Need major help deciding Build!! almost done

[joey19890]

Hello everyone, i am at my final stages of building m:y new gaming rig. I have a few questions regarding my build, can u guys please shed some light on my build? hopefully i'm heading on the right track 🙂

Approximate Purchase Date: Next Week

Budget Range:1800 just CPU (without monitor and other peripheral)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming (BF4) and Movies

Are you buying a monitor: Already own a QX2710

Parts to Upgrade: Everything

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: All US websites are ok.

Location: City, State/Region, Country - Chicago, Illinois, USA

Parts Preferences:Intel

Overclocking: Yes (not confident with current skills)

SLI or Crossfire: One GTX 780 (Future SLI with another 780)

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560 X 1440P

Additional Comments: I will game heavily on BF4, so this built has to run BF4 at high

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I have a very old CPU


I have a few question, since i am using a 1440p monitor, would a single 780 be sufficient to run BF4 at very high settings?

Do i need to add more fans? It seems that the Bitfenix case is pretty good with airflow.

Furthermore, im not sure if i should spend more money on mobos, should i look for an even cheaper mobo? Asus Maximus seems like an overkill, or am i missing something.

Many people have suggested getting an i7 as future game might need an I7 haswell?


CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54670k
OR
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80637i73770k

CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-h110
OR
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.99 @ Newegg) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhd14

Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($205.00 @ Amazon) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusvi...
OR
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z87extr...

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-driv...
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-h...

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($110.50 @ Newegg) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d16g...

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp42784k...

Case: BitFenix Colossus Venom Window / Green LED / Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case (134.00 @ newegg) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cmpsu...

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-optical-drive-drw24b1...


Total: 1669 - 1830

Please do tell me which parts i need to change to get the best value for money. Thank you for your help !!!!

 

[lehtv]

For your info, 'CPU' = processor. What you mean to say is 'computer'.

On that budget you should get 4770K. No reason to go with the older 3770K.

The GTX 780 is terrible performance per dollar, and if you buy one, there's a very very low chance that you will buy another one unless you do it immediately (which you don't have the budget for). On your resolution I'd recommend GTX 770 4GB SLI. Here's a comparison - 83fps vs 55fps in BF3, both at stock.

4770K + MSI Z87-G45 Gaming $470
Phanteks TC14PE $75
2x4GB G.Skill Ares $58 AP
MSI GTX 770 4GB Gaming $445 AR x2 = $890 AR
Kingston V300 120GB $80
WD Blue 1TB + Samsung DVD-RW $83
Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Antec Eleven Hundred $65 AR (incredible price)

= $1811 AR AP + shipping

Some GPU options:
1. Of course, you can go with one GTX 770 4GB to begin with. It should run 1440p pretty well, but not perfectly.
2. Or you can go with much better bang for buck 7970's: 2x Gigabyte 7970 $560 AR. Essentially $300+ less while retaining 80-90% of the performance. Crossfire isn't as high quality as SLI but the difference may not be noticeable especially if you're vsync capped.

 

[Termie]

By the way, the OP says he's in Chicago - there is a MicroCenter there, so he should buy the CPU and motherboard with MC's combo discount.

 

[joey19890]

For your info, 'CPU' = processor. What you mean to say is 'computer'.

On that budget you should get 4770K. No reason to go with the older 3770K.

The GTX 780 is terrible performance per dollar, and if you buy one, there's a very very low chance that you will buy another one unless you do it immediately (which you don't have the budget for). On your resolution I'd recommend GTX 770 4GB SLI. Here's a comparison - 83fps vs 55fps in BF3, both at stock.

4770K + MSI Z87-G45 Gaming $470
Phanteks TC14PE $75
2x4GB G.Skill Ares $58 AP
MSI GTX 770 4GB Gaming $445 AR x2 = $890 AR
Kingston V300 120GB $80
WD Blue 1TB + Samsung DVD-RW $83
Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Antec Eleven Hundred $65 AR (incredible price)

= $1811 AR AP + shipping

Some GPU options:
1. Of course, you can go with one GTX 770 4GB to begin with. It should run 1440p pretty well, but not perfectly.
2. Or you can go with much better bang for buck 7970's: 2x Gigabyte 7970 $560 AR. Essentially $300+ less while retaining 80-90% of the performance. Crossfire isn't as high quality as SLI but the difference may not be noticeable especially if you're vsync capped.

I hear that SLI has far more issues and complications. This is also my first build so i am not really confident with my troubleshooting skills. Thats why i opted for a single 780 and maybe get another 780 in the next few months.

A few people have told me that the i5-4670K delivers a better gaming performance and a better deal at around 200 dollars.

And yes, i agree that the motherboard is a little too much. What is the main difference with a Z87 and the Maximus though? I already have a creative X-Fi sound card though so, i think getting the Maximus will not be worth it.

In terms of cooling, i would prefer a liquid cooling since its only 30 dollars different.

This is my first time building a pc with SSD, do i install heavily used games on the SSD as well? if so, should i consider a 250 GB SSD?

And thanks alot for the Promo code 🙂)) im gonna get the case now.

 

[joey19890]

sorry repost

 

[SolMiester]

@lehtv

I hear that SLI has far more issues and complications. This is also my first build so i am not really confident with my troubleshooting skills. Thats why i opted for a single 780 and maybe get another 780 in the next few months.

A few people have told me that the i5-4670K delivers a better gaming performance and a better deal at around 200 dollars.

And yes, i agree that the motherboard is a little too much. What is the main difference with a Z87 and the Maximus though? I already have a creative X-Fi sound card though so, i think getting the Maximus will not be worth it.

In terms of cooling, i would prefer a liquid cooling since its only 30 dollars different.

This is my first time building a pc with SSD, do i install heavily used games on the SSD as well? if so, should i consider a 250 GB SSD?

And thanks alot for the Promo code 🙂)) im gonna get the case now.

I dont know where you heard this?...SLI is very polished compared to AMD Crossfire, in fact, CF is actually unusable on multiple monitors...
AMD is suffering right now which is why you can pick their cards for next to nothing....You could actually save some money and get a 7970 for now, and sell for the next best thing on 20nm next year, that would give you $350 straight away towards the next card....

 

[joey19890]

I dont know where you heard this?...SLI is very polished compared to AMD Crossfire, in fact, CF is actually unusable on multiple monitors...
AMD is suffering right now which is why you can pick their cards for next to nothing....You could actually save some money and get a 7970 for now, and sell for the next best thing on 20nm next year, that would give you $350 straight away towards the next card....
__________________

Since this is my first built, i would rather play it safe and stick to one graphic card. I might SLI another 780 in the future. 🙂

 

[mfenn]

I dont know where you heard this?...SLI is very polished compared to AMD Crossfire, in fact, CF is actually unusable on multiple monitors...
AMD is suffering right now which is why you can pick their cards for next to nothing....You could actually save some money and get a 7970 for now, and sell for the next best thing on 20nm next year, that would give you $350 straight away towards the next card....

SLI still has its fair share of issues (that's why there is a beta driver that drops after every AAA release).

Anyway, I question the wisdom of configuring a PC for an unreleased game with unknown performance requirements. Sure, we can guess that it'll be like BF3 turned to 11, but that's just a guess.

 

[joey19890]

I dont know where you heard this?...SLI is very polished compared to AMD Crossfire, in fact, CF is actually unusable on multiple monitors...
AMD is suffering right now which is why you can pick their cards for next to nothing....You could actually save some money and get a 7970 for now, and sell for the next best thing on 20nm next year, that would give you $350 straight away towards the next card....

the requirements for BF4 is out, but i guess this is for a 1080p resolution, i dont know how much more is needed for a 1440p

http://bf4central.com/battlefield-4-system-requirements/

 

[lehtv]

I hear that SLI has far more issues and complications. This is also my first build so i am not really confident with my troubleshooting skills. Thats why i opted for a single 780 and maybe get another 780 in the next few months.

SLI is actually pretty trouble free, it involves mainly installing the cards with a SLI bridge, installing the drivers, and playing.

A few people have told me that the i5-4670K delivers a better gaming performance and a better deal at around 200 dollars.

i5-4670K is slower than 4770K, it doesn't deliver a better experience. The improvement with 4770K is that in addition to being a quad core, it has hyperthreading which improves performance in applications that can use more than four and up to eight CPU threads. Since BF4 benefits from heavy multithreading like the previous title, I definitely recommend the 4770K.

Termie makes a good point that you should get the 4770K+motherboard from MC if it's close to you: 4770K+Asrock Z87 Extreme4 $385. Saves $85 compared to the newegg combo, enough to buy you a 250GB SSD.

And yes, i agree that the motherboard is a little too much. What is the main difference with a Z87 and the Maximus though? I already have a creative X-Fi sound card though so, i think getting the Maximus will not be worth it.

Maximus is also a Z87 board. Z87 is the chipset.

The difference is mainly that Maximus is more packed with features that you most likely don't need.

In terms of cooling, i would prefer a liquid cooling since its only 30 dollars different.

Contained liquid coolers aren't inherently better than heatsink based coolers. And liquid coolers come in a lot of variations, many of which cost less than the cooler I posted. If you're referring to H110 in particular, it's a fantastic cooler but it is unnecessary, and not actually much better than the Phanteks cooler. As you said, this is your first build and you're not confident in your overclocking skills... going by that, the cooler I recommended is already quite overkill for you but I just picked it because of your large budget.

This is my first time building a pc with SSD, do i install heavily used games on the SSD as well? if so, should i consider a 250 GB SSD?

That's a good idea if you can fit it in the budget

Since this is my first built, i would rather play it safe and stick to one graphic card. I might SLI another 780 in the future. 🙂

As I said, the GTX 780 is terrible performance per dollar... But if you want to pay the premium that's up to you. I don't think it's worth it, I think a single GTX 770 or two GTX 770 4GB's is where it's at. SLI isn't difficult.

the requirements for BF4 is out, but i guess this is for a 1080p resolution, i dont know how much more is needed for a 1440p

http://bf4central.com/battlefield-4-system-requirements/

Developer's requirements for any game are way too general, ambiguous and open to interpretation to be of use to anyone.

Updated build recommendation:

4770K+Asrock Z87 Extreme4 $385
Phanteks TC14PE $75
2x4GB G.Skill Ares $58 AP
MSI GTX 780 $660 or MSI GTX 770 4GB Gaming $445 AR x2 = $890 AR
Samsung 840 250GB $170
WD Blue 1TB + Samsung DVD-RW $83
Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Antec Eleven Hundred $65 AR

$1586 AR AP or $1816 AR AP depending on GPU setup. 770 4GB SLI is 50% faster for 35% more and has more VRAM. Arguably, 770's also have better resale value relative to original purchase price, than high end cards that are poor performance per dollar.

 

[joey19890]

Updated build recommendation:

4770K+Asrock Z87 Extreme4 $385
Phanteks TC14PE $75
2x4GB G.Skill Ares $58 AP
MSI GTX 780 $660 or MSI GTX 770 4GB Gaming $445 AR x2 = $890 AR
Samsung 840 250GB $170
WD Blue 1TB + Samsung DVD-RW $83
Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Antec Eleven Hundred $65 AR

One question though,if i indeed go with the SLI, shouldn't i increase the power supply to 1000w?

And why use 8gb instead of 16gb for RAM?

Sorry if the questions i post are so dumb 🙂)

 

[lehtv]

750W will handle SLI with ease 🙂

Guru3D review: 505W peak watts for the whole system with the GPUs at full load. This is measured at the wall, so if you adjust for PSU efficiency you get about 450W power consumption, or 450W/750W = 60% load.

Legitreviews: Here, total system power consumption was 552W at the wall.

8GB is enough for any game, although if you want 16GB that's fine too. You don't need it but you have the money to buy it. If you want 16GB get two of these: Kingston 8GB 1600 $53

 

[joey19890]

Thanks for the quick reply,

In terms of overclocking, would i need more power if i start overclocking gpu and cpu?

Why is g.skill sniper series so popular for gamers? howis it different from a normal RAM are these just all marketing?

 

[lehtv]

The 750W unit will handle it.

Why do you think G.Skill Sniper is particularly popular? I think Corsair Vengeance is probably more popular. In any case, it's just normal RAM. Maybe if it is popular, it's because of the name and the fancy looks, i.e. marketing.

 

[Agent11]

Just want to leave this option here...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1420856
Intel Core i7-4820K Ivy Bridge-E 3.7GHz (Turbo 3.9GHz) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80633i74820K

bundled with:

1x ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79

There is also a bundle with an MSI motherboard for a bit less, I will admit bias to asus.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231537
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7Q-16GBZM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181032
CORSAIR Hydro Series H100i

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139008
Corsair Carbide Series 400R

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151132
SeaSonic G-750 SSR-750RM 750W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102961
SAPPHIRE 21197-00-40G Radeon HD 7970

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236102
Asus VE248H Black 24" 2ms Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 10,000,000:1

 

[lehtv]

Hmm, the 4820K isn't any faster than 4770K and requires a much more expensive motherboard. The motherboard forces 4x4GB RAM for full performance, 2x8GB makes more sense on LGA1150 and costs less. LGA2011 just seems like a pointless waste of cash unless going hexacore.

He already owns a monitor.

 

[Agent11]

Quad channel memory is a good thing.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/core_i7_4820k_processor_review,13.html

Being as he doesn't need a monitor or OS he could probably go with the hexacore.

 

[lehtv]

Just because performance is great in a memory benchmark doesn't mean it has any real world impact. Quoting from the guru3d article you linked:

Quad-channel is fun stuff, crazy numbers is what you'll see. What the effect will be on real-world performance, well that's trivial at best.

Whatever performance difference there may be is nowhere near worth the $40 higher price tag of the 4x4 kit compared to the 2x8 I posted.

In addition, performance of the 4770K is consistently higher in gaming benchmarks compared to 4820K.

Being as he doesn't need a monitor or OS he could probably go with the hexacore.

And use it for what? Battlefield? Your recommendations are nonsensical. Buying a faster GPU setup would have infinitely more impact.

 

[Agent11]

If this is just for casual gaming then the 4770 is probably the better choice.

I think 2011 is a sexier socket though, funner to play with. Also much more expandable and upgrade able, which will extend the value of the system.


Also worth note -

ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 3.0 x16
2 (@ dual x16/x16)
1 (@ x8)
PCI Express x1
2
PCI Slots
1

MSI X79A-GD45 Plus LGA 2011 Intel X79
PCI-Ex16 5
PCI-E Gen Gen3 (16, 16, 8), Gen2 (1, 1)

ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z87
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 3.0 x16
2(x16 or at dual x8)
PCI Express 2.0 x16
1
PCI Express x1
3

ASRock Z87 Extreme6 LGA 1150 Intel Z87
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 3.0 x16
3 (PCIE2/PCIE4/PCIE5: single at x16 (PCIE2); dual at x8 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4); triple at x8 (PCIE2) / x4 (PCIE4) / x4 (PCIE5))
PCI Express x1
1
PCI Slots
2
Mini Card Slots
1 x Mini PCIe

Expansion slots are important, you may want a raid controller for the new SATA5 or whatever in a few years, and if you are going to spend so much on graphics cards they may as well both sit in a slot getting x16.

 

[joey19890]

Thanks for all the reply guys.

I am still a little confused with the cpu, other forums have threads for a gaming rig and all are recommending an i5 4670k

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1757445/bestconfigs-budget-intel-based-gaming.html

Most rigs on that thread focuses on i5s and sli 770. Furthermore, most of the ram involved are the g.skill or ripjaw series.

 

[Agent11]

With the ram, I would not worry too much about brand. I would look at speed, timings and voltage.

If you are going to leave the ram at 1600 I would just make sure it is 1.5 v or less and as low of timings as you can afford. If you look at the ram I linked it is 1.5v 1600 with a cas latency of 7... Which is pretty good.

 

[joey19890]

With the ram, I would not worry too much about brand. I would look at speed, timings and voltage.

If you are going to leave the ram at 1600 I would just make sure it is 1.5 v or less and as low of timings as you can afford. If you look at the ram I linked it is 1.5v 1600 with a cas latency of 7... Which is pretty good.

Yes i agree with you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent11
Being as he doesn't need a monitor or OS he could probably go with the hexacore.
And use it for what? Battlefield? Your recommendations are nonsensical. Buying a faster GPU setup would have infinitely more impact.

I am also using a 27 inch 1440p monitor. Im hoping that a single 780 will be capable for gaming


So with the suggestion of getting an i7, what do u guys think of this built. This is calculating the price without the bundle from microcenter

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.13 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($130.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($190.71 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred $65
Power supply: Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)

Total: $1787

tell me what u guys think 🙂)

 

[mfenn]

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.13 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($130.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($190.71 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred $65
Power supply: Seasonic G750 $90 AR AP (promo code 0910BTS38)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)

Total: $1787

tell me what u guys think 🙂)

I think that Lehtv's GTX 770 SLI build is much faster an only costs about $30 more. Alternatively, his GTX 780 build costs a lot less for the same performance.

 

[Agent11]

Are you set on that case? There are better ones in that price range... And if you may consider water cooling in the future it helps a lot for ease of installation if there is a space for the radiator to drop in cleanly.

 

[lehtv]

For $65 no there are not better ones than Antec 1100, although I'd love to hear what case you were thinking of when you wrote that. Antec 1100 is a superb case and it's worth $100.