Looking for sanity/feasibility check on the following (based on the very helpful mid-range guide).
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nPm9P6
1. Use: gaming + productivity (nothing strenuous--no video editing, no crazy GPU-enhanced protein folding, totally ok with non-maxed out game settings).
2. Budget: prefer to keep machine itself at $1200 or less, but could go to ~$1400 (see questions at bottom).
3. Parts source: USA
4. n/a
5. Brand preferences: none.
6. Current parts: DVD r/w drive, mouse, monitor.
7. Overclocking: no thank you.
8. Resolution: current monitor is 1920x1080. Would like the machine to support 3840x2160 or 2x 2560x1440 on one card if possible (for general use, _not_ gaming--I'm fine with 1920x1080 for games).
9. Timing: before the end of April 2015 unless people expect massive price drops/advances in early summer 2015.
10. Software/other: Windows 8.1 student, Debian
My questions:
q1. I'd be willing to invest in an aftermarket HSF if it meaningfully (say, 10%+) increased part life and/or reduced noise. Is this reasonable without paying an arm and a leg? If so, part recommendations?
q2. I'm looking to get 5 years of life out of this machine (as a general purpose box, it's fine if it can't run 2020 games). Given that, are there particular parts or upgrades that it's worth considering for their reliability?
q3. Cursory searching claims an R9 290X or GTX 970 can both run 2 2560x1440 monitors in non-gaming applications. Does this jive with forumites' experience?
q4. Have a missed anything obvious above? Been a _long_ time since I put a machine together.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nPm9P6
1. Use: gaming + productivity (nothing strenuous--no video editing, no crazy GPU-enhanced protein folding, totally ok with non-maxed out game settings).
2. Budget: prefer to keep machine itself at $1200 or less, but could go to ~$1400 (see questions at bottom).
3. Parts source: USA
4. n/a
5. Brand preferences: none.
6. Current parts: DVD r/w drive, mouse, monitor.
7. Overclocking: no thank you.
8. Resolution: current monitor is 1920x1080. Would like the machine to support 3840x2160 or 2x 2560x1440 on one card if possible (for general use, _not_ gaming--I'm fine with 1920x1080 for games).
9. Timing: before the end of April 2015 unless people expect massive price drops/advances in early summer 2015.
10. Software/other: Windows 8.1 student, Debian
My questions:
q1. I'd be willing to invest in an aftermarket HSF if it meaningfully (say, 10%+) increased part life and/or reduced noise. Is this reasonable without paying an arm and a leg? If so, part recommendations?
q2. I'm looking to get 5 years of life out of this machine (as a general purpose box, it's fine if it can't run 2020 games). Given that, are there particular parts or upgrades that it's worth considering for their reliability?
q3. Cursory searching claims an R9 290X or GTX 970 can both run 2 2560x1440 monitors in non-gaming applications. Does this jive with forumites' experience?
q4. Have a missed anything obvious above? Been a _long_ time since I put a machine together.