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Look Over My Build - Gaming/Entertainment Pc

G

ghostlynkush

Junior Member
So I got an xbox one for christmas and what do you know it was defective. So I figured I'd add some of my own money and get a gaming computer instead? I have decent knowledge and have repaired xbox 360s and done software unlocking/upgrading/downgrading on phones and what not.

My Macbook Pro has served me well for the past six years but now it is getting a little slow for me. Would like something to keep at home for many years to come. And my mac can serve as my school-book (=.

I am not very familiar with sli/crossfire or overclocking but am interested in learning! Looking to use this to do basic internet using, watching/streaming movies and live television, would like to play games (of course! reason why I'm replacing this with an xbox one!). Want something that is somewhat future proof as I do not plan on getting another computer for the next 4-6 years at least!

I am looking to spend 1000-1400, absolutely no more than 1600 (Canadian Dollars). Here is what I put together so far, would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

1 × ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII HERO LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Gaming Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813132565
[SSD + RAM + CPU + MOBO = $794)

1 × Intel Core i7-6700K 8M Skylake Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80662I76700K Desktop Processor Intel® HD Graphics 530
Item #: N82E16819117559
[in bundle price]

1 × Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan
[$30]

1 × CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) C14 Memory Kit - Black Model CMK16GX4M4A2400C14
Item #: N82E16820233716
[in bundle price]

1 × EVGA GeForce GTX 970 04G-P4-3975-KR 4GB SSC GAMING w/ACX 2.0+, Whisper Silent Cooling Graphics Card
[$360 +$20mail-in-rebate]

1 × SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E250B/AM
Item #: N82E16820147372
[$90]

1 × WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX - OEM
[$55]

1 × ASUS PCE-AC56 802.11ac Dual-band Wireless-AC1300 PCI-E Adapter
[$62]

1 × EVGA SuperNOVA GS 220-GS-0650-V1 80 PLUS GOLD 650 W ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI Ready and Crossfire Support Super Silent ...
^IS This a Sufficient Power Supply for the Setup???
[$90 +$20mail-in-rebate]

1 × CM Storm Trooper - Gaming Full Tower Computer Case with Handle and External 2.5" Drive Dock with Side Panel Window
[$150 +$20mail-in-rebate]

1 × Rosewill Apollo - Mechanical Keyboard with Red Backlit - RK-9100xRBR
[$99] [Normally $150]

Grand Total Of: $1640 (CDN) (plus $55 worth of mail in rebates not reflected in that price)
All products were selected on "newegg".

->with hopes of (as budgets allows in the future) adding; more HDD memory, more DDR4 RAM, and maybe liquid cooling.

Am I missing anything essential from the build?
(No software is needed as I already have from previous pc-computers).

my few concerns:
Is this a good motherboard?!
Is that power supply enough or do I need a higher rated/w power supply?
Are there enough fans there, or do I need to buy more fans?
Is this a good build all together?

Open to any suggestions (= 🙂
 
Looks pretty good. You could probably go cheaper on the mobo, the wireless, and maybe the CPU (6600K) if you want to save some money. 2x8GB 2800 1.2V RAM would be nice if it didn't hurt the bundle price.

Maybe if you stick everything in http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/ your price might drop?
 
Thanks for the reply (=. This will be my first PC build ever! =D=D=D

I am comfortable where I am sitting parts wise, even though I am at the very top of my budget cap. I don't mind spending how much I am, as long as I know this is a SOLID, GOOD computer that will last me many years to come. Would you recommend I get a warranty plan on the Motherboard and CPU?

very nice website!.. pc part picker..
I did put my parts into pcpartpicker moments after posting this thread, (every part except the WD Blue 1TB HDD) which I couldn't seem to find on pcpartpicker lol
... The total they gave me with everything EXCEPT the TB WD HDD was: $1581 (shopping at like 4-5 different sites)


The Total Newegg is showing me: $1640 (plus 55 worth of rebates) = $1595 (and this price includes my entire build).

So it looks like a job well done on Newegg's part! 😎
Ps it's newegg.ca ..price are in Canadian Dollars correct?
 
Last edited:
Haha I just realized .. the .ca vs .com 🙁
RIP dream build being affordable 🙁
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($512.22 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($288.98 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($133.98 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($95.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($468.75 @ Vuugo)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case ($189.25 @ Vuugo)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.04 @ shopRBC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC56 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($81.34 @ DirectCanada)
Keyboard: Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xRBR Wired Gaming Keyboard ($133.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $2099.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 00:02 EST-0500
 
Last edited:
ghostlynkush said:
RIP dream build being affordable 🙁
Click to expand...
Well, maybe you can't do your dream build, but you can come close. 🙂

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($353.29 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($36.29 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($171.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($115.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: *Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($95.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: *Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.29 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: *Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($422.98 @ DirectCanada)
Case: *Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.88 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: *Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Canada Computers)
Wireless Network Adapter: *Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($44.99 @ Canada Computers)
Keyboard: Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xRBR Wired Gaming Keyboard ($133.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1593.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-29 23:38 EST-0500
 
Ken, I can't explain to you how greatly I appreciate your help! 🙂
It's funny, I was originally only looking to spend around 1000-1200, but now sit comfortable at 1500.... yet I'm contemplating biting the bullet and dropping 2100 on the dream?!
Your tweaked version is good, and if I act in a practical way, that will probably be the build I go with.
.....if I lose my mind a bit and.......wellll......
Would that $600 really make a HUGE difference? I don't plan on getting another computer for a really long time. Coupled with that facts that I plan on using it to replace my xbox one and television (for gaming and live tv) it might be worth it to sink in the extra money now? It also makes for a much more easily upgradable build in the future, where I can just throw in another video card and some more storage+ ram and be good!?
 
Well, let's see. The major differences between my suggestion and "the dream" are CPU and case. The i7 is definitely worth considering. You might also consider an i7 5820K, and X99 motherboard and 4 sticks of RAM, if you're sure you want to overclock.

As far as the case, I'm not a "case guy", so someone else is likely to know better. But I don't see a huge benefit to yours over mine.

If you want to spend a little extra on the video card, an EVGA or MSI might be a little better than that ASUS, for not much more money. If you're going to overclock, look at the cooler on the card, not how much it's pre-overclocked.
 
Ken g6 said:
Well, let's see. The major differences between my suggestion and "the dream" are CPU and case. The i7 is definitely worth considering. You might also consider an i7 5820K, and X99 motherboard and 4 sticks of RAM, if you're sure you want to overclock.

As far as the case, I'm not a "case guy", so someone else is likely to know better. But I don't see a huge benefit to yours over mine.

If you want to spend a little extra on the video card, an EVGA or MSI might be a little better than that ASUS, for not much more money. If you're going to overclock, look at the cooler on the card, not how much it's pre-overclocked.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. I just saw the i7 5820k last night, it is actually $50 cheaper that the 6700k.... Would that be a better route to take?
I think i decided to just bite the bullet and get the top of the line (or close to top of the line) build for 2000$. Would you recommend the 5820k over the 6700k?
Basically I'm looking for an AWESOME setup Right NOW. But one where I will not need to spend any more more for the next 5-6years. I don't mind adding ram and storage and a second video card down the road as budget allows. But I don't want to have to upgrade/change anything major.
I'm thinking I might go back to the Asus Maximus V3 Hero over the AsRock-Fatal1ty. However I also saw the Asus Z170 DELUXE which is only like 150 more, and if it has wifi and bluetooth built in so I save another 60 for the wifi card..only making it $100 more..
I also think I might just sell out the money and get a water-cooled cpu cooler vs a regular fan cooler right off the bat.
 
ghostlynkush said:
Hmm.. I just saw the i7 5820k last night, it is actually $50 cheaper that the 6700k.... Would that be a better route to take?
I think i decided to just bite the bullet and get the top of the line (or close to top of the line) build for 2000$. Would you recommend the 5820k over the 6700k?
Basically I'm looking for an AWESOME setup Right NOW. But one where I will not need to spend any more more for the next 5-6years. I don't mind adding ram and storage and a second video card down the road as budget allows. But I don't want to have to upgrade/change anything major.
I'm thinking I might go back to the Asus Maximus V3 Hero over the AsRock-Fatal1ty. However I also saw the Asus Z170 DELUXE which is only like 150 more, and if it has wifi and bluetooth built in so I save another 60 for the wifi card..only making it $100 more..
I also think I might just sell out the money and get a water-cooled cpu cooler vs a regular fan cooler right off the bat.
Click to expand...

If you're overclocking, go with the 5820K. No question.
 
I have changed some parts and ended up with this as my ultimate dream build...
I've been thinking about it a lot and I am willing to spend this much. However my main concern seems to be, is this build worth the price?

Mobo- was originally thinking Asus Maximus VII Hero, however I would like to have on-board wifi... add a $60 and I'm only another $60 short from the Asus Deluxe which boasts about its wifi and has bluetooth which I think will come in handy!
CPU- I feel the slight advantage for gaming the 6700k overs would be more useful to me thank the extra cores provided by the 5820k?
Ram- If I am building a pc, it MUST have DDR4 ram, I am not building something with DDR3 only to find out, a year from now all mainstream computers are supporting DDR4. I also chose two sticks of 8gb each vs four sticks of 4gb. My birthday is not very far (coupes months) away, and I will get another two 8gb to fill the other dins. As well as a second WD HDD for even more storage.
GPU-I figured I would bite the bullet and shell out the extra $350 for the 980Ti over the 970....why not right? If I'm doing it now and only doing it once, might as well go all the way?
I decided Against a Liquid Cooled CPU Fan, As I just found out about the maintenance it requires. Will be e sticking with the 212 Evo. Also also realized that the 212 would be sufficient enough for this build?

[PCPartPicker part list](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VDNDt6) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VDNDt6/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80662i76700k) | $529.00 @ Canada Computers
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $26.95 @ Vuugo
**Motherboard** | [Asus Z170-DELUXE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z170deluxe) | $414.98 @ Newegg Canada
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2b3000c15) | $144.99 @ Canada Computers
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $105.29 @ Vuugo
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $58.99 @ Canada Computers
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr) | $879.99 @ NCIX
**Case** | [Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-sgc5000kwn1) | $179.99 @ NCIX
**Power Supply** | [EVGA 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g11000vr) | $166.64 @ DirectCanada
**Keyboard** | [Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xRBR Wired Gaming Keyboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-keyboard-rk9100xrbr) | $124.99 @ Newegg Canada
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2661.81
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| **Total** | **$2631.81**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-01-01 11:55 EST-0500 |
 
Last edited:
ghostlynkush said:
I have changed some parts and ended up with this as my ultimate dream build...
I've been thinking about it a lot and I am willing to spend this much. However my main concern seems to be, is this build worth the price?

Mobo- was originally thinking Asus Maximus VII Hero, however I would like to have on-board wifi... add a $60 and I'm only another $60 short from the Asus Deluxe which boasts about its wifi and has bluetooth which I think will come in handy!
CPU- I feel the slight advantage for gaming the 6700k overs would be more useful to me thank the extra cores provided by the 5820k?
Ram- If I am building a pc, it MUST have DDR4 ram, I am not building something with DDR3 only to find out, a year from now all mainstream computers are supporting DDR4. I also chose two sticks of 8gb each vs four sticks of 4gb. My birthday is not very far (coupes months) away, and I will get another two 8gb to fill the other dins. As well as a second WD HDD for even more storage.
GPU-I figured I would bite the bullet and shell out the extra $350 for the 980Ti over the 970....why not right? If I'm doing it now and only doing it once, might as well go all the way?
I decided Against a Liquid Cooled CPU Fan, As I just found out about the maintenance it requires. Will be e sticking with the 212 Evo. Also also realized that the 212 would be sufficient enough for this build?

[PCPartPicker part list](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VDNDt6) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VDNDt6/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80662i76700k) | $529.00 @ Canada Computers
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $26.95 @ Vuugo
**Motherboard** | [Asus Z170-DELUXE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z170deluxe) | $414.98 @ Newegg Canada
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2b3000c15) | $144.99 @ Canada Computers
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $105.29 @ Vuugo
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $58.99 @ Canada Computers
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr) | $879.99 @ NCIX
**Case** | [Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-sgc5000kwn1) | $179.99 @ NCIX
**Power Supply** | [EVGA 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g11000vr) | $166.64 @ DirectCanada
**Keyboard** | [Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xRBR Wired Gaming Keyboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-keyboard-rk9100xrbr) | $124.99 @ Newegg Canada
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2661.81
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| **Total** | **$2631.81**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-01-01 11:55 EST-0500 |
Click to expand...

My thoughts on the build:

CPU: If gaming is the only real task for this system there's nothing wrong with going with Skylake. Keep in mind however that some games will take advantage of the extra cores that Haswell-E provides and it definitely will make a difference on other tasks such as audio/video editing, 3D rendering, etc.

Motherboard: Quite frankly I'm not a big fan at all of running wifi for my gaming rigs. It's gotten a lot more reliable but it's still not going to beat ethernet for stability and overall bandwidth. If you have no option but wifi then that'll have to do but I would strongly recommend going with a hardline if at all possible. That being said it's a decent board but you're paying a bunch extra for those features

GPU: You are aware that Pascal is due out sometime Q1 or Q2 of this year, right? Spending a ton on the GPU doesn't seem terribly wise when a new GPU that's going to be a large increase in performance is coming out soon.

PSU: Massive, massive overkill. Even if you went the option of running a pair of 980 Tis in SLI you're not going to need anywhere near that much juice. I'd recommend stepping it down to an 850 watt unit at most.
 
I really appreciate the comments I've been getting.

Isn't there a new CPU series coming out as well in 2016?

I'm sort of fixated on the Asus Deluxe 0.0 ... I'd rather pay the extra $120 for the built in tri-band wifi and bluetooth 😛.

GPU - I think I heard they are releasing a gpu mid 2016?... This is why I figured I'd go for the 980ti instead of the 970... and just stick with that for years to come? ... I mean aren't these things newly realized every year? Also I'd imagine the brand new released gpu would be much more pricer than the current price of the 980ti? (as well the 980ti is on sale ($100 off) at the moment. I also think the 970 would be sufficient for me for the time being so the 980ti should keep me happy for a couple years?

..I came to that conclusion a while back.... when you are ready t o purchase get what you would really like, since a year later everything usually changes? Please correct me if I am wrong? (=

Also, I switched to the evga platinum 850w power supply.

This is where I currently sit. IS IT WORTH $3100 CANADIAN (with Taxes)??
^I'm guessing it must be as all these parts are sold out or on back order at local stores!!!?

[PCPartPicker part list](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/G9mZhM) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/G9mZhM/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80662i76700k) | $529.00 @ Canada Computers
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $26.95 @ Vuugo
**Motherboard** | [Asus Z170-DELUXE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z170deluxe) | $414.98 @ Newegg Canada
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f43000c15d16gvrb) | $145.98 @ Newegg Canada
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $105.29 @ Vuugo
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $63.95 @ Vuugo
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr) | $879.99 @ NCIX
**Case** | [Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-sgc5000kwn1) | $179.99 @ NCIX
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220p20850x1) | $205.08 @ DirectCanada
**Keyboard** | [Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xRBR Wired Gaming Keyboard](http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-keyboard-rk9100xrbr) | $133.98 @ Newegg Canada
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2715.19
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| **Total** | **$2685.19**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-01-03 12:06 EST-0500 |
 
Last edited:
Here's the issue op, Pascal isn't just another yearly GPU release it's a new uArch that's introducing a number of features to nVidia GPUs such as:


  • HBM2 memory - AMD did it first with HBM memory on their R9 Fury GPUs but there are a few more improvements on HBM2
  • Unified memory platform - Basically it allows easier access to system RAM and GPU VRAM than in the past which gives developers some nice options
  • NVLink - Essentially a bigger pipe between the CPU and the GPU
  • Smaller die size - Pascal will be available in a 14nm die size which will allow for things like a cooler running GPU and potentially more overclocking capability
It's going to be a large performance increase from a 980 Ti. Will a 980 Ti tide you over for years to come? That's hard to say in all honesty because it depends on how popular certain things become when it comes to PC gaming. But really I would advise that if you must build now get a 970 to tide you over and then sell it when the Pascal GPUs arrive.
 
thanks for explaining @nsafreak
I did some more reading up on Pascal and it does look like a huge difference! Do you have any idea on the price point of the new Pascal?
The 980Ti is on sale at 890 normally 990 CDN.... Is Pascal expected to be a great jump in price from this?
Maybe I should just hold off a couple months...
But will Pascal require a newer mobo? or high mhz ram? or higher end gpu?
 
Last edited:
It's not likely that Pascal based GPUs will be more expensive than Maxwell (ie 980 Tis) when they're initially released unless there's a rush on them where there's more demand than there is supply. This has happened in the past to both AMD & nVidia GPUs and if it happens then the online retailers just love to price gouge it seems. Hopefully it doesn't happen with Pascal but it's hard to say with any certainty what the price will be since no prices have been released that I'm aware of.
 
why does something tell me there will be an insane rush lol... Well this is what i KNOW I WANT. So the gpu will depend on when I make the purchase.... if it is soon ill probably go with the 980ti, and see what happens with pascal. I can always sell the 980ti and upgrade if it comes to that. I'm sitting around 2000-2500 so that last 500-600 will depend on when the purchase is made lol... But this is the build i would really LOVE.
 
nsafreak said:
Here's the issue op, Pascal isn't just another yearly GPU release it's a new uArch that's introducing a number of features to nVidia GPUs such as:

NVLink - Essentially a bigger pipe between the CPU and the GPU
Click to expand...

NVLink is only for Power architecture machines, not Intel.
 
and maybe someone smart here can convince me to go for the i5-6600k? and save another 350?...I don't know,on one hand I'd like to just go for the top of the line and not have to blink or second guess myself. I basically got the money situation fixed lol, and now that I do I keep asking myself if $3000 is worth the i7+deluxe.....and all the other goodies?
The main reason I don't want an i5, is my sisters 4 year old macbook is supporting an i5... and I'm trying to build something awesome that is supposedly future proof lol. And her macbook is just a step up from my current macbook which I'm now finding slow for me.

..if it makes a difference or not.. I'm a fairly young uni student who had a part time job, now taking time off from everything due to an "injury" and this is basically what I had saved up. On the other hand I don't really find myself normally "wanting" things, and this is probably the first time in a couples years where I have been feeling like, I really want that. And I'm sure I can save up some more money down the road.
 
Last edited:
ghostlynkush said:
and maybe someone smart here can convince me to go for the i5-6600k? and save another 350?..
Click to expand...

If you can afford the i7 (6700k or 5820k) absolutely go for it. The 6600k is starting to get outclassed in heavily threaded games, this trend is only going to continue as the years roll by. I wouldn't bother pairing 980 class GPUs with anything less than an i7.

Speaking of the GPU, IMO you are not spending money wisely going for the 980ti at this point. We've been waiting on the new generation for so long now and it's finally just round the corner - wait it out. Get a GTX 970 or R9 390 for now (both solid choices) and save the money. I wouldn't bet on the 980ti holding it's resale value all that well once Pascal arrives.
 
I think I've come to a decision. I will go with the last build I posted(6700k+deluxe+980ti).
Then wait until Pascal's ti version, or even just ride the current 980ti until 2017 -for Volta? Or even see what comes in 2018, since I think the current 980ti will be sufficient until then.


Some of the titles I look forward to playing (never played most before! 😀): Far Cry, Fallout, Rainbow Siege, Black OPS 3, Gta IV, Dirt, Need For Speed/Other Racing Games.... FUN FUN! 😀
 
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ghostlynkush said:
I think I've come to a decision. I will go with the last build I posted(6700k+deluxe+980ti).
Then wait until Pascal's ti version, or even just ride the current 980ti until 2017 -for Volta? Or even see what comes in 2018, since I think the current 980ti will be sufficient until then.


Some of the titles I look forward to playing (never played most before! 😀): Far Cry, Fallout, Rainbow Siege, Black OPS 3, Gta IV, Dirt, Need For Speed/Other Racing Games.... FUN FUN! 😀
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What is the monitor you will be using/resolution? This is by far the most important part that I cannot seem to find in this thread. Why is this so critical? Because if you are only using a 1080p monitor, 980Ti is a waste of $. This is especially true given the current CAD pricing of the 980Ti. Furthermore, it makes absolutely no sense to buy a $900+ CAD graphics card and pair it with a crappy $200 CAD 1080p monitor. In 3 years that videocard will be worth 1/3rd of its value while a crappy $250 monitor will still be crappy in 3 years and crappy from day 1 😉

A PC with a nice monitor and a GTX970 is way better than a 980Ti with a garbage monitor. One of the key rules of PC build -- spend MORE $ towards the monitor, less on the videocard. A good monitor is a smart investment - a flagship videocard is the worst investment since it's the component that depreciates the most and becomes obsolete the fastest. Buying 980Ti now is also completely mistiming the market as the card is 7 months old but sells at close to MSRP. If you aren't gaming on a 144Hz 1080p monitor or a 1440p monitor, and are using some garbage 22-24" 1080P 60Hz panel, I would never pair something like that with a $900+ CAD GPU.

ghostlynkush said:
This is where I currently sit. IS IT WORTH $3100 CANADIAN (with Taxes)??
^I'm guessing it must be as all these parts are sold out or on back order at local stores!!!?|
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Without knowing what monitor the system will be paired with, it's difficult to say. Personally, I'd never spend $530 CDN on a quad-core glorified i5 and $410+ CAD on a Z170 board. If you intend to keep your main platform for 4-6 years, by far the more logical choice is X99 + i7 5820K + OC.

1. X99 has all of the key features of Z170 but has 6-10 core consumer BW-E upgrade path.

2. Like previous X58/79 workstation chipsets, it's just a matter of time before there might be drop-in 6-12 core Xeon upgrade parts that will keep this platform relevant unlike Z170 which is dead end at 4-core Kaby Lake.

3. Skylake's IPC increase is nothing special but with i7 5820K @ 4.5Ghz, you'd get 2 more cores. This is a nice bonus since most games hardly respond to higher IPC of Skylake but DX12 games should benefit from more cores.

Your $3000 CAD build's timing is not optimal to begin with since Broadwell-E is launching in June 2016 and this year we will finally get 14nm/16nm GPUs with all new architectures from both companies. If you are using a 1080p monitor, it's much wiser to buy a 970/390 level card and upgrade again. Buying a flagship $900+ CAD card to 'future-proof' has never worked FYI.
 
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@RussianSensation

Appreciate the really detailed post. I'm not far from you location wise so I feel you really understand the market here lol. To be honest I was planning on using my 48" Led Tv. It is fairly new 1080p/240Hz (1920/1080).
http://www.sony.com/electronics/televisions/w600b-series/specifications

I'm still Thinking on Spending THREE Grand on a computer? On one hand, I know its worth every penny, on the other...its three grand lol.
 
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looks like I will pull the trigger in about an hour... Any last minute comments? (=

I also feel like the x99 chipset would be more geared towards a workstation type setup? I really don't see myself making use of another 8pci slots and what not. And most games barely make use of the quad core processors at this time? (that is why I took the 6700k over the 5820k).
 
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