Another Haswell build

[Mek.]

PLEASE when you POST threads asking for input on system builds tell us...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Gaming, schoolwork (browsing, spreadsheets, docs, etc)

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

$1200, can increase to $1500 max if needed

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

Canada

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.

Canada Computers, Tigerdirect, NCIX, Direct Canada, CDW (I can get discount on some items)

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 CPU.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

mouse, keyboard, Windows OS, speakers

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

Default for now, OC in the future.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

1080p, but found an amazing deal for the 1200p monitor listed below.

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.

ASAP, want to order everything within a week (Deals may expire/stock levels deplete)

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

Nope



Okay this PC is going to be for my brother, he mostly plays L4D2, but he'll probably play more demanding games after this build. He's not a cometitive gamer and doesn't need a monitor with crazy response time/low motion blur etc, just one with clearest picture, best colors. Here's what I have so far:


Motherboard-$95-ASRock Z97 Pro3
GPU-$386: Asus Strix GF GTX970 - Cheapest one I could find.
Memory-$62.80: Crucial Ballistix Elite - DDR3 - 8 GB : 2 x 4 GB - Discontinued
PSU-$77.30: Antec Neo Eco 620C - power supply - 620 Watt - Get discounts with CDW through my company
CPU-$249.99: Intel Core i5-4690K Processor
SSD--$117: Crucial MX100 256GB
Monitor-$200: HP 24" LED ZR2440W IPS 1920x1200 - What a deal, but it's out of stock. Will wait a while to see if they get more.
Case-$95: Antec Performance One P280 - Only 5 left in stock
Still looking for: HDD, monitor

Total so far: $1293

I'll update this post as I get feedback/find more deals.

Thanks

 

[Ken g6]

I wouldn't buy GTX 7-series cards at this point for midrange gaming. The GTX 960 is supposed to come out sometime this month. If you want to buy sooner than that, PCPartPicker found that Memory Express has a 970 for $370.

Case is a somewhat personal decision based on appearance. CPU cooler can wait until overclocking "in the future". If you want to save a bit, an MX100 SSD is only about $116.

 

[mistersprinkles]

Corsair 200R, 300R, 450D, 730T or 760T
I7 4690K (I'd rather you get a 4790K. See below.)
ASRock Extreme 6 (Destroys your board choice. $30 extra.)
2x4GB DDR3 2133 ($5 more than 1600Mhz. Makes a small difference)
Crucial MX100/M550/Samsung 840 EVO 240-256GB
GTX 970 (non-negotiable if you want the best bang/buck)
Seasonic Gold rated 600-650W PSU
Noctua NHD14 or NHD15

Why a 4790K?

Future proofing.

Games are already out there using more than 4 threads. Pretty soon we'll be seeing lots of games with 6 or 8 threads. A 4 thread CPU, even a good one like an i5, will become a bottleneck. Probably not a severe bottleneck, but it'll be there.

If it's just not in the budget though, I'd rather you get the i5 than sacrifice the quality of any of the other parts.

Forget about that 770. That's GTX 960 performance, if that. You can overclock a decent aftermarket 970 to 980 performance. That's like getting a 780Ti for $380 CDN.

 

[mfenn]

ASRock Extreme 6 (Destroys your board choice. $30 extra.)

You should provide some reasoning for this and a link showing the price.

2x4GB DDR3 2133 ($5 more than 1600Mhz. Makes a small difference)

You should provide a link to the appropriate kit.

Why a 4790K?

Future proofing.

The only way to "future proof" is to save money to spend on future parts.

Games are already out there using more than 4 threads. Pretty soon we'll be seeing lots of games with 6 or 8 threads. A 4 thread CPU, even a good one like an i5, will become a bottleneck. Probably not a severe bottleneck, but it'll be there.

First off, you should provide links evidence that backs up your assertion. Second, you should explain why a game engine that shows as >4 threads can fully load those threads.

 

[mfenn]

I wouldn't buy GTX 7-series cards at this point for midrange gaming. The GTX 960 is supposed to come out sometime this month. If you want to buy sooner than that, PCPartPicker found that Memory Express has a 970 for $370.

Case is a somewhat personal decision based on appearance. CPU cooler can wait until overclocking "in the future". If you want to save a bit, an MX100 SSD is only about $116.

Agree on SSD savings and picking up a GTX 970 instead of the 770 given current prices. Swapping the SSD to the MX100 that Ken suggested and the motherboard to an ASRock Z97 Pro3 for $95 AR saves $62 of the $80 needed to get to the GTX 970.

Case is a personal choice, but the Corsair 200R for $54 as recommended by mistersprinkles is a good baseline.

 

[Mek.]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I have made some changes in original post.

-ssd is now crucial mx100 (price increased on DirectCanada, getting it from amazon.ca)
-going for gtx 970 (Currently out of stock everywhere)
-getting mfenn's recommended mobo

Some questions:

Which GTX 970 manufacturer would you guys recommend? I read somewhere the evga has problems with noise? I would like this PC to be as quiet as possible.

mistersprinkles: please link me to that RAM that is $5 more.

 

[Xerin7]

If you like quieter, the Asus Strix is a good choice.

 

[PliotronX]

You should provide some reasoning for this and a link showing the price.



You should provide a link to the appropriate kit.



The only way to "future proof" is to save money to spend on future parts.



First off, you should provide links evidence that backs up your assertion. Second, you should explain why a game engine that shows as >4 threads can fully load those threads.

I concur, HT does not equate to physical cores. By that logic the FX Octos should spank the i5/i7 but they clearly do not.

 

[mfenn]

I concur, HT does not equate to physical cores. By that logic the FX Octos should spank the i5/i7 but they clearly do not.

That's totally correct. Comparing core counts between architectures and manufacturers is even more tenuous.

 

[mfenn]

Which GTX 970 manufacturer would you guys recommend? I read somewhere the evga has problems with noise? I would like this PC to be as quiet as possible.

I agree with Xerin that the ASUS Strix is the best choice for low noise because it is one of the only cards that completely turns off the fans at idle.

However, if you don't want to wait a long time for the GTX 970, you'll have to take what you can get. The MSI, ASUS DCuII (non-Strix), and Gigabyte all have pretty good coolers. This Gigabyte has the best cooler of the cards that Newegg has in stock, but boy is it marked up at $410.

 

[Mek.]

Thanks for the input guys. My brother does not have a credit card atm, have to wait till he gets one so I can start ordering.

 

[Mek.]

Got the visa card. I've ordered the SSD, and Asus Strix GTX 970 so far (not sure if it's in stock, will find out tomorrow)

Also I chose the Antec Performance One P280 case, is it a good pick? I've been looking at the fractal design define R4 as well, but like the p280 better.

And it looks like the monitor will not be in stock for a while, so anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[Cerb]

The Define R4 looks decent, covers a very wide range of users' needs, and stays around $100. It's the default choice for a nice case for quite a few very good reasons, but hardly the only good case out there. There's nothing wrong with the P280, TMK.

 

[Mek.]

Hello,

Most parts have arrived. I decided to go with the P280 case. Waiting for GPU/PSU and still deciding on memory/monitor. The memory from CDW has been discontinued.

Which memory should I go for out of these?

Mushkin Redline 8GB - lower CAS latency
Team Zeus Blue 8GB - a bit cheaper

Also does it matter if I get 2x4GB or 1x8GB?

Thanks

 

[Mek.]

Any suggestions on the RAM?

 

[mfenn]

The Muskin DIMM is sold out, not that I would recommend a 1x8GB setup anyway. For best performance, you'll want to install DIMMs in pairs to take advantage of dual-channel operation.

The Team kit you picked out is good in terms of timings and voltage (CAS9 and 1.5V) and looks to be the best deal anyway.

 

[Mek.]

Thanks mfenn, just ordered the the Team zeus RAM.

 

[Mek.]

Really liking this monitor: Asus MX239H. ...But this ones a lot cheaper: Acer H6 Series H236HLbid Black 23" 5ms

What do you guys think?

 

[mfenn]

Really liking this monitor: Asus MX239H. ...But this ones a lot cheaper: Acer H6 Series H236HLbid Black 23" 5ms

What do you guys think?

The panel on the ASUS is probably slightly better, but they're both IPS which means they're both going to be at least decent. The main difference is that the ASUS has speakers, which I suppose is nice for convenience. But really, I'd rather take the price difference and put it into some external speakers or headphones rather than have that money tied up in the monitor.

 

[Mek.]

Thanks mfenn. Although i really liked the looks of the MX239, it's too expensive. I found another really good deal on a different one: Asus VS248H-P 24" for $185. This normally goes for $210+. What do you guys think?

 

[mfenn]

Thanks mfenn. Although i really liked the looks of the MX239, it's too expensive. I found another really good deal on a different one: Asus VS248H-P 24" for $185. This normally goes for $210+. What do you guys think?

I'm fairly certain that's a TN panel based on the advertised response time and the fact that it doesn't mention the panel technology anywhere on he copy. I'd stick with an IPS offering like the Acer you linked earlier.