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Jumping back into the PC world :)

B

Braidster

Member
Hey guy's i'm gonna be ordering a new system around the first week of October and could use some help. I used to be big into PC gaming and Overclocking back in the early 2000's. In 2005 there was a fire at the Apartment building I lived and I lost everything. Since then I never got back into my PC hobby as other things became a higher priority.
This system will be used of course for gaming but also for streaming games from it, and a PS3/PS4. I'd also like to start messing around with video editing to make frag vids.
Here is the questionnaire and thanks in advance for your time....

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Gaming, Vid editing, Streaming....

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$2600-$3000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Canada

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
We can't be expected to scour the internet on your behalf, chasing down deals in your specific country... Again, help us, help YOU.
www.ncix.com I have been looking at one based off there Turbine 2.0 system

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.
I think i'm gonna stick with Intel/nVidia on this one, and not so much a preference to a certain brand but do like companies with strong track records

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have 2 Benq monitors already a xl2720t and an xl2420t, a Razer Deathadder 2013 mouse, an Elgato gamecapture hd, and a pair of Astro A40's

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I would like to overclock both the cpu and gpu to an above average level

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1080p and will be playing games like BF4, Minecraft, COD...

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.
In the next 2 weeks

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
I will want Windows 8 with the system
 
Is there a reason for stating that you want to game at 1080 even though you have a 27" or are you only gaming on the 24" monitor?

Given your $3k budget, are you looking to sli/xfire or have you lost touch with what a decent gaming pc would cost now since you say you want to overclock after spending $2.6-3k.

You can get a near top of the line graphics card and an bang/buck i5 system for $1k as shown in the sticky mid range builder thread.
 
The max resolution on both of the monitors is 1080p

I will be using the 27" for my console gaming, and the 24" for the PC. I'm going to add another 24" down the road as a desktop clone. I think i'm leaning towards a single gtx780 to leave sli an option for the future. I would like to be able to run most games with high settings, the ability to handle multitasking, and be future proofed for at least a year or two.
 
You don't sound like you need the pc to do anything more than the standard mid range Haswell build in the stickies. You can use it as a guide and substitute a 780 for the gpu. Save the money for a nice monitor down the road. Get a good case.
 
I'm wondering why you have two 120hz monitors instead of one or three? Having a 120hz monitor as a secondary display just seems like a huge waste of money.

Your budget is over the top, you can get everything you need for $2000. Anything more is way overkill. From newegg:

4770K $330 AP
Gigabyte Z87X-D3H $135 AR
CM TPC 612 $50
G.Skill 2x8GB $120
Gigabyte GTX 770 SLI 2x $405 = $810
Samsung 840 250GB $170
Seagate ST2000DM001 $85
Corsair HX750 $102 AR AP
Fractal Arc Midi R2 $80

= $1882 AR AP + shipping

You can probably find some items for less from Canadian shops.
 
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lehtv said:
I'm wondering why you have two 120hz monitors instead of one or three? Having a 120hz monitor as a secondary display just seems like a huge waste of money.

Your budget is over the top, you can get everything you need for $2000. Anything more is way overkill. From newegg:

4770K $330 AP
Gigabyte Z87X-D3H $135 AR
CM TPC 612 $50
G.Skill 2x8GB $120
Gigabyte GTX 770 SLI 2x $405 = $810
Samsung 840 250GB $170
Seagate ST2000DM001 $85
Corsair HX750 $102 AR AP
Fractal Arc Midi R2 $80

= $1882 AR AP + shipping

You can probably find some items for less from Canadian shops.
Click to expand...

One of the monitors is for console gaming and the other is for the PC. You really think two gtx 770's is a better buy then a single 780? I'm thinking it will limit me upgrading in the future.
 
2x 770 will beat out the GTX 780 in games that support SLI scaling. But honestly since you are gaming at 1080p I say get a single 770 now and get another one when games get more demanding, unless you get a killer deal on a GTX 780.

Plus wait for the AMD R290x to be officially available. That should drive nvidia prices down some.

Also I would reccomend getting the Coolermaster V1000 PSU and future proof yourself. It's made by Seasonic so its' now slouch.
 
Braidster said:
You really think two gtx 770's is a better buy then a single 780? I'm thinking it will limit me upgrading in the future.
Click to expand...

With the performance of two 770's, you won't want to upgrade until the cards are surpassed by at least two graphics card generations. I'd say you can play any game at constant 100+ fps on high settings for 1-2 years at least (provided no CPU bottlenecking).

bf3.png
 
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lehtv said:
With the performance of two 770's, you won't want to upgrade until the cards are surpassed by at least two graphics card generations. I'd say you can play any game at constant 100+ fps on high settings for 1-2 years at least (provided no CPU bottlenecking).

bf3.png
Click to expand...

You think the 4gb version of the 770 is worth it, or does the 256 bus speed limit it? I was considering this option but some people on another forum are saying a single 780 would be a better way to go.
 
The 4GB version is useless for 1080p. It's useful only for 1440p or higher.

The 780 gives you more performance per watt but less performance per dollar. Buying another 780 for 1080p gaming would make zero sense (i.e. by the time upgrading becomes relevant, there are newer generation cards to upgrade to), so it doesn't offer any more upgradeability compared to 770 SLI. Resale price in percent of original purchase price is probably lower on the higher end card because of its worse performance per dollar.

Either way works though. If I bought a 780, it would probably be a Galaxy HOF (best factory OC) or MSI Gaming (quietest cooling).

If it were my rig, I would only buy one 7970. I already know my 7950 plays every game very nicely so I don't personally see the point of spending more than a 7970's worth for 1080p @120hz.
 
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UNhooked said:
Wait for the new AMD card and then watch the prices re-adjust for the current gen cards.
Click to expand...

Nvidia may adjust prices on their current gen, it depends on how threatened they feel. AMD will likely not adjust prices on their current (soon to be previous) gen, they'll just go out of stock.
 
Here is what I'm looking at...

Intel I7 4770k
Asus Maximus Hero mobo
Corsair I110 cooler
Corsair 2x8gb vengeance pro 1866
Asus Gtx 780 or duel 770's
Corsair 540 carbine
Crucial M500 240gb ssd (os and games)
WD 2tb Black
Windows 8 pro

How does this look for a couple years use?
 

Looks good! I personally would get the single GTX 780 over the dual 770s. Just lower issues, heat output, power requirements etc. Also cheaper to get one single 780 now and then add a later if the need arises.
 
It really depends on how OCD you are. I have been using dual cards for sometime. Had the 4870X2, evga 460 2win and now dual 7970's. It doesnt bother me much, although there are some games where it can be really bad.
 
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The corsair 750D just came out, if you like that style of case. Its only 154 and dead sexy 🙂

I would recommend a single 780 over the sli 770s also. SLI the 780s down the road or now for stupid frame rates! Evga ACX>Asus IMO. Micro stuttering is a thing of the past, don't let that be a deciding factor.

The samsung 840 pro is amazing, unless you're dead set on the Crucial m500.

Win 8 sucks for gaming from what i hear...would love to hear from users who have it!
 
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Braidster said:
Here is what I'm looking at...

Intel I7 4770k
Asus Maximus Hero mobo
Corsair I110 cooler
Corsair 2x8gb vengeance pro 1866
Asus Gtx 780 or duel 770's
Corsair 540 carbine
Crucial M500 240gb ssd (os and games)
WD 2tb Black
Windows 8 pro

How does this look for a couple years use?
Click to expand...

- CPU: Not worth it for gaming, maybe worth it if you spend a ton of time encoding. Most likely you'd be better off going with the i5 4670K.
- Mobo: Not worth the money, there are tons of very good SLI-capable boards for less such as the ASUS Z87-A.
- Cooler: Did you mean the H110? Getting a CLC in a case that is specifically designed for air cooling doesn't make sense to me. Grab a monster Phanteks and go to town.
- RAM: Vengeance Pro is incredibly overpriced for what it is. Grab a normal G.Skill Ares DDR3 1600 16GB kit and spend the savings elsewhere.
- GPU: The dual 770 configuration is much faster than a single GTX 780. Though there is probably enough savings in the parts I listed to just get GTX 780 SLI right off the bat.
- Case: Good
- SSD: Good
- HDD: Overpriced for a slower drive, you are literally only paying for the warranty. Grab a Seagate 2TB instead.
- OS: If you don't know of any specific feature of Pro that you need, then get the normal Windows 8 and save some money.
 
Agree with mfenn, although I'd definitely pick the 4770K on this budget. There are games that benefit from the extra threads (especially when you consider that CPU bottlenecking is more likely at 1080p@120hz than at 60hz limited to 60fps), and video editing definitely benefits as well.
 
I think I'm gonna stick with pretty close to what I planned. I spend a lot of my free time either on my comp or gaming on console, so I see this as money well spent. Yes I am looking to save some money but have done tons of research, and would like to buy parts I won't have buyers remorse about. No I prolly won't notice a difference between part A or part B, but mentally I'll feel like I do.
About the case being specifically designed for air cooling. I see on the product description and pretty much every review/unboxing talk about it's ability for water cooling. I'm actually now torn between the 540 and the new 750d, but think I'll stick with the 540 due to size.
When all is said and done I want a computer I'm gonna have no regrets about. I don't wanna be kicking myself a week later about not buying a certain part. I see no point in buying cheaper now to save for the next great thing. I've been a part of this never ending upgrade cycle before, and am gonna avoid it like the plague. Get the best I can now and be happy 🙂
 
I have only seen any of these cases in pictures but haven't been a fan of the Fractal cases. I can see what your saying about the plastic look and am hoping some case lighting will spruce it up.

Oh btw I'm in Canada so US pricing is useless to me. I had just found out Newegg has a Canadian site but they are located on the other side of the country. Ncix has a warehouse in my province so shipping will be shorter and cheaper. I am using them for price matching though.
 
See if you are close to a Tigerdirect so you can look at the cases in person. I had high hopes for the 540 but after looking at it in person it was a major letdown.
 
Unfortunately I'm not really close to anything lol. Small isolated city in the north near Alaska. The style and functualty of it will serve me well. I still may decide on the 750D which would give me more desk space as I plan on putting the 540 on it.
 
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