Input on my custom PC "Biidovah" (Bluedragon)

[EnsisTheSlayer]

So I've been doing research for about six months on an ultimate PC build that'll do anything I'd ever want. Before I start anything let me clarify that I'm in no rush AT ALL to begin building, and I will likely be going with the RX 480 when it's released on the 29th.

I will be answering the questions from this thread to make things a bit easier for you guys: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

This PC will be used for both productivity (making YouTube videos and light game developing) and gaming. My budget is $2000, but it's not a strict one at all. I live in the northern half of the U.S., and I will be ordering parts from within the U.S. (I don't think buying stuff from other places for cheaper is really worth it). I prefer Intel CPUs, AMD GPUs, and Corsair RAM. I don't pick anything else. I'm making this build from scratch, so I will NOT have any spare parts to use. I plan on overclocking my CPU and MAYBE overclocking my GPU and RAM. I will be playing at a resolution of 2560x1080. I don't need to buy any sort of software like Blu Ray playback or anything.

My build is called "Biidovah" which means "Bluedragon" in Dovahzul (language of the dragons in Skyrim). It's a consistent black/blue setup made to rival Edgar's setup from the YouTube channel TechSource.

Here's a link to my PC setup; http://pcpartpicker.com/list/y7G4D8

I'm going to state my opinions of the components and peripherals I got and why I got them. Feel free to correct me at any point and give me YOUR opinions.

I'm looking at getting the i5-4690k CPU with the H60 cooler because of the great performance and value with overclocking. I plan on overclocking it to 4.5GHz, which a lot of people were able to do with the H60 cooler while still getting VERY cool temps (30 idle and 60 under load). I'm aware that the H60 comes with themal paste, but I'm planning on getting my own because of the slight performance increase and because I can still use it with future builds.

I decided with the PC MATE LGA1150 motherboard because not only does it fit in with my color scheme but it's the cheapest option that supports DDR3-2133 RAM and has decent Ethernet speed.

I went with two sets of 2x4GB RAM because I wanted to fill all four slots. It's decent RAM and 16GB will help me go far in productive tasks. It's also worth noting that I'm going to be taking apart the heatsinks to paint the grey parts blue and I'm going to reapply them with thermal pads (if they're too thick I can simply cut them).

I'm looking into the Sandisk SSD Plus because it's the cheapest 240GB SSD that I saw that was made by a reliable company. I hear that boot times are typically around ten seconds, and that's pretty fast.

The WD HDD caught my eye because it was the most popular and cheapest 1TB HDD made by a reliable company that's at 7200RPM.

I'm going to go with the RX 480 when it's released because it outperforms the 980 and 390x while still being cheaper than a 970. Also I'm going with a Freesync monitor so the 480's going to be a godsend. Right now though in it's place I have the R9 390x, but that's not what I'm going to buy.

I was looking for a cheap yet reliable case that fit my color scheme and components in a beautiful manner without ripping a huge hole in my wallet. My search led me to the AMAZING S340. Everything about it is PERFECT, what else can I say?

I don't see how getting rid of a few unnecessary cords is going to suddenly make cable management a hundred times better, so I went with a PSU that had a good rating and was around 600W (room for improvement). Not much else to say, the Corsair Builder looks like it does what it needs to.

Windows 10 and Windows 8 are the cheapest OS options right now. Windows 10 has the most features and looks the most attractive. I don't care if data from my PC is being sent to Microsoft. It's not like I have anything to hide.

The Rosewill Hyperborea fans make less noise and circulate around the same amount of air the the popular Noctua fans do at half the price. I did my research and it paid off.

I went with the 29UM67 monitor because it was 21:9 (fresh new experience compared to console simply upping the resolution every new gen), 1080p, IPS, and had Freesync. This is the DEFINITION of bang for your buck.

I COULD spend $80+ on an RGB wireless mouse with a bunch of other crap. I went with a $40 mouse with one of the best sensors in the market with a butt load of buttons to assist me in-game. Bang for your buck.

I'm coming from a chicklet keyboard, so the TOMOKO keyboard is VERY cheap at $37 and will be my first mechanical keyboard. It's tenkeyless for the extra space for FPS games, and I didn't need any backlighting or anything. I was originally going with a $70 Cooler Master keyboard with Cherry MX Browns, but I decided that was absolutely ridiculous.

My cousin owns the M50Xs, and as soon as he let me use them I fell in love with them and knew they were the pair for me. They'll be my first over-ear headphones, and I'm really exited to own a pair of them.

The C920 does it's job recording at full 1080p and it looks GORGEOUS. Perfect for recording for YouTube or calling with Skype.

I listened to some recordings used with the ART2100s, and they sound great and clear. At the very least they seem good for starting out.

I have a few other things included, but they're not really worth mentioning. If you want to see them check it out.

Thank you for reading all of the way to the end! I think this is as detailed as it needs to be. Please tell me your thoughts, recommendations, and opinions! Thank you!!

 

[dclive]

For all the $ you're putting into the i5 + cooling, I'd just get the i7 and be done with it.

I'd get 8GB DIMMs so you can upgrade later if you want (in other words, 2x8GB). There's no advantage to having 4 chips if 2 will do and will allow for future upgrades.

That's a lot of fans.

I'm reasonably happy with my LG 34UM95. I'd bump it up a level to that if I were you. 1080p is pretty limiting / low res these days; futureproof it.

 

[UsandThem]

For all the $ you're putting into the i5 + cooling, I'd just get the i7 and be done with it.

I'd get 8GB DIMMs so you can upgrade later if you want (in other words, 2x8GB). There's no advantage to having 4 chips if 2 will do and will allow for future upgrades.

That's a lot of fans.

This.

You would have better and quieter cooling with 140mm fans. Noctua Redux are good fans for about $15. The case already comes woth two 120mm fans.

 

[Yuriman]

Why not Skylake? Socket 1150 is basically discontinued.

 

[Ken g6]

And why didn't you use [thread=2475745]your old thread[/thread]?

Anyway, let's see...

Why aren't you on Skylake? Filling two RAM slots is as good as four.

The part I'm sure you won't like is I picked a GTX 1070. At this point it's stupid to buy anything in this price range except a 10-series Nvidia or something in the AMD RX series. And the RX series isn't out yet. And the 1070 is probably going to be faster anyway.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste ($8.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($85.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: *G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.97 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: *MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card ($429.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 89.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($13.69 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($13.69 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: *LG 29UM58-P 29.0" 75Hz Monitor ($279.45 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse ($44.40 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Audio-Technica M50x Headphones ($119.99 @ Micro Center)
Other: Logitech C920 ($69.99)
Other: Privacy Cover for C920 ($9.99)
Other: (25 Pack) Velcro Cable Ties ($4.43)
Other: Dragonpad Pop Filter ($5.63)
Other: Meco Mouse Bungee ($4.67)
Other: Pro Studio Acoustics Soundproofing Tiles ($39.99)
Other: Command Poster Strips (48) ($5.24)
Other: EconoLed LED Strip ($10.69)
Other: Glorious (Extended) Gaming Mouse Mat ($19.99)
Other: VIVO Single Monitor Gas Spring Mount ($39.99)
Other: Thermal Pads for RAM Heatsinks ($9.16)
Other: TOMOKO Water-Proof Tenkeyless Keyboard w Blue (non-Cherry) Switches ($37.99)
Other: M50x Skins (Blue Carbon Base, Black Carbon Rung, Blue Carbon Logo) ($11.85)
Other: Audio-Technica ART2100 USB Mic. ($79.00)
Other: Replacement MX Arrow Keys (White Priority, Royal Blue, UV) ($6.00)
Other: Replacement MX WASD Keys (White Priority, Royal Blue, UV) ($6.00)
Other: AmoVee Acrylic Headphone Stand (Black) ($12.80)
Total: $1996.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-18 13:11 EDT-0400

 

[UsandThem]

Why not Skylake? Socket 1150 is basically discontinued.

Why aren't you on Skylake? Filling two RAM slots is as good as four.

This. I could understand if he was getting a killer deal on the i5-4690k, but paying more for an older CPU instead of going with a i5-6600k doesn't make sense.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1261?vs=1544

 

[EnsisTheSlayer]

After watching some benchmark videos I decided to go with a Skylake build.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/jCyYJV
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/jCyYJV/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste ($8.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($95.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston FURY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston FURY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($63.02 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 89.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 89.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($13.69 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: LG 29UM67P 29.0" 60Hz Monitor ($302.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse ($44.39 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Audio-Technica M50x Headphones ($119.99 @ Micro Center)
Other: Logitech C920 ($69.99)
Other: Privacy Cover for C920 ($9.99)
Other: (25 Pack) Velcro Cable Ties ($4.43)
Other: Dragonpad Pop Filter ($5.63)
Other: Meco Mouse Bungee ($4.67)
Other: Pro Studio Acoustics Soundproofing Tiles ($39.99)
Other: Command Poster Strips (48) ($5.24)
Other: EconoLed LED Strip ($10.69)
Other: Glorious (Extended) Gaming Mouse Mat ($19.99)
Other: VIVO Single Monitor Gas Spring Mount ($39.99)
Other: Thermal Pads for RAM Heatsinks ($9.16)
Other: TOMOKO Water-Proof Tenkeyless Keyboard w Blue (non-Cherry) Switches ($37.99)
Other: M50x Skins (Blue Carbon Base, Black Carbon Rung, Blue Carbon Logo) ($11.85)
Other: Audio-Technica ART2100 USB Mic. ($79.00)
Other: Replacement MX Arrow Keys (White Priority, Royal Blue, UV) ($6.00)
Other: Replacement MX WASD Keys (White Priority, Royal Blue, UV) ($6.00)
Other: AmoVee Acrylic Headphone Stand (Black) ($12.80)
Total: $2015.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-19 15:13 EDT-0400

I don't use my old threads because I want to get the opinions of other people, not just the same people.

And getting the i5 with an H60 is cheaper and more efficient than the i7 on the stock cooler.

With the fans I'm going to replace the stock fan on the H60 with the 120mm fan, and replace the fans in my case with two of the 140mm fans. I'm getting these fans instead of Noctua because these are quieter and push about as much air for half the price. I find it interesting that people still recommend Noctuas just because of the brand and nobody looks at the specs and the price compared to others.

 

[cyclohexane]

Did you already buy it? Because that's not a good build at all.
I built my 6700k, r9-390 rig 9+ months ago, with better components for $1200.


Now, for 2 grand you should at least come away with a 6700k, and a Polaris 10 GPU which will not only out perform the 390x but also much cheaper.

 

[UsandThem]

I don't use my old threads because I want to get the opinions of other people, not just the same people.

I find it interesting that people still recommend Noctuas just because of the brand and nobody looks at the specs and the price compared to others.

Well, I am sorry that some of us have taken the time to offer you our opinions or recommendations.

Generally when people ask for help or guidance, they appreciate it when someone tries to help.

This is your 3rd "Check my build post" since you signed up here, so it seems you already know what you want to buy anyways.


http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2464556&highlight=

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2475745&highlight=


I won't be offering anything else. Good luck.

 

[EnsisTheSlayer]

Did you already buy it? Because that's not a good build at all.
I built my 6700k, r9-390 rig 9+ months ago, with better components for $1200.


Now, for 2 grand you should at least come away with a 6700k, and a Polaris 10 GPU which will not only out perform the 390x but also much cheaper.

No I have not bought my components yet. My build is for productivity as well as gaming, so that's why it has a heavy price. I will NOT be going with the 390x, but rather the RX 480 when it's released. I do not plan on buying anything for at least 4 months. I am super hyped for the Polaris line of GPUs! If you overclock it to 1.5GHz it rivals even the 1070!

 

[EnsisTheSlayer]

Well, I am sorry that some of us have taken the time to offer you our opinions or recommendations.

Generally when people ask for help or guidance, they appreciate it when someone tries to help.

This is your 3rd "Check my build post" since you signed up here, so it seems you already know what you want to buy anyways.


http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2464556&highlight=

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2475745&highlight=


I won't be offering anything else. Good luck.

I do appreciate your help along with everyone else's. If I didn't, why would I be here making multiple threads to get people's help in the first place?

I have multiple threads because many new ideas and such come to light, and getting the help of those more informed and knowledgeable of the subject than me is beneficial in making the correct decisions to benefit my build. I was not implying that you were no longer necessary to me, I was simply "opening the door" so to speak and letting more and more people assist me.

Also, if I did not care about anyone helping me why would I go to such lengths to create such a detailed thread explaining every choice I made in my build and answering like a dozen questions from a different thread helping you guys in every way possible.

I am not trying to insult or "dis" anyone, and I never said (or even implied) that I didn't appreciate the help of other people (including yourself), and I think it's completely absurd that you'd think I take for granted the time and effort people put into assisting me.

I honestly and sincerely thank you and everyone else for their time and effort into helping me improve my build.

 

[UsandThem]

This.

You would have better and quieter cooling with 140mm fans. Noctua Redux are good fans for about $15. The case already comes woth two 120mm fans.

I don't use my old threads because I want to get the opinions of other people, not just the same people.

I'm getting these fans instead of Noctua because these are quieter and push about as much air for half the price. I find it interesting that people still recommend Noctuas just because of the brand and nobody looks at the specs and the price compared to others.

I am not trying to insult or "dis" anyone, and I never said (or even implied) that I didn't appreciate the help of other people (including yourself), and I think it's completely absurd that you'd think I take for granted the time and effort people put into assisting me.

Just a few recommendations:

When you sign up at a site like this one, and have long-time members and even a site moderator offer help, don't post something that could be taken as dismissive of their ideas or suggestions. You might not agree with everything, but the people offering advice are only doing so because you asked, and only trying to help. You are free to listen to whoever you want to, but it came out like you didn't really fully trust all the advice you have already received. That's how I took it when I first read that comment.

Another thing that is not the best thing to do in this type of post, is to say a comment like the Noctua one, when someone suggested it earlier.

If you don't like Noctua, or want a different brand, that's fine. There are now many companies that make good, quiet fans. I recommended their Redux fans because they are $15.

 

[EnsisTheSlayer]

Just a few recommendations:

You are free to listen to whoever you want to, but it came out like you didn't really fully trust all the advice you have already received. That's how I took it when I first read that comment.

If you don't like Noctua, or want a different brand, that's fine. There are now many companies that make good, quiet fans. I recommended their Redux fans because they are $15.

My apologies. I am known at times to state my personal opinion in a sort of rude and unthoughtful manner. I'm not the biggest "fan" of Noctua, but I should've stated that before in my list of preferences.

 

[UsandThem]

My apologies. I am known at times to state my personal opinion in a sort of rude and unthoughtful manner. I'm not the biggest "fan" of Noctua, but I should've stated that before in my list of preferences.

I understand. But thank you for understanding how some of the people who have been helping you through your various threads might have felt when reading the comment I originally referenced.

Most of us here have brand preferences. I myself am not a big MSI fan. However, when responding to threads, I do to convey it. I do like Noctua products as I personally believe they offer a good balance of performance, sound, and their service is 2nd to no one. That said, there are a lot of very good fans out there from many different companies. I even use Prolimatech Vortex 14 fan for my rear case exhaust, as I like its acoustics better in that location compared to the Noctuas.

Putting a most of a computer build together is relatively easy. Most people select Intel CPUs (once i5 or i7 is decided), select a motherboard with good user reviews, a RAM kit, a case they like, and a good quality power supply.

Usually the biggest questions are related to the video card and the 'personals'. Things like peripherals, fans, CPU coolers, monitors, and speakers/headphones.

With those latter items, we can recommend only what we think you might be interested in, or point you in a direction to read a review.

I will admit when I checked in today and I saw that post, especially the Noctua comment, I thought "Wow, that was kind of a slap in the face because I was the one who recommended a Noctua fan earlier".

But it's over, and I don't hold grudges. I just put them on my ignore list.
But you're good.......for now.

 

[Ken g6]

I do not plan on buying anything for at least 4 months.

Well, I am sorry that some of us have taken the time to offer you our opinions or recommendations.

Generally when people ask for help or guidance, they appreciate it when someone tries to help.

This is your 3rd "Check my build post" since you signed up here, so it seems you already know what you want to buy anyways.


http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2464556&highlight=

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2475745&highlight=


I won't be offering anything else. Good luck.

Three threads and you're still 4 months from buying? I'm with UsandThem. D:

 

[MrTeal]

I won't comment on individual parts since those recommendations will likely change by the time you're ready to buy.

What are the thermal pads for the ram heatsinks to be used for?

If I were you and doing video work, I would consider spending the extra $30-40 to buy a 3TB drive.

There definitely seems to be a lot of extra accessories on this build that adds to the price and makes it a little light for a $2000 build. As others have said, I would ditch the H60 and the extra tube of thermal paste, and apply the $70 to upgrading to a 6700k. I have a lot (a couple dozen) AOI water coolers, and the H55/H60 are in really bad places on the market. They're not good enough to really perform much better than a good air cooler at half the price, and the pitch of the pump noise that cooler puts of is a little grating especially since unlike a fan it's not PWM controlled and is always present.
Up to you of course, though they do have the benefit of removing the big HSF from the board if you're going with a themed rig.

I'd also skip the extra case fans, at least for now. You're looking at a pretty low power system that might include a case exhausting RX480, and the included fans aren't terrible. Toss them onto the motherboard sys fan headers to control the speed, and see how you like them before you drop another $40 on extra fans.

 

[EnsisTheSlayer]

I won't comment on individual parts since those recommendations will likely change by the time you're ready to buy.

What are the thermal pads for the ram heatsinks to be used for?

If I were you and doing video work, I would consider spending the extra $30-40 to buy a 3TB drive.

There definitely seems to be a lot of extra accessories on this build that adds to the price and makes it a little light for a $2000 build. As others have said, I would ditch the H60 and the extra tube of thermal paste, and apply the $70 to upgrading to a 6700k. I have a lot (a couple dozen) AOI water coolers, and the H55/H60 are in really bad places on the market. They're not good enough to really perform much better than a good air cooler at half the price, and the pitch of the pump noise that cooler puts of is a little grating especially since unlike a fan it's not PWM controlled and is always present.
Up to you of course, though they do have the benefit of removing the big HSF from the board if you're going with a themed rig.

I'd also skip the extra case fans, at least for now. You're looking at a pretty low power system that might include a case exhausting RX480, and the included fans aren't terrible. Toss them onto the motherboard sys fan headers to control the speed, and see how you like them before you drop another $40 on extra fans.

An i5-6600k overclocked to 4.5GHz is about equal to a stock i7-6700k. The i5 with the H60 is slightly cheaper than the i7 while dealing the same performance, but I can always slap on a cooler on the i7 and overclock that in the future. I understand that the i7 will last me longer, but I don't think it's worth the extra $50. I think it would be better for my personal needs if I had a 6600k with an H60 and then upgraded in maybe a few years or so when my hardware is completely obsolete for gaming.

BTW I went with the H60 because it's the cheapest CPU cooler that can overclock the 6600k to 4.3-4.6GHz. The H7 is $80, you can't get good overclocks with the 212 EVO, and the rest of the liquid coolers are $90+.

You do make a good point with the case fans. I will still keep them in my part list, but I will not actually buy them unless the stock fans really bug me. I agree that it would be a waste of $40 if it turned out that I'm fine with the stock fans after all. Now that I think about it, I WILL have a headset on when gaming, and it's not like I need to be right by the PC when it's rendering and such.

I will be painting my RAM heatsinks and will be using the thermal pads to replace the adhesive.

Yeah, I think I will need more than just a 1TB HDD. I'll go with a 2TB HDD and add more if necessary. It's like with the case fans. Only upgrade if you need to.

Thank you for the detailed response! You made a lot of good points that will inevitably save me money.

Edit: I did my research wrong. I appears the H7 can achieve the same overclocks sacrificing only a couple degrees. It's half the price, and I don't have to worry about any liquid escaping. I'm replacing the fan for aesthetic and performance reasons, meaning I really am getting the best value getting the H7. What you said was exactly right! Thank you so much for pointing that out!