Kaby Lake 7600k Build

[mistercrabby]

Your kind assistance is appreciated...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. Gaming baby!

2. What YOUR budget is. $800 ish

3. What country USA

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, n/a

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. Nope

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. Nope

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

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Now, or as soon as i validate the final build to buy parts.

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? Windows 10.

Qty. Image Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1

GIGABYTE GA-H270M-DS3H (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel H270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 Micro ATX Motherboards - Intel
Model #:GA-H270M-DS3H
Item #:N82E16813128979
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$87.99 $87.99
1

Thermaltake Toughpower TPD-0550M - SLI/ CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Gold Certification and Semi Modular Cables Black Active ...
Model #:PS-TPD-0550MPCGUS-1
Item #:N82E16817153200
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card
$89.99 -$10.00 Instant $79.99
1

Intel Core i5-7600K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.8 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80677I57600K Desktop Processor
Model #:BX80677I57600K
Item #:N82E16819117728
Return Policy:Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
$249.99 -$10.00 Instant $239.99
1

Will get another pair later
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Memory Kit Model CMK8GX4M2A2400C14R
Model #:CMK8GX4M2A2400C14R
Item #:N82E16820233825
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$71.99 -$4.00 Instant $67.99
1

Corsair Force MP500 M.2 2280 120GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CSSD-F120GBMP500
Model #:CSSD-F120GBMP500
Item #:N82E16820236156
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$109.99 -$25.00 Instant $84.99
1

Dynatron K5 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler for Intel LGA Socket 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156
Model #:K5
Item #:N82E16835114136
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$19.99 -$2.00 Instant $17.99
1

Thermaltake Core V21 Black Extreme Micro ATX Cube Chassis CA-1D5-00S1WN-00
Color: Black
Model #:CA-1D5-00S1WN-00
Item #:9SIA2F84EA2140
Sold by BuyVPC.com

In Stock
$65.54 $65.54
Subtotal: $644.48

Plus I'm going to get this from a member here at Anandtech

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 980 4GB WINDFORCE 3X OC EDITION

A larger generic SSD for storage

 

[Valantar]

Buying an NVMe SSD for a budget-constrained build like this makes very little sense, as the increase in day-to-day performance is barely noticeable (even if the one you've selected is cheap). Especially a 120GB model - that'll be too small in a very short while. Put the money into a single SATA SSD with the highest capacity you can fit into your build. Higher capacity means higher performance for SSDs.

 

[lehtv]

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

Can you answer this one?

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? Windows 10.

I'm guessing this is not part of your $800 budget.

GIGABYTE GA-H270M-DS3H (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel H270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 Micro ATX Motherboards - Intel
Model #:GA-H270M-DS3H
Item #:N82E16813128979
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$87.99 $87.99

I don't see the point of paying extra for the H270 chipset, B250 is just as good for gaming purposes, and Z270 makes more sense for a 7600K so you can overclock it. Even if you don't personally overclock it, its resale value will be better when bundled with a board that supports overclocking, and you can run faster RAM on it.

Thermaltake Toughpower TPD-0550M - SLI/ CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Gold Certification and Semi Modular Cables Black Active ...
Model #:PS-TPD-0550MPCGUS-1
Item #:N82E16817153200
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card
$89.99 -$10.00 Instant $79.99

Thermaltake isn't an ideal PSU brand. That particular unit has a surprisingly long 7 year warranty, given that it uses crappy quality JunFu and CapXon capacitors. I can't recommend any unit with those capacitor brands, except if its dirt cheap and this one isn't.

Intel Core i5-7600K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.8 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80677I57600K Desktop Processor
Model #:BX80677I57600K
Item #:N82E16819117728
Return Policy:Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
$249.99 -$10.00 Instant $239.99

OK

CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Memory Kit Model CMK8GX4M2A2400C14R
Model #:CMK8GX4M2A2400C14R
Item #:N82E16820233825
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$71.99 -$4.00 Instant $67.99

You can afford 2x8GB which will also cost less per GB.

Corsair Force MP500 M.2 2280 120GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CSSD-F120GBMP500
Model #:CSSD-F120GBMP500
Item #:N82E16820236156
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$109.99 -$25.00 Instant $84.99

Below you say you're going to get a "large generic SSD for storage". If it's large and an SSD, why not use it for the operating system as well? A separate and expensive 120GB M.2 SSD just for the operating system seems completely unnecessary for a cheap gaming PC. Us ethe $100 on something else, like a better more future proof i7 CPU, or more RAM.

Dynatron K5 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler for Intel LGA Socket 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156
Model #:K5
Item #:N82E16835114136
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$19.99 -$2.00 Instant $17.99

Terrible performance and poor value, cannot recommend.

Thermaltake Core V21 Black Extreme Micro ATX Cube Chassis CA-1D5-00S1WN-00
Color: Black
Model #:CA-1D5-00S1WN-00
Item #:9SIA2F84EA2140
Sold by BuyVPC.com

In Stock
$65.54 $65.54

I've owned this case and it's not very good. It has a very specific niche: people who (a) don't really care about quality and (b) just want a flashy windowed system they can show off. The problem is, the window looks bad since it's just a piece of plastic and not actual glass. There are many other problems I can list but I don't think that's needed, just buy a normal tower case that's better quality.

Plus I'm going to get this from a member here at Anandtech

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 980 4GB WINDFORCE 3X OC EDITION

A larger generic SSD for storage

Good.

Here's what I'd recommend...

CPU & Motherboard i5-7600K + Asrock Z270M Pro4 $335 after rebate
Cooler Arctic Freezer i11 $22
RAM 2x8GB GeiL EVO DDR4-2400 $90 with promo code, or 2x8GB G.Skill Trident-Z DDR4-3200 $110
PSU Seasonic S12II-620 $53 AR, or EVGA 550 G3 $86 AR
Case Corsair 270R $51 AR, NZXT S340 $55 AR, Corsair 400Q $86 AR, Fractal Design Define Mini C $92
= $551 to $645 depending on choices, prices incl. shipping

Corsair 270R only has one fan by default, it's recommended to buy another 1-2 for a setup like this. The other cases have two fans by default, that's OK but it's not wrong to add another front fan to ensure proper dust filtering and to slightly improve GPU cooling. The new Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 $13 is a good quality 120mm case fan, two of these are preinstalled in the Define Mini C. Also available in black.

 

[Valantar]

*snip*

That is both thorough and excellent advice. I wholeheartedly agree on every point. OP: listen to @lehtv.

 

[mistercrabby]

Really awesome input! I really appreciate your time to provide it. Will definitely incorporate into the build.

Some additional comments on the purpose of the build. Primarily gaming on a reasonable budget with future proof and headroom. I was looking at the the small case because it will take up less room. It's going to sit next to my desk and i'm not on an ego trip about how it looks so I don't care about the window, led's or other bling.

I don't have a target resolution. I got a good deal on the 980 and i'll be happy with what that does for awhile.

 

[Valantar]

I was looking at the the small case because it will take up less room. It's going to sit next to my desk and i'm not on an ego trip about how it looks so I don't care about the window, led's or other bling.

That depends on what you consider less room. It's a lot less tall, but takes up more floor space instead. Is that a worthwhile tradeoff for you? If so, I'd look at the Fractal Node 804. It's about $50 more expensive, but from my experience with The Node 304, it should be an excellent case.

 

[lehtv]

That depends on what you consider less room. It's a lot less tall, but takes up more floor space instead.

Exactly. The V21 is also pretty big in terms of volume, bigger even than many ATX cases and about 50% 35% bigger than the Define Mini C. There's a lot of wasted space in a dual chamber design.

Tower cases tend to have the best ratio of volume to floor/table area.

 

[mistercrabby]

The latest, close to final build. Remember, i have a GTX 980 and Windows 10 coming separately. Note: the case showed up in my cart as a 'gift item'. I have no idea where it came from.

Any feedback before i hit the 'GO' button?

EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G3, 220-G3-0550-Y1, 80+ GOLD, 550W Fully Modular, EVGA ECO Mode with New HDB Fan, Includes FREE Power ...
Standard Return Policy
Send this item as a gift $10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card

GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Desktop Memory Model GPB416GB2400C16DC
Standard Return Policy
Send this item as a gift ARCTIC Freezer i11 CPU Cooler for Intel, 150W Cooling Capacity, 3 Direct Touch Heatpipes, <23dBA Fan Noise
Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment

Kingston SSDNow UV400 2.5" 240GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SUV400S37/240G
Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment

COMBO #1
Intel Core i5-7600K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.8 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80677I57600K Desktop Processor
Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment
$5.00 Mail-in Rebate

COMBO #1
ASRock Z270M Pro4 LGA 1151 Intel Z270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboards - Intel
Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment

GIFT #1
Phanteks Eclipse P400 Series PH-EC416P_BK Satin Black Steel Side Window ATX Mid Tower Case with 10 Color RGB Downlight
Standard Return Policy
1
IN STOCK

• 
  

Subtotal: $640.95

 

[Valantar]

PSU: 1000 times yes. Great PSU. Great choice.
RAM: My God, that's some fugly RAM. But I guess it performs like RAM, not like how it looks.
CPU cooler: don't know it specifically, but Arctic makes some good coolers.
SSD: perfectly fine.
CPU: good for the budget.
Motherboard: looks nice, and getting a bundle is smart
Case: I've heard good things about it.

All in all, a very decent build for the budget. Going the used route for the GPU is smart too.

 

[lehtv]

IMO the SSD is not fine, it's a super cheap and quite slow planar TLC drive. Of course, it's still a lot faster than any hard disk, but mid range SSD's 3-4 years ago were better than that. With just 16% more, you get 14% more capacity, a bit better performance and better quality/durability 3D TLC NAND: Crucial Mx300 275GB

As for the case... it's pretty good, but could use additional cooling. I would move the rear fan into the front, and add one of those Dynamic X2 GP-12 fans to the rear.

Other than that, looks good to me

 

[mistercrabby]

Thanks for all the input. I'll take a look at that SSD. Regarding the case, it showed up in the shopping cart as a 'gift item'. No idea why. So i dropped the one recommended by lehtv because in this case (no pun intended) free beats better. I have a bunch of fans i can use to beef up the cooling anyway. I'm super excited to get his done. Again, thanks for the input!

 

[VirtualLarry]

I wouldn't worry so much about the performance of planar TLC (although, longevity is another question). Most of the modern planar TLC drive controllers support the "SLC cache" feature, which mitigates the slow TLC write speeds, for most workloads.

Though, I admit, 3D NAND is preferable, and MLC is preferable to TLC. However, whether advanced small-nm planar MLC, versus 3D TLC, is better, I wouldn't really know. I'd probably opt for the 3D NAND regardless, since it's newer.

In a year, you probably will only be able to buy 3D NAND SSDs. So gobble up the planar MLC drives while they last, even if they are pricier.

 

[escrow4]

That SSD is a dog. At the minimum I'd go a WD Blue 240GB, a Crucial MX 300 275GB or a Samsung EVO 850 250GB. You also want faster RAM for an overclockable build, at least 3000MHz. 2400MHz is for locked KBL CPUs. I have the H270M version of that board and a fat GPU will cover the SATA ports, do note. I also have no idea why Asrock put a fancy stripe right down the mobo.

 

[Valantar]

That SSD is a dog. At the minimum I'd go a WD Blue 240GB, a Crucial MX 300 275GB or a Samsung EVO 850 250GB. You also want faster RAM for an overclockable build, at least 3000MHz. 2400MHz is for locked KBL CPUs. I have the H270M version of that board and a fat GPU will cover the SATA ports, do note. I also have no idea why Asrock put a fancy stripe right down the mobo.

What measurable performance gains will the OP see due to faster RAM? In a budget build like this, spending more for faster RAM is not a good way to spend money. The return on investment is tiny.

 

[lehtv]

What measurable performance gains will the OP see due to faster RAM? In a budget build like this, spending more for faster RAM is not a good way to spend money. The return on investment is tiny.

Faster RAM will typically not cost a lot more. It's more of an issue of whether the motherboard will support faster RAM or not, and if it does, I think it's definitely worth going for ~3000MHz. In some games, you will see a pretty large improvement.

 

[escrow4]

What measurable performance gains will the OP see due to faster RAM? In a budget build like this, spending more for faster RAM is not a good way to spend money. The return on investment is tiny.

The difference over here between 2400MHz and 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance LPX is a $1. And Z270 can make use of faster RAM.

 

[mistercrabby]

Final order from the Egg. Thanks again for the excellent input!

• • 
    1 x Corsair Carbide Series 200R Black Steel / Plastic Compact ATX Mid Tower Case
• • 
    • Print Rebate
    • 1 x ASRock Z270M Pro4 LGA 1151 Intel Z270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboards - Intel
  • 
    • 1 x EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G3, 220-G3-0550-Y1, 80+ GOLD, 550W Fully Modular, EVGA ECO Mode with New HDB Fan, Includes ...
  • 
    • 1 x Intel Core i5-7600K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.8 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80677I57600K Desktop Processor
  • 
    • 1 x G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Intel Z170 Platform Desktop ...
  • 
    • 1 x Kingston SSDNow UV400 2.5" 240GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SUV400S37/240G
  • 
    • 1 x Corsair Air Series AF120 LED 120mm Quiet Edition High Airflow Fan Single Pack - Blue (CO-9050015-BLED)
  • 
    The GTX 980 is due Thursday..

 

[Yuriman]

Frankly, I think an i7 7700 + B250 + stock cooler would have been a much better and very little more expensive choice than 7600K + Z270 + aftermarket cooler.

 

[lehtv]

@Yuriman But then you'd be locked to 2400MHz RAM. At least now you can upgrade to i7 when needed and still get the benefit of faster RAM. Should be a little more future-proof platform than B250. Plus, compared to i7-7700, you can quite easily get about 15-20% extra performance-per-core from the 7600K by overclocking - this is not too far from the typical benefit you get from HyperThreading, and may even end up winning when you factor in the faster RAM.

I think both setups are perfectly fine, depends mostly on willingness to overclock the 7600K.

@mistercrabby I don't see an aftermarket CPU cooler in your list. Did you forget to buy one?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't see an aftermarket CPU cooler in your list. Did you forget to buy one?

Yeah, don't think that CPU includes a stock one. Intel's been leaving them off for the "K" CPUs for a few generations now. (One major exception, was the Haswell G3258, in which Intel included a copper-core stock cooler, which was generally enough to push that CPU to 4.4Ghz, if so inclined, and mobo and CPU permitting. I've not gotten over 4.2Ghz with any of my G3258 CPUs, but I was using lower-end H81 mobos, which could explain that.)

 

[mistercrabby]

That line didn't copy in. Its the same one recommended by lehtv. ARCTIC Freezer i11 CPU Cooler for Intel, 150W Cooling Capacity, 3 Direct Touch Heatpipes, <23dBA Fan Noise

The i-7 vs -5 / k vs non-k debate went on in my head throughout the design phase. While OC headroom wasn't my primary motivation going in, I want the option, and that broke the tie. As was said above, the compute capability of these cpus is awesome. I'm excited to get the parts and start building.

I received my GTX 980 windforce yesterday! What a beast.

 

[mistercrabby]

It's alive!

 

[Valantar]

Pictures don't work for me :/