage: Everyday PC tasks, web surfing, listening to music and Gaming. Games such as Swtor, the new ESO, Lotro and other various online MMO's, as well Minecraft (Fully modded out) on occasion this PC is used as a private 5-player Minecraft Server.

Proposed Build: ($=USA currency)

$245 i5 4670k/MSI Z87-G41 MB Combo from MC
http://www.microcenter.com/site/brands/intel-processor-bundles.aspx

$145 Crucial Ballistic 2x8GB DDR3-1600 (16GB RAM is a starting point due to the possibility of using http://dimmdrive.com/ while Gaming).
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...l_Desktop_Memory_Kit_(Two_8GB_Memory_Modules)

$200 VisionTek R9 270X Video
http://www.microcenter.com/product/423859/AMD_Radeon_R9_270X_2GB_PCIe_30_Video_Card

$35 EVGA 500Watt "Bronze" PSU
http://www.microcenter.com/product/416677/500B_500_Watt_ATX_Power_Supply

Even though we do not plan to overclock I'm guessing the Stock Cooler for the i5 is too loud. So at minimum I'm looking at:

$10 Arctic Alpine 11 Plus CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186070

or possibly,
$23 Arctic Cooling FI11 CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186093

Arctic Cooling is my choices due to low price and a personal proven track record (I at present use an AC Freezer64 Pro Cooler on my PC, PC in Sig., which has been running in my PC for 5+ years with out a hiccup).

Nephew will reuse His Windows 7, Case, 1TB HDD, and DvD/CD players.

For my own personal use I plan to as well buy the i5/MSI MB Combo, the 16GB Crucial RAM and one of those Arctic CPU Coolers. I will reuse my Windows 7, 640GB HDD, Antec 300 Case, PC HD7850 and Antec Earthwatt 500Watt PSU.

I'm guessing my Antec Earthwatt 500Watt is new enough technology to run that i5 Haswell, but I'm really not sure if it is or not.

Thanks in Advance for any coming Opinions

 

[Ken g6]

16GB RAM is a starting point due to the possibility of using http://dimmdrive.com/ while Gaming

Hm, OK, option 1: 16GB RAM + DIMMDrive:
$145 + $37 = $182

Option 2: 8GB RAM + SSD:
$65 + $90 = $155 (There are actually SSDs of similar size for $10 less, but this Samsung has a very fast read speed.)

Personally I'd go for the SSD. It holds the entire games, and OS, and benefits everyday tasks as well.

For a quiet cooler you should really be looking at a bigger fan, as long as it can fit in your case. Bigger fans can spin slower, so they produce lower-frequency noise that is either less noticeable or inaudible. Here's a quiet one, and here's a quieter one.

But are you sure the stock cooler is too loud? Why not try it first - you'd only be stuck with it for a few days if I'm wrong.

 

[pcsavvy]

The build is looking good but with cpu's as efficient as they are today you really don't need 16 gigs of ram. The only reason to get that much if your nephew is going to use Adobe photoshop or illustrator or do some high end video/audio editing. Windows 8 and 7 use memory much more efficiently too.
Don't go cheapie on the power supply, it is the heart of your system and you don't want the system to go down due to a hiccup. I would go with reliable known brands like Seasonic, Corsair, and FSP are a few. I updated to a Corsair CX500M from a TX650 that I got about 5 years ago. I like the Corsairs and have not had any problems with them. Just make sure you have enough Sata connections for your m/b.

 

[DSF]

I agree about both the RAM and the CPU cooler. Stock coolers are not as loud as they used to be. I would at least try it.

If you don't like it because of the noise, go with something that has a 120+mm fan. That's going to be the quietest approach.

Also another vote for the SSD.

 

[Bateluer]

Have you purchased these parts yet?

A few things that I see at a glance: You stated you weren't going to overclock but have a 4670K CPU. Seems like a waste of money to me. I'd swap in an i5 4430 or 4440 for 190-195 instead. Those CPUs would be a better match for the 270X video card, or you could use the money saved to get a slightly beefier graphics card.

The 35 dollar EVGA 500W PSU makes me nervous. A PSU is one area where you don't want to compromise. With the parts you're looking at, a 500W PSU seems low too. As pcsavvy pointed out, Seasonic, Corsair, and FSP are all quality brands. My previous PSU was a 650W Seasonic and that sucker ran like a champ for nearly a decade.

On RAM, is this is a gaming machine, than 8GBs should be the minimum acceptable amount today. 16 is more preferable. RAM usage is going to skyrocket in the next two years for games since the consoles now have 8GBs themselves to work with.

On CPU coolers, I'd just stick with the stock cooler initially. I didn't find the stock cooler on my 4670 really audible at all, but it is inside a Define R4 case.

 

[crockman]

Option 2: 8GB RAM + SSD:
$65 + $90 = $155 (There are actually SSDs of similar size for $10 less, but this Samsung has a very fast read speed.)

Personally I'd go for the SSD. It holds the entire games, and OS, and benefits everyday tasks as well.

I definitely see your point there, I hadn't really thought of how nice the SSD would be with Everyday tasks. I'd been planning on an SSD for Gaming, but have been waiting for the price to drop. Have been hoping to see 480'ishGB's go below the $150 mark. Considering my PC use I figure I can use an SSD as my Sole Drive if it's 450'ishGB or larger. And yes your correct 8GB of RAM is sufficient for Gaming at this time, but I just didn't want to spend the $240'ish on the 480GB SSD.

For a quiet cooler you should really be looking at a bigger fan, as long as it can fit in your case. Bigger fans can spin slower, so they produce lower-frequency noise that is either less noticeable or inaudible. Here's a quiet one, and here's a quieter one.

Correct again, I didn't want to buy something that I really wouldn't use though. At this time I plan no OC'ing and even if I did eventually do some OC it would only be Mild to Moderate. Plus that $23 AC Fi11 is rated at only 23db which is quite quiet, as well it has 3 very good reviews, plus it's brand new, just launched this year. As well my AC Freezer64 Pro I've used for 5+ years has only a 92mm Fan also and I never had noise issues with it.

But are you sure the stock cooler is too loud?

I Googled "4670k Stock Cooler Noise". Apparently there quite loud when that Haswell is under load, plus the Stock one doesn't cool very well when the CPU is under load. So I figured for just $10 I could buy a much better then just Stock that also comes with a 6-year warranty. But knowing myself, I say No OC, but just because it's there I'll probably eventually do it lol, so that AC Fi11 should be a minimum I consider.

Don't go cheapie on the power supply, it is the heart of your system and you don't want the system to go down due to a hiccup. I would go with reliable known brands like Seasonic, Corsair, and FSP are a few.

I agree there, I have an Antec Earthwatt that I've been using for 5+ years, no problems what so ever. That EVGA "Bronze" does have a lot of very good reviews, and on Newegg the Seasonic & Corsair reviews aren't exactly perfect. Plus I've bought EVGA Video Cards for years so I do know EVGA has a Very Good Customer Service.

Thanks a lot for you 2's Replies

 

[Ken g6]

Have been hoping to see 480'ishGB's go below the $150 mark. Considering my PC use I figure I can use an SSD as my Sole Drive if it's 450'ishGB or larger.

Hm, well, let me throw this out there:

PNY Optima 240GB: $90AR.

It's probably not the most reliable drive out there. It's certainly not the fastest. But if you put two of them in RAID-0 (and back it up frequently to your HDD), you'd have a 480GB SSD, that's faster than probably any single SSD, for $180AR.

Or...you could get the 120GB SSD, install just the OS on one 56-GB partition, and set one 64-GB partition to be used as an Intel Smart Response cache for your main drive.

 

[crockman]

A few things that I see at a glance: You stated you weren't going to overclock but have a 4670K CPU. Seems like a waste of money to me. I'd swap in an i5 4430 or 4440 for 190-195 instead.

I'm attempting to purchase as many of these parts at Micro Center as I can due to the fact that it's the only Decent PC Parts place within driving distance to me. Next closest is a Fry's 400 miles away in Chicago. The CPU/MB is a Combo Deal at Micro Center. MC has only 4 i5's to chose from. The 4570 being the cheapest at 3.2ghz and $160 + the MSI MB at $85 brings the price to exactly the same of the 4670k/MSI (The 4670k/MSI gives a $30 Combo Discount).

The 35 dollar EVGA 500W PSU makes me nervous. A PSU is one area where you don't want to compromise. With the parts you're looking at, a 500W PSU seems low too.

For some reason the idea of buying an EVGA PSU makes me nervous as well, they haven't been in the PSU business long enough. They do however build excellent quality Video Cards and have a Top of the Line Customer Service. Though I felt the same way about this Antec Earthwatt PSU 5+ years ago, not sure about it's quality, but it's now been running for all that time without a hiccup. The cheapest 500W PSU at MC or Newegg that is Corsair, Seasonic or FSP is $60 and the Reviews/Specs are no better then the $35 on-sale EVGA. The cheapest 600W of the 3 Quality PSU's you mentioned is $70 ($55 for the EVGA).

Although we don't have an exact budget$, I am trying to build a 'Budget' around my Micro Center chosen i5. Were getting the MC i5 4670k/MSI Bundle for sure. Everything else is Budgeted around that. Yes a 600W PSU would be nice, but at this exact purchase date the $35 EVGA fits the 'Budget'. 500 Quality Watts should be plenty for a single R9 270X, plus the MSI MB is not XFire Capable.

I did forget to mention we set a $200 Max price on the Video Card.

In Terms of CPU HS/F I'll go with either the $30 CM 212EVO http://www.microcenter.com/product/...ts+Top+>+Feature+2+>+Cooling+-+CPU+HS+-+Top+2 from MC or the $23 AC Fi11 from Newegg. The Fi11 is brand new Technology, launched last month, and the 212EVO doesn't have perfect reviews, namely it's Fan is prone to short life span.

I'd most definitely would like to Budget in a 480GB SSD, but not sure If I can spend that much. That might have to wait a few months.

On a personal note, Is my Antec Earthwatt 500Watt powerful enough and new enough Technology to run that i5 4670k Haswell/MSI Z87 MB, 16GB of RAM and my Power Color HD7850 2GB ?

 

[NewYorksFinest]

Where us the SSD? I would buy a video card from Sapphire, Power colour, or XFX.

 

[crockman]

Hm, well, let me throw this out there:

PNY Optima 240GB: $90AR.

It's probably not the most reliable drive out there. It's certainly not the fastest. But if you put two of them in RAID-0 (and back it up frequently to your HDD), you'd have a 480GB SSD, that's faster than probably any single SSD, for $180AR.

That's not a bad option. However though, my 1st HDD setup in this PC was 2x36GB 10k RPM Raptors in Raid-0 for the OS and the like, the 640GB AAKS was used as the Games Drive.

Ran that setup for only about 2 years when one of the Raptors completely Died. I had read many times about warnings of RAID-0 HDD crashes but I always basically ignored them.

Not sure If I want to go thru that again. Does RAID-0 lead to premature Drive Failure ? And how well does RAID-0 work with SSD's (a lot of performance increase or just marginal ?, early SSD Failure ?)

Or...you could get the 120GB SSD, install just the OS on one 56-GB partition, and set one 64-GB partition to be used as an Intel Smart Response cache for your main drive.

I'd prefer the RAID-0 Idea. As it is now my 640GB HDD has 2 Partitions. Front Partition is 80GB and is the OS/Programs Part. Problem is there is only 17GB Free Space left in that partition. My understanding is, is that it's best to leave 25% Free Space in any Partition, which means I'm in need of a Wipe in that partition, then I'll re-partition it at 100GB.

 

[Torn Mind]

The EVGA unit is functional unit, and one that isn't a hazard to the components it powers. Voltage regulation, noise and ripple control, and capacitor selection isn't as good as other units, but it is usable. Some units in the whole population of units might break sooner, but EVGA's allegedly good customer service should compensate for this increased probability of failure.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/12/16/evga_500b_500w_power_supply_review/
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=351

 

[crockman]

Where us the SSD?

Am trying to work that into the Budget. May have to wait a few months before I do an HDD to SSD Upgrade.

I would buy a video card from Sapphire, Power colour, or XFX

I would agree totally on buying a Sapphire. I've always had good luck with them and they seem to be higher quality then most, albeit usually a bit more expensive. I've never owned an XFX so know nothing about those. My Present Video is a Power Color HD7850, it does perform quite well, but some of the craftsmanship (Quality) is poor. Since day 1 the Shroud/Fan Assembly has Squeaked/Rattled. Didn't RMA it cause it became a known issue shortly after I had purchased it, figured I'd just get another Card that may even Squeak worse.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

I would agree totally on buying a Sapphire. I've always had good luck with them and they seem to be higher quality then most, albeit usually a bit more expensive. I've never owned an XFX so know nothing about those.

Then why did you put the VisionTech over the Sapphire?

 

[crockman]

Then why did you put the VisionTech over the Sapphire?

Because the VisionTek is almost certainly an "X" 270. The only 270 Sapphire on MC's site yesterday didn't require 2xPCIe connectors it only required 1, so I'm not really sure if it's a Standard 270 or an X, this is that Card:http://www.microcenter.com/product/...adeon_R9_270_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe30x16_Video_Card

They've added a new Sapphire 270 to the site today that I hadn't noticed, it requires 2xPCIe connectors, so more likely an X-270, This Card:http://www.microcenter.com/product/423393/11217-01-20G_R9_270X_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe_30x16_Video_Card

At near the same price range +/- $20, we'll buy the X version 270.

Micro Center has always had a quirky web site, for the most part their site is nearly as accurate as Newegg, but that's not always the case. You do get the occasional mis-represented Items so some times one doesn't exactly know what your buying. As in that 1xPCIe connector Sapphire in it's "GPU Chipset" Claimer, it does claim to be a 270"X". MC's Part Descriptions can sometimes be a little vague.

 

[lehtv]

If it says 270, it's 270. If it says 270X, it's 270X, not because it has two 6-pin connectors. If unsure, you can always check out the manufacturer part number from the manufacturer's website.

I would never, ever buy a VisionTek card, I'd much rather have a good quality card from a major brand even if it meant giving up a bit of performance.

There's a Gigabyte 270 OC for $190 and 3 year warranty. It has two 6 pin connectors (but it isn't a 270X), so it should be a bit more overclockable than standard 270's. The Sapphire card only has 2 year warranty.

 

[Ken g6]

Not sure If I want to go thru that again. Does RAID-0 lead to premature Drive Failure ?

Not...exactly. But it does make it more likely that at least one of the pair will fail.

Suppose the chances that any given drive will fail in a year are 10%. (I don't know the actual chances; I'm just doing math here.) Then there's a 90% chance the drive won't fail. Now take two drives. The chances that neither drive will fail are 90% * 90% = 81%. So the chances that at least one drive of the pair will fail in a year become 19%. Almost doubled.

That's why I suggested backups. Lots of backups.

And how well does RAID-0 work with SSD's (a lot of performance increase or just marginal ?, early SSD Failure ?)

I don't know. I imagine that two drives doing the same thing increase the chances of controller failure on both at once, but that affects other versions of RAID more than RAID-0. (Since with RAID-0 one drive failing is as bad as both failing.)

 

[crockman]

If it says 270, it's 270. If it says 270X, it's 270X, not because it has two 6-pin connectors. If unsure, you can always check out the manufacturer part number from the manufacturer's website.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/...adeon_R9_270_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe30x16_Video_Card

That Sapphire above has an original price of only $280 (more of a non-x price) plus looking at this Link here, found by a Googling 11220-00-20G, Amazon calls it a 270 OC which I think is more closer to the truth, it's not an X: http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-11220.../dp/B00IXI098E

This Sapphire (Which I think really is an X):http://www.microcenter.com/product/423393/11217-01-20G_R9_270X_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe_30x16_Video_Card has more of an X-type original price of $340, has some excellent reviews on Amazon (found by Googling 11217-01-20G):http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Vers...st_hdr_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

With All those great reviews on Amazon for the Sapphire 270X, I would sway to that being my 270 of choice from Micro Center, however the MC site says it has only 4 left in stock.

There's a Gigabyte 270 OC for $190 and 3 year warranty. It has two 6 pin connectors (but it isn't a 270X), so it should be a bit more overclockable than standard 270's. The Sapphire card only has 2 year warranty

Not a bad Card coming with a 3-year Warranty.

That's why I suggested backups. Lots of backups

Guess that would be a good use for my present 640GB HDD. Now to figure out if I have the cash to spend on those 2x240GB SSD's

 

[mfenn]

A few things that I see at a glance: You stated you weren't going to overclock but have a 4670K CPU. Seems like a waste of money to me. I'd swap in an i5 4430 or 4440 for 190-195 instead. Those CPUs would be a better match for the 270X video card, or you could use the money saved to get a slightly beefier graphics card.

Given that the OP is going to be buying at MC, the i5 4670K is the least expensive option. This is because the other i5's don't qualify for the CPU + mobo discount. That discount is $30-40 (depending on the board), and the 4670K at MC starts at $190. So you're looking at $150-160 for the 4670K, which makes it the least expensive i5 option.

 

[mfenn]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/...adeon_R9_270_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe30x16_Video_Card

That Sapphire above has an original price of only $280 (more of a non-x price) plus looking at this Link here, found by a Googling 11220-00-20G, Amazon calls it a 270 OC which I think is more closer to the truth, it's not an X: http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-11220.../dp/B00IXI098E

This Sapphire (Which I think really is an X):http://www.microcenter.com/product/423393/11217-01-20G_R9_270X_2048MB_DDR5_PCIe_30x16_Video_Card has more of an X-type original price of $340, has some excellent reviews on Amazon (found by Googling 11217-01-20G):http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Vers...st_hdr_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Your first MC link is to a card labeled as an R9 270, and the second MC link is to a card labeled as an R9 270X. I double checked both part numbers at Sapphire's site, and the descriptions match. So I don't know what the confusion is? The card labeled as a 270 is a 270, the card labeled as a 270X is a 270X.

 

[mfenn]

Hm, well, let me throw this out there:

PNY Optima 240GB: $90AR.

It's probably not the most reliable drive out there. It's certainly not the fastest. But if you put two of them in RAID-0 (and back it up frequently to your HDD), you'd have a 480GB SSD, that's faster than probably any single SSD, for $180AR.

I think that you're going to have a hard time telling a "seat of the pants" difference between a single SSD and RAID 0 SSDs. Yeah, the benchmarks will show a big improvement, but no typical desktop task places a high enough demand on the SSD(s) for that difference to show. Not worth the increased chances of failure IMHO.

The Optima has a pretty lousy JMicron controller, I think that I'd rather have the trusty M500 or even an SF-2281 like the XLR8.

 

[Bateluer]

Given that the OP is going to be buying at MC, the i5 4670K is the least expensive option. This is because the other i5's don't qualify for the CPU + mobo discount. That discount is $30-40 (depending on the board), and the 4670K at MC starts at $190. So you're looking at $150-160 for the 4670K, which makes it the least expensive i5 option.

That makes sense. I didn't see the combo.

 

[crockman]

I think I've found a better option for a PSU over that $35 EVGA.

$45 (after rebate and coupon) Corsair CX-600M Modular PSU
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...403&CatId=1483

guru3d has a review of the Cx-600M, it did very well.
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/corsair_cx600m_psu_review,1.html

I think that you're going to have a hard time telling a "seat of the pants" difference between a single SSD and RAID 0 SSDs.

When I ran a RAID-0 of 36GB Raptor's the speed increase was not as good as I thought it would be. The main Everyday task that benefited from raid-0 was when one installed something onto the HDD, then yes that was quite a bit faster. In Gaming the major speed increase was during Loading Screens not so much out in the open field.

So I'll plan on a Single 480GB SSD or Larger, hopefully able to acquire it sooner then later.

 

[crockman]

On a personal note, Is my Antec Earthwatt 500Watt powerful enough and new enough Technology to run that i5 4670k Haswell/MSI Z87 MB, 16GB of RAM and my Power Color HD7850 2GB ?

I'm pretty sure it's powerful enough, am really wondering if it is new enough technology to power a Haswell ?

Here's a Link to some Stats about the Antec PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371007

 

[Insert_Nickname]

$45 (after rebate and coupon) Corsair CX-600M Modular PSU
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...403&CatId=1483

guru3d has a review of the Cx-600M, it did very well.
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/corsair_cx600m_psu_review,1.html

That's actually a good deal. BTW the CX-xxxM's are identical to the regular CX's, except for the modular cables. If you don't need modular cables, you can often find regular CX's a bit cheaper. In this case I'd properly just spring for the -M though. Modular cables do help with cable management.