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Part check, motherboard recommendations and other tweaks for ~$1000 gaming rig?

DanteKaramazov

DanteKaramazov

Junior Member
Would be interested in some motherboard recommendations for gaming rig with Intel Core i5-4670k CPU and Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB GDDR5 GPU. Looking to keep costs under $1000. How do you think this build looks?

Right now looking at Asus Z87-PRO for the build quality and built in WiFi (I need WiFi in some way), but I'm not necessarily looking to OC heavily for now (maybe at some point) so it might be overkill. Thoughts or suggestions? Anything look inconsistent or unnecessary?

Also wondering between these two RAMs:

G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) Ripjaws X Series DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800 240-Pin Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM
or
Kingston Hyper X Plug n Play 8 GB Kit (2x4GB Modules) 1600MHz DDR3 Desktop Memory 8 Dual Channel Kit (PC3 12800) 240-Pin SDRAM KHX1600C9D3P1K2/8G


Here is the build thus far: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2P34h

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.97 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.06 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.79 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($91.93 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.95 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.79 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.98 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($115.70 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.50 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1112.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-08 12:38 EST-0500)
 
Last edited:
If you want to OC you need a -k CPU like a 4670K, and if not the premium of Z87 boards is not worth it so look for a cheaper chipset like H87 or B85.
 
Freddy1765 said:
If you want to OC you need a -k CPU like a 4670K, and if not the premium of Z87 boards is not worth it so look for a cheaper chipset like H87 or B85.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I was debating on going -k series right off the bat for the OC, but had decided against it temporarily. Reflecting on it now, may as well invest the extra $30 up front. I have edited original post.

With the i5-4670k, is the Asus Z87-PRO a solid choice? I looked into the Hero, but I lose WiFi (which I need in some way) in exchange for similar board specs, better sound and some improved UEFI/BIOS customization.

I know integrated WiFi sounds like a silly thing to hinge on, but for boards without it I would need to invest $30-40 on a good WiFi card which adds to cost, so a $130 board jumps in price to the point where I could pay ~$20 more for the PRO and get WiFi plus a whole new degree of board quality (plus saving a PCI-e slot). Does that make sense or am I missing something obvious?
 
You're spending too much money on ancillary components and not enough on the component that has the largest impact on gaming performance, the GPU. As a rule of thumb, you be spending 30-40% of the overall cost on the GPU, you're spending 18%. A GTX 660 is extremely underpowered for an $1100 gaming machine.

For $1000 Canadian, I would look at something like this:

i5 4430 $195
ASRock H87 Pro4 $95 AR
G.Skill DDR3 1600 8GB $80
EVGA GTX 770 $370 AR
Kingston V300 $90
Seagate 1TB $63
ASUS DVD Burner $16
Antec Neo Eco 620C $70
Cooler Master N600 $55 AR
Rosewill 802.11n 2T/2R adapter $25
Arctic Cooling Freezer i30 $51
Total: $1110 AR
 
mfenn said:
You're spending too much money on ancillary components and not enough on the component that has the largest impact on gaming performance, the GPU. As a rule of thumb, you be spending 30-40% of the overall cost on the GPU, you're spending 18%. A GTX 660 is extremely underpowered for an $1100 gaming machine.

For $1000 Canadian, I would look at something like this:

i5 4430 $195
ASRock H87 Pro4 $95 AR
G.Skill DDR3 1600 8GB $80
EVGA GTX 770 $370 AR
Kingston V300 $90
Seagate 1TB $63
ASUS DVD Burner $16
Antec Neo Eco 620C $70
Cooler Master N600 $55 AR
Rosewill 802.11n 2T/2R adapter $25
Arctic Cooling Freezer i30 $51
Total: $1110 AR
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I had forgotten that I'd decided on a GTX760 instead of the 660 but hadn't updated the PCPartPicker part list.

I see you used the 770 though. I would have thought GTX760 and used that extra money for a stronger CPU. Is a i5 4430 + GTX770 substantially better than say an i5 4670 + GTX760? I'm not sure how much the CPU matters comparatively.
 
The GPU is the number one determiner of gaming performance, so you should get as powerful of one as you can afford. Once you had a "good enough" CPU, RAM, mobo, etc. then you should spend the rest of the money on the GPU. What is a good enough CPU? Right now, it's any Ivy Bridge or Haswell quad.

Additionally, performance scaling is much weaker with CPUs than it is with GPUs. An i5 4670K is only 13% faster than an i5 4430, but a GTX 770 is about 25% faster than a GTX 760.
 
I see, that makes sense then. Appreciate the input.

I'm noticing that a lot of tech forums are recommending the ASRock H87 Pro4 that you mentioned for the ~$1000 pricepoint, and its consistently on your updated mid-range build list, but I see less than favourable reviews elsewhere. Is this board more reliable than reviews tend to give it credit for?

When I was looking at boards in a similar price range, I was looking at GIGABYTE GA-H87-D3H. Reviews seemed more favorable for the negligible $5-10 price difference. Is there a preference among enthusiasts for ASRock over Gigabyte?
 
I suggest buying any products from Asrock directly from Amazon, not even third-party sellers on Amazon, since Amazon tends to be generous(eating into their profits) with their customer service, if you want peace of mind.
 
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DanteKaramazov said:
I see, that makes sense then. Appreciate the input.

I'm noticing that a lot of tech forums are recommending the ASRock H87 Pro4 that you mentioned for the ~$1000 pricepoint, and its consistently on your updated mid-range build list, but I see less than favourable reviews elsewhere. Is this board more reliable than reviews tend to give it credit for?

When I was looking at boards in a similar price range, I was looking at GIGABYTE GA-H87-D3H. Reviews seemed more favorable for the negligible $5-10 price difference. Is there a preference among enthusiasts for ASRock over Gigabyte?
Click to expand...

Either ASRock or Gigabyte is fine, I'd take the ASRock because it costs less. Customer reviews are not indicative of product reliability, the sample is too self-selecting.

Keep in mind that any part can be DOA, from a $50 board to a $500 one. There's nothing you can do to prevent that except for ordering from a retailer that you trust to handle any issues gracefully.
 
mfenn said:
Either ASRock or Gigabyte is fine, I'd take the ASRock because it costs less. Customer reviews are not indicative of product reliability, the sample is too self-selecting.

Keep in mind that any part can be DOA, from a $50 board to a $500 one. There's nothing you can do to prevent that except for ordering from a retailer that you trust to handle any issues gracefully.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. So this build is a bit more reasonable? Most of the stuff either is what you recommended or equivalent parts for the same price (like the SSD/HDD). The major splurge here is the case, which I'm willing to pay for some wiggle room, good ventilation, build quality and extra fan included. Plus I aesthetically prefer the 400R to most competitors, with the side grate for air circulation over a window or fully enclosed side. I have also ensured the mobo is directly from Amazon as per your recommendation, Torn Mind.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling ACFZI30 74.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.85 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.89 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN722N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1087.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-10 22:36 EST-0500)
 
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