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Need advice on Gaming Rig

J

jbabu

Junior Member
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Primarily gaming and 4K.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Budget is $3500

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
US - NYC, will buy parts online.

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.
All parts will be bought either at Microcenter or online

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.

Intel

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
None

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Start off with default and then overclock.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
What ever resolution that is good for gaming and 4k

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.
Place the order for parts this week and build it once they arrive.

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Windows 10 Pro and please recommend what other cool software's that you folks use.

Hello all,
I'm going to build this gaming PC for my son, this is my first rig that i'm going to work on so please be easy and help me out.

here are the spec's I've come up with:
CPU - Intel Core i7-6800K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor - $429.99
CPU Cooler - Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler - $88.49
Motherboard - ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard - $200.99
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory - $189.99
Storage - Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive - $314.99
Video Card - MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Founders Edition Video Card - $698.99 nVidia one is OOS
Case - NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case - $113.99
Power Supply - EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply - $134.99
Optical Drive - LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer - $46.85
Sound Card - Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card - $119.99
Wireless Network Adapter - Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter - $29.99
Monitor - Acer XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 165Hz Monitor - $729.99
Keyboard - Ducky Shine 5 RGB LED Backlit Brown Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard - 163.49
Gaming mouse - still researching.


Total - 3262 approx

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/3G7m8K


Future upgrades in mind:
Memory - 64 to 128 GB
Monitor - Would like to have 2nd monitor
Video Card - add another one if needed

Thanks to all of you on this forum, read multiple threads and ready to get going.
Babu
 
Don't get X99 unless you're sure you'll overclock. If you're not sure, get a 6700K.

If you do go X99, I don't see the point of the new 6800K over the older 5820K. Someone correct me if I'm missing something obvious. "Micro Center's price" might be just such an obvious thing. 😉 Memory speed also doesn't matter so much on X99, since you have 4 channels.

That's funny. You said "4K", but you didn't select a 4K monitor. If you really mean "4K", you should also get 2 cards in SLI, and for that you'll need a "GEFORCE GTX SLI HB BRIDGE". They're somewhat hard to find. The 3-slot size, which is probably best for you, is even more so. But a 2-slot bridge will work.

I also yanked out the sound card. Onboard sound is quite good these days.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($174.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: *Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor ($650.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: *Cougar AttackX3-4IS Wired Gaming Keyboard ($79.95 @ Amazon)
Mouse: *Logitech M500 Wired Laser Mouse ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Other: EVGA PRO SLI Bridge HB, 2 Slot Spacing ($39.99)
Total: $3487.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-05 17:57 EDT-0400

Edit: I threw in a decent KB and mouse.
 
Last edited:
Ken g6 said:
Don't get X99 unless you're sure you'll overclock. If you're not sure, get a 6700K.

If you do go X99, I don't see the point of the new 6800K over the older 5820K. Someone correct me if I'm missing something obvious. "Micro Center's price" might be just such an obvious thing. 😉 Memory speed also doesn't matter so much on X99, since you have 4 channels.

That's funny. You said "4K", but you didn't select a 4K monitor. If you really mean "4K", you should also get 2 cards in SLI, and for that you'll need a "GEFORCE GTX SLI HB BRIDGE". They're somewhat hard to find. The 3-slot size, which is probably best for you, is even more so. But a 2-slot bridge will work.

I also yanked out the sound card. Onboard sound is quite good these days.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($174.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: *Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor ($650.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: *Cougar AttackX3-4IS Wired Gaming Keyboard ($79.95 @ Amazon)
Mouse: *Logitech M500 Wired Laser Mouse ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Other: EVGA PRO SLI Bridge HB, 2 Slot Spacing ($39.99)
Total: $3487.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-05 17:57 EDT-0400

Edit: I threw in a decent KB and mouse.
Click to expand...

mnewsham - thanks for catching the Memory config.

Ken,
CPU - I'll go with the 6700K.
Bridge - can you please point me to more info about this, would like to understand what it means.
Monitor - Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor is it good for gaming & 4k stuff?

Really appreciate your help.
Babu
 
jbabu said:
Monitor - Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor is it good for gaming & 4k stuff?
Click to expand...

I'm a little confused by how you keep talking about "4k stuff" and separating it from gaming. Do you know that 4k is a display resolution? What other "4k stuff" do you want to do - video playback? Do you want to game at 4k, or do you want a lower resolution for gaming and a separate monitor for 4k video playback?

An SLI bridge makes two Nvidia video cards work together almost like one. Here's some info: http://www.pcworld.com/article/3071...fficially-supports-only-2-way-sli-setups.html You only really need SLI if you're doing 4k gaming.
 
As others have noted, you need to explain further what you mean by 4k stuff.

Watching movies in 4k? Video editing in 4k?

4k and gaming don't go very well together because it's a resolution that requires 2 GPU's or more. For games first person shooters or racing games that demand higher refresh rates (120+) there's simply no good 4k solution.

For pure gaming, 2560x1440 IPS 144 Hz is currently the top of the line. Even then it almost requires 2 GPU's to get to high enough framerates. (An overclocked 1080 might do it.) Is you or your son good at dealing with driver issues? 2 GPU gaming requires a decent amount of patience and know how to deal with the problems that will inevitably crop up.
 
Ken g6 said:
I'm a little confused by how you keep talking about "4k stuff" and separating it from gaming. Do you know that 4k is a display resolution? What other "4k stuff" do you want to do - video playback? Do you want to game at 4k, or do you want a lower resolution for gaming and a separate monitor for 4k video playback?

An SLI bridge makes two Nvidia video cards work together almost like one. Here's some info: http://www.pcworld.com/article/3071...fficially-supports-only-2-way-sli-setups.html You only really need SLI if you're doing 4k gaming.
Click to expand...

First preference is support 4k gaming, it might not be good now but want to have a system that is expandable and support it in future.
If it supports watching 4k video great, i'll take it but not a priority.No 4k video editing needed, son has a youtube channel where he and his friends want to record videos about games (cheat sheets, strategy...) and upload them.

Giantpandaman:
My son is not that savvy yet, all issues (h/w, s/w, drivers...) that crop up I've to deal with them.
 
Last edited:
Well, this is frustrating. For most Z170 boards, you should go with the 3-slot SLI HB (High Bandwidth) bridge. But they're sold out. You could go with a micro-ATX board instead, which forces the cards into a 2-slot configuration. That can add heat issues. You could buy one 1080 now, and get the other with a bridge when a 3-slot HB bridge is available.

The other issue is, [thread=2479276]Titan P is coming[/thread]. That video card will support 4K gaming with a single card, I'm sure. It's likely to cost somewhere between $1,200 and $2,500 - my guess is $1,500. And it won't be out until at least August; more likely September or October.

If you really want to buy everything this week, I guess it's better to give you a configuration you can buy now. Here's my best suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($345.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.88 @ OutletPC) - smaller cooler, attaching enormous coolers to the 6700K can damage it!
Motherboard: *ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: *Team Xtreem 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3466 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg) - At 1080 SLI, CPU performance may scale linearly with RAM speed. Possibly up to DDR4-4000, but you can't get that easily.
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: *Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor ($650.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: *Cougar AttackX3-4IS Wired Gaming Keyboard ($79.95 @ Amazon)
Mouse: *Logitech M500 Wired Laser Mouse ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Other: EVGA PRO SLI Bridge HB, 2 Slot Spacing ($39.99)
Total: $3320.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-06 11:14 EDT-0400
 
That system is going to only load that supply 30% while gaming, making the PSU overkill. The 1TB of SSD is also possibly overkill. It is nice to only have to deal with one drive, but if there is even the slightest chance that it fills up, then you may as well just buy the SSD HDD combo now and save some money. Or be prepared to buy a 2TB SSD later I guess..
 
sm625 said:
That system is going to only load that supply 30% while gaming, making the PSU overkill.
Click to expand...
Each 1080 is rated at 180W TDP. The CPU is rated close to 100W. So that's 460W, or 54% potential load, before considering mobo, drives, and peripherals. I suppose you could drop to a 750W PSU, but I wouldn't go much below that.
 
In my opinion most gamers would rather 144Hz at 1080p than 60Hz at 4k for the 28" screen size.

Now if we're talking much bigger screen sizes then higher resolution might be more appropriate.
 
Another recommendation to go 1080p for now. Get a great screen and a great video card. Go 4k when screen options and video cards are better for that res.
 
Despite not being 4k, your monitor is really nice. Overpriced, but really nice.

If you're going to get a 1080 card, getting a 1080 monitor like others have mentioned seems really silly. 1080 vertical lines is a resolution from last millennium, though it would have been 1600x1200 back then (basically the same total pixels).

I've had large and high resolution monitors - at least large and high resolution relative to current norms. I'd much rather have more pixels and space at lower settings. In your case, you aren't even sacrificing refresh rate as you can top out at 144 and with GSync it'll look great basically no matter what. If you ever seen GSync/Freesync in action it really lets you game effectively at lower refresh rates.
 
something like this, for example:

full build

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($147.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk X400 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($239.90 @ B&H)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.97 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XB270HU bprz 27.0" 144Hz Monitor ($722.00 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($75.50 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2545.15

not sure why you think you need two GPU, or 128Gb of ram.
 
DigDog has a pretty good build. It might not be "4k" but it's what a hardcore gamer would want. Though I wouldn't get a Razer mouse. They've gone downhill. I'd probably pick up a Zowie or a Logitech.

If you really want to splurge even more, get him a nice set of headphones (Sennheiser 598s for example) or go nuts with a nice set of 2.1 speakers (say ELAC Debut) with an actual receiver. (Do not buy "gaming headphones" as they usually suck.) If your son needs a mic just get a modmic or use the beam mic that comes with the some Soundblasters.

That'll at more to his gaming experience and make far less of a headache than chasing 4k. In two years when 4k actually makes sense, you can just throw in a new video card and buy a 4k monitor then. (Though, personally, I wouldn't think it's worth it.)

I'd also suggest getting a hardwired connection. Wireless sucks for fast paced gaming. 2.4 Ghz loses packets whenever someone turns on a microwave. 5 Ghz band is great...if you have line of sight to the router.
 
giantpandaman2 said:
5 Ghz band is great...if you have line of sight to the router
Click to expand...
i've found 5GHz to be pretty solid if you just have dry wall interior to your house, though multiple layers or actual brick or something more solid inbetween you and the router however will drastically reduce performance.
 
Final config, going to pull the trigger tomorrow morning, thanks to all for the inputs:
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($345.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.88 @ OutletPC) - smaller cooler, attaching enormous coolers to the 6700K can damage it!
Motherboard: *ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: *Team Xtreem 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3466 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg) - At 1080 SLI, CPU performance may scale linearly with RAM speed. Possibly up to DDR4-4000, but you can't get that easily.
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: *Acer XB280HK bprz 28.0" 60Hz Monitor ($650.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: *Cougar AttackX3-4IS Wired Gaming Keyboard ($79.95 @ Amazon)
Mouse: *Logitech M500 Wired Laser Mouse ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Other: EVGA PRO SLI Bridge HB, 2 Slot Spacing ($39.99)
Total: $2670.45

Will buy the second video card at a later date as Ken pointed out once the bridge is available.
 
No reason to get the SLI Bridge if you're only getting one 1080. Just wait until you get a second one to buy the bridge.

I'd pick up the Logitech 502 or 303 rather than the 500. 502 and 303 have the best sensor.

I think the original non-4k monitor you had was better for gaming. A 2560 144HZ IPS (Acer XB271HU bmiprz 27.0) monitor will be waaaay nicer to look at than a 4k TN monitor. (TN looks like utter crap. At 4k with small pixels...it'll even look worse because the viewer will always be off angle from some part of the screen.)
 
I chose micro ATX because I couldn't find a 3 slot version of the new hb bridges available, and I couldn't find a mobo for the four slot version.
 
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