Competition Professional Gaming Computer

[eXg. p1nghax]

Hello,

I am new to the forums here. I am in the process of building a competitive gaming machine in which I will use to compete in online FPS tournaments I have provided a list of what I would like to have in my machine, and what I currently have already and was told to stop in here to ask for expert advice on what to pick to give me that absolute edge on the competition. I have competed for a while now with painkiller, quake, etc.. but online I have always had an issue with regards to components so was looking for help.

Please see what I have below.

First time to the forums. Avid FPS Gamer here and building a new rig to compete in some online tournaments etc. Essentially here is what I have so far and am looking for advice on a few things hardware wise.

So, here is the deal I have a few products I am a little partial to as I am friends with the person who has created / helped to introduce them, so from there I can understand if there are some biased opinions. But here goes anyway.

I started with the case.

Found a really good deal as someone was getting rid of a Zalman Fatal1ty FC-Ze1 Case for like $30 on Craigslist. Cleaned it up and have that. Not a bad price for a case that retailed around more of the $360 range.

Motherboard is the following: Asrock Fatal1ty Z97 Professional

CPU: Intel 4770 k

The GPU I'm looking to purchase is the EVGA Classified 980.

I am looking to now piece together the following: I need to buy RAM, and PSU. What would you guys recommend? Something that will be baddass and fast, with also following the black and red color scheme, while also not breaking the bank. I also need to buy a GPU. I don't want to spend $700 on a classified card but I want the power and FPS it will provide. options? I would like to spend closer to $400 and get that bang for it.

PSU, I am looking at one of the Fatal1ty 1000 w psu's that are out there, that is a fully modular design, but not completely sold on that yet.

Most likely going with a Large SSD Main drive, as well as regular HDD 3 TB Backup.

Any suggestions would be great, but I would like to know what RAM would function best, with the Motherboard / GPU combination possible.

Moved from Computer Help.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

 

[Ketchup]

Welcome to AT Forums. I have asked a mod to move this to General Hardware, where these types of threads generally go. A lot of guys over there that can help you with this.

Some thoughts for you:

Right now a GTX 980 starts around $550, so you aren't going to do much better than that for pricing.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...96&ignorebbr=1

AT's test system only used around 300 watts with this card, so you don't really need a 1,000 watt unit.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8526/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980-review/21

For RAM, I would go by the approved list on the site for the board you want to get. Generally the Z97 boards haven't shown to be too picky about RAM, but it's always a good idea to have one less thing to worry about.

 

[Squeetard]

The most important component was not mentioned.

The display. If you want to be competitive you must get a 120hz strobing backlight monitor.

 

[mfenn]

Welcome to the forums p1nghax! Can you update your post with the answers to these questions? That'll help us help you.

EDIT: Regarding the topic at hand, it turns out that having a bleeding edge rig is not a requirement to be a top-tier competitor. If you look at most of the top eSports guys (and some girls), they play on pretty average machines unless they are sponsored, and then they use their sponsor's gear, no matter if it's good or not. They all turn the graphics down to minimum anyway and most popular eSports games have very low requirements to begin with.

So I guess my point is that don't go into this thinking that a getting a monstrous rig is a silver bullet that'll magically elevate your play.

 

[lehtv]

The display. If you want to be competitive you must get a 120hz strobing backlight monitor.

Or 144hz, to be precise. Strobing to remove motion blur isn't necessary, but may be helpful.

*snip*

Agreed

The most important components for competitive FPS are actually not components, but peripherals. You want the right screen, mouse, mouse pad, keyboard and headset. These things are arguably very specific to the user (with the exception of the monitor) and getting the most expensive one doesn't equate to the best for you. I have a bit of experience in online FPS, mainly Quake Live, and have gone through my share of peripherals.

From my POV, here are the facts:

Display: You want 24" 144hz. Example - BenQ XL2411Z.

Mouse: With your experience, you probably have a good idea of what sort of mouse works for you. However, there was a time I thought I knew what worked for me, but I just hadn't tried Zowie yet. Then I did, and I'm not going back, everything about my Zowie FK is just perfect. Ambidextrous design that keeps the sensor straight, surface is perfect rubbery material, has super low liftoff distance, reliable optical sensor, no drivers to mess around with.

Mouse mat: Many people neglect this valuable piece of equipment. It's almost as important as your mouse. You want the right size, thickness, and surface material that works for you. I'm using XFX WarPad and it's honestly ridiculously good, it clamps under the table, effectively removing the edge of the table from the equation of things that can mess up your aim.

Keyboard: As long as it has anti-ghosting and at least 500hz polling rate, you're set. Mechanical switches may reduce erroneous key presses, and feel better overall.

Headset: Definitely circumaural cups. I'm using Kingston HyperX Cloud, and recommend it. Despite the low price tag, it has quality oozing all over it, though sound quality isn't anywhere near audiophile levels (and it doesn't need to be). The important parts: it's very comfortable in extended sessions, blocks outside noise fairly well, has a detachable mic, and two sets of interchangeable ear cups.

 

[richaron]

The most important components for competitive FPS are actually not components, but peripherals. You want the right screen, mouse, mouse pad, keyboard and headset. These things are arguably very specific to the user (with the exception of the monitor) and getting the most expensive one doesn't equate to the best for you.

What he said ^

I've been playing networked FPS since the 90s and it's important to get your priorities right. Since most competitive games are easy to run, and details are turned down heaps anyway, you don't need a top of the range GPU. If you have a limited budget you have to account for a good monitor and peripherals (they're also a better investment).

That being said, I don't suggest anyone spend a substantial amount on a new monitor these days anyway (unless totally necessary). With adaptive refresh around the corner..

 

[lehtv]

That being said, I don't suggest anyone spend a substantial amount on a new monitor these days anyway (unless totally necessary). With adaptive refresh around the corner..

Somehow I doubt adaptive refresh rate will make much of an impact on competitive gaming. As you said, these games are easy to run anyway - whether your monitor supports adaptive refresh rate or not, you're going to want at least 120hz and you're going to run it at 120 fps or more.

 

[Sleepingforest]

I think the real choice in monitors comes down to whether you'd rather have less motion blur via strobing or a high framerate. I personally think the strobing is a better solution because it requires 20% less work from the GPU. Plus strobing has advanced to the point where it's extremely easy to set up.

 

[lehtv]

I think the real choice in monitors comes down to whether you'd rather have less motion blur via strobing or a high framerate. I personally think the strobing is a better solution because it requires 20% less work from the GPU. Plus strobing has advanced to the point where it's extremely easy to set up.

I don't understand how strobing and high framerate are at odds with each other? Why not both?

 

[Sleepingforest]

Are there 144hz monitors that can strobe? I thought you had to choose between lightboost@120hz and 144hz.

 

[lehtv]

Are there 144hz monitors that can strobe? I thought you had to choose between lightboost@120hz and 144hz.

144hz monitors support 120hz mode as well, so it has no implication on which monitor you choose.

Also, when you run 120hz or 144hz, VSync is pointless. Framerate won't be locked to 120, thus 120hz doesn't mean less work for the GPU. The GPU puts out as many frames as it can, only constrained by itself, the CPU and software framerate caps.

What's true though is that 120hz technically isn't as smooth as 144hz. However, I personally can't tell the difference between them when running Quake Live at 250 fps.

 

[capita]

Well I don't play FPS competitively but I did used to play RTS competitively and my brother used to be top 10 player in a competitive RTS game.

As others have said, it doesn't depend on your CPU/GPU stuff. Stuff that will help are:

1. Mouse (most important element)
2. Mouse pad
3. Monitor
4. Keyboard
6. Ergonomics (chair & desk)


Those things are the most important for gaming and can improve your gaming experience and improve your sharpness and speed. They can also make huge difference in long hours of gaming. A wrong mouse for your hand or style of grip will put alot of unnecessary stress.

I remember my hands used to jam after few days of intensive gaming.

Other than that, system power doesn't effect at all. If your system can play the game all right in resolution and fps you can handle then thats it. Pro gamers scale down all the graphics gimmicks anyway.

 

[eXg. p1nghax]

Hey guys... Thanks for the advice.. I had a bit of knowledge of this in the first place. I didn't mention before but I was planning on setting up at a certain point a stream for video while gaming at the same time. So there is one of the reasons I wanted to get a high end rig for bottom basement price. Plus there are times where I would like to take some fun time besides competition and crank up some games and play them maxed out. That is of course fun too.. But yes I agree Quake live at picmip just about anything really doesn't need much to boost it

What I am looking at as far as a monitor is the following :
ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D Monitor Height&pivot adjustable 350 cd/m2 80,000,000:1 Built-in Speakers



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236313


Right now I currently also use a WMO - Mouse. If they made a 1.1 for someone who plays lefty man... I would be all over that shiz... funny thing. I'm right handed yet play lefty... anyways.. I always wonder if my game would improve if I made the switch haha..



Also headphones.. I'm stuck right now as I am a big fan of Sony's. Currently, I am still rocking the Sony MDR-NC 50 Essentially the Old School Headphones that Fatal1ty was rocking back when he was playing Painkiller, and Quake 4.



Eluminx Keyboard Fatal1yt edition, and I also have a Razor Keyboard that has a similar low profile key action.



Anyone know anybody that has one of the desks that were won by a contestant at the fatal1ty booth in 2011 at quakecon? I Would like to get my hands on one of those to see what the hype was about it all..



Or any recommendations on a great Fps gaming desk, and chair combo to game long hours in, and also for comp....

 

[mfenn]

Regarding the machine, please fill out the sticky questions linked in my previous post.

 

[lehtv]

What I am looking at as far as a monitor is the following :
ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D Monitor Height&pivot adjustable 350 cd/m2 80,000,000:1 Built-in Speakers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236313

VG248QE is a bit last year, it's basically identical to BenQ XL2411T which has been replaced by monitors that incorporate zero motion blur into the hardware (so no need for software hacks à la Blurbusters), among other improvements.
XL2411Z. Cheapest model ($250). Same as XL2411T and VG248QE but with low blue light mode (reduces eye strain) and inbuilt blur reduction mode.
XL2420Z. At $350, it's not really worth it, it's just a slight upgrade to XL2411Z with better OSD and physical mode switch buttons in the stand.
XL2430T. Almost $400. As above, but with a very feature-rich frame (headphone hanger, usb hub, visual scale for height/tilt/etc.).
Finally, you've got the costly XL2420G which is a G-Sync version of XL2420Z.

I would go with XL2411Z.

Right now I currently also use a WMO - Mouse. If they made a 1.1 for someone who plays lefty man... I would be all over that shiz... funny thing. I'm right handed yet play lefty... anyways.. I always wonder if my game would improve if I made the switch haha..

Again - Zowie FK. Thumb buttons on both sides, ambidextrous shape. I had a WMO before my Zowie and the shape and feel is really close, it just has a better sensor (no negative accel, better DPI) and very low liftoff.

Or any recommendations on a great Fps gaming desk, and chair combo to game long hours in, and also for comp....

Look for a used office furniture store that sells electric height adjustable desks. They cost a lot new, but if used, you won't have to pay nearly as much for it and it'll work fine. The main use of the desk is to have the option to work while standing up, but you can also play games or surf the net etc. while standing up and it's much better for long term health. In addition, you can set the height of the desk so that while sitting, you can both relax shoulders and have your heels on the floor.

As for the chair, I get by with a standard height adjustable office chair that lacks arm rests.

 

[schmuckley]

Don't buy an AsRock gaming board.Ah well,that ship has sailed.
..I have nothing for you.
You've already failed.
You can't buy good RAM and tighten up the timings or anything.
You can't overclock more than other boards do..cheaper boards even..
I don't see that as a way to compete.
I compete in overclocking.
Overclocking would help you.
You don't have the proper tools, though.

You're allowed to disagree with the OP's choice of motherboard and provide reasoning as to why you hold that view. Others are then allowed to agree or disagree with you on the basis of facts.

What you're not allowed to do is make inflammatory, self-important statements like "..I have nothing for you.". If feel that you have nothing to contribute to a thread, you do not need to make a post announcing that fact. You need to simply avoid posting in that thread.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

 

[eXg. p1nghax]

Son of A.. I just lost everything I just wrote.. okay trying this again.. After I banged on my keyboard for a minute.. okay..

So first thanks for all of the feedback from everyone. Here is where I am at so far.

The Sticky.. first.

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

1. What YOUR PC will be used for? I will be using my PC for everything, from content creation, to work tasks, to Streaming. All of this with the main focus as PC Competitive FPS Gaming at the heart.... That will be the main focus, with everything else benefiting from it.

2. What YOUR budget is. I don't have one. I want the best parts that are on the market... and I want to pay the absolute ridiculous minimum for them. Example: I yesterday found a OCZ Fatal1ty Powersupply 1000W for $75 on Craigslist that is on its way to me now, that the person had and didn't like the color of it, since he decided to go with a blue theme. That retails for more than around $300.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from? United States

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.

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? Hmmm... I am partial to Fatal1ty products, as this is more catered towards that line for the build. Also the black and red color scheme. Also, Nvidia, Intel, As far as HDD not sure what the deal is with them right now, but will be willing to learn.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are? I will use only the current mousepad at the moment, unless someone can find me a way to get my hands on more Everglide fatal1ty fatpads, or the same mousepad without his logo on them. I don't care, its that actual product I like the best from them, and I can't find them anywhere. I want to stock up and buy a bunch...

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds? HAHAHAHAHA I'm going to Overclock the Bajezus out of this...

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? I just purchased the Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q Gaming Monitor, and I am not sure what res I will be running things at yet. I will say however check out Best buy as currently it's $799 price is down to $749 there. Also, ship to Delaware somehow because you don't have to pay sales tax there. I just happen to have family there.


9. WHEN do you plan to build it? I will build it when I have everything together to build it. As soon as possible I guess.

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.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? I don't know what to do here. I have multiple copies of XP laying around. I really miss how that OS was. Simple, and now there is no support for it. What would be the best option? Go with an Windows 8 Ultimate ? and how will that work if you get an ultimate edition and then windows 10 comes out? Do you get Ultimate edition of that too?


At the end of the day here is what I have so far.
Fatal1ty Z97 professional Asrock board
Intel 4770 K Processor

- I'm stuck now on the RAM. I want to know what would be the absolute fastest RAM I can get for this board? Yet again I really don't want to pay a lot for it. So, just please list me the fastest that I can't afford..... and then we will work on a way to find it somewhere affordable. hehe.. I'm good like that.

EVGA Superclocked 980
Craigslist-Fatal1ty 1000W PSU OCZ
Zalman Fatal1ty Case
Everglide Fatal1ty Mousepad ( I want many more of these specifically the silver ones )
Fatal1ty Auravision Keyboard x 2 ( I want many more of these also )

Thanks guys.

Mark

 

[eXg. p1nghax]

Oh and almost forgot... I want to know if anyone has and is willing to sell a Wireweight for their mouse cable. Hopefully someone remembers what these are and knows what I am talking about. Very simple, yet awesome. And, can anyone someone create a Fata1lty left handed mouse with an optical sensor haha.. that would be sweet too... I told you guys I'm unrealistic.. but hey why not shoot for it all right..

 

[sm625]

Usually competitve gaming doesnt require top end hardware. You'll want to focus on the keyboard, mouse, and especially the monitor. You want 120Hz minimum. RAM should make no difference whatsoever. Just make sure you're not using any wireless devices, including wifi.

 

[eXg. p1nghax]

Well the monitor is a done thing. I think I will be good there for a really long time considering that is literally the best gaming monitor on the market right now.

RAM I'm really not sure yet about.. I still have to make a decision on that, and also SSD drives..

 

[lehtv]

2. What YOUR budget is. I don't have one. I want the best parts that are on the market... and I want to pay the absolute ridiculous minimum for them. Example: I yesterday found a OCZ Fatal1ty Powersupply 1000W for $75 on Craigslist that is on its way to me now, that the person had and didn't like the color of it, since he decided to go with a blue theme. That retails for more than around $300.

It actually retails for $180. Nevertheless, you got it for less than half the price, which is pretty nice. It's already been sold for over 2 years, but it did receive pretty good reviews. Personally I would've bought a higher quality new unit with warranty active, but the OCZ unit will probably work fine for you.

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? Hmmm... I am partial to Fatal1ty products, as this is more catered towards that line for the build. Also the black and red color scheme. Also, Nvidia, Intel, As far as HDD not sure what the deal is with them right now, but will be willing to learn.

Hmm, I don't see what's so enticing about Fatal1ty products apart from the color scheme. Fatal1ty stuff tends to be rather mainstream quality. To each his own though, if you want to build a PC carrying the name of a dude who hasn't competed professionally in FPS for almost a decade, I'm not stopping you. I just think the quality of the components themselves is what matters, not what's labeled on them.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds? HAHAHAHAHA I'm going to Overclock the Bajezus out of this...

I like.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? I just purchased the Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q Gaming Monitor, and I am not sure what res I will be running things at yet. I will say however check out Best buy as currently it's $799 price is down to $749 there. Also, ship to Delaware somehow because you don't have to pay sales tax there. I just happen to have family there.

If you're just purchased the ROG Swift, then you'll be running 2560x1440. It's not advisable to run an LCD panel at a nonnative resolution.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? I don't know what to do here. I have multiple copies of XP laying around. I really miss how that OS was. Simple, and now there is no support for it. What would be the best option? Go with an Windows 8 Ultimate ? and how will that work if you get an ultimate edition and then windows 10 comes out? Do you get Ultimate edition of that too?

Just get the default Windows 8.1 OEM 64bit.

There is no Windows 8 Ultimate, there's only Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise. You haven't mentioned anything that you'd need Pro edition for so you'll be fine with the standard edition. See comparison of the editions here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_editions#Comparison_chart

At the end of the day here is what I have so far.
Fatal1ty Z97 professional Asrock board
Intel 4770 K Processor

Why i7-4770K? i7-4790K would've been better as it has higher OC potential thanks to improved thermal interface material between CPU itself and the IHS.

The board is good.

- I'm stuck now on the RAM. I want to know what would be the absolute fastest RAM I can get for this board? Yet again I really don't want to pay a lot for it. So, just please list me the fastest that I can't afford..... and then we will work on a way to find it somewhere affordable. hehe.. I'm good like that.

Well, RAM speed doesn't really matter much. The highest I would go is 2133Mhz; the board supports higher but it just isn't worth it, you'll never notice any difference in speed, ever.

Patriot Viper 3 2x8GB 2133 $130 AR

EVGA Superclocked 980
Craigslist-Fatal1ty 1000W PSU OCZ
Zalman Fatal1ty Case
Everglide Fatal1ty Mousepad ( I want many more of these specifically the silver ones )
Fatal1ty Auravision Keyboard x 2 ( I want many more of these also )

How much did the GTX 980 cost you, and was it new?

The Zalman Fatal1ty case is antique, it's nowhere near the feature set and quality of even the cheapest modern cases. Seriously... the newest reviews on newegg are from 2009, and it was released in 2006! And it uses 92mm fans... I really hope you didn't buy it, and if you did, don't use it. I'd recommend a Thermaltake V71, it has superb cooling and lots of space for overclocked SLI setups.

As for the rest:
- Crucial MX100 256GB or 512GB SSD depending on how many games you're planning to install (OS plus software will take <100GB usually)
- If you're serious about video content creation, you'll want at least two hard drives (one for recordings, one for project files), e.g. two Toshiba or Seagate 2Tb 7200RPM drives
- For overclocking the i7, Noctua D14 is probably the minimum CPU cooler I'd get, but you might want to consider a Corsair H110 280mm rad liquid cooler as well, the Thermaltake V71 supports it; just keep in mind that for competitive gaming, you don't need a super fast CPU, and for content creation, stability comes before performance

 

[eXg. p1nghax]

Well to answer the question of supporting a guy who hasn't competed in a while. We met a while back, and have played against one another, and have been friends for a while. I have liked the idea behind many of his products and show support to a guy that in my opinion did really well for himself when he saw a great business opportunity and capitalized on it, yet didn't change how he was as a person around his friends. I think that says a lot about his character.. I know many have different opinions, however having known him personally this is more of a moral personal preference reason than any other. Plus I am a fan of a black and red color theme..

I do like many of the overall features in the board that I purchased so that was one of the main reasons I went with that. I can have certain things dialed into the board straight instead of having to deal with 3rd party applications.

The CPu I went with was purely cause of cost.. I mean how much better will it be comparatively? Overclock and I would like to potentially liquid cool the CPU anyways.. so will it be a hige difference... I know the price is..

oh and the EVGA was brand new and was $560

 

[DigDog]

listen to lehtv, he knows stuff.

mousemat. g-sync monitor (remember to calibrate it). windows 7, not windows 8 - SERIOUSLY!!.

provided you don't show up with a ball mouse, you should be free from any hardware-related limitations.

 

[lehtv]

I do like many of the overall features in the board that I purchased so that was one of the main reasons I went with that. I can have certain things dialed into the board straight instead of having to deal with 3rd party applications.

Yeah, it's a good board for overclocking

The CPu I went with was purely cause of cost.. I mean how much better will it be comparatively? Overclock and I would like to potentially liquid cool the CPU anyways.. so will it be a hige difference... I know the price is..

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-4790k-devils-canyon-overclock-performance,3845-2.html
"At the same voltage and pegged at the same clock rate, Intel's Core i7-4790K runs about 6 °C cooler."
This was tested at 4.2GHz at only 1.275v, you're aiming a lot higher than that. 4.7GHz-4.8GHz is reasonable with high end cooling on the 4790K. I'd expect the 4770K to run into a wall at around 200MHz lower than that, based on what I've read and the results here: http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-vs-Intel-Core-i7-4770K

That is to say the difference is small enough that you'll be fine with the 4770K. 1440p isn't CPU limited anyway

oh and the EVGA was brand new and was $560

$560 is not that bad for a top end card. Not as good performance for the money as GTX 970 would've been, but you are playing on 1440p @144hz so you definitely want the best performance.

However... if you're only using a single GPU, then why buy a 1000W PSU? 650W would've been fine.

Another issue I see here is that GTX 970 SLI would've cost only $120 more but would've taken performance to a whole other level entirely. On 144hz, the 3.5GB VRAM issue of GTX 970 shouldn't matter because you'd be looking to maximize framerates instead of image quality.

If spending another $120 on the graphics setup isn't an issue, I'd recommend returning the Classified and buying dual 970's such as EVGA 970 SC. It'll perform at least 60% better than the Classified 980:

mousemat. g-sync monitor (remember to calibrate it). windows 7, not windows 8 - SERIOUSLY!!.

provided you don't show up with a ball mouse, you should be free from any hardware-related limitations.

Why Windows 7? Is Windows 8.1 considered 'less compatible' or something?

 

[OlyAR15]

Why go GTX 970 SLI when you can go 980 SLI?