Mid Range Gaming Machine Build

[dragonlord72]

Hello All,

I am in a dilemma between a Gaming PC or a Gaming Desktop.
I understand that a debate between a Gaming PC and a Gaming Desktop would be endless.
My query is more specifically between the configuration of the below mentioned rigs ONLY.

Gaming Desktop:
Source:-Mid Range PC Sticky from this forum

8/18/2013 update:
i5 4670K + Seagate 1TB combo $292
GA-Z87X-D3H + Crucial DDR3 1600 8GB combo $154
Sapphire 7970 3GB $290 AR
Samsung 840 EVO 120GB $110
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18 AP
Corsair TX650 $65 AR AP
Corsair 300R $50 AR
Total: $979 AR AP

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
->Gaming and Entertainment

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
->$1000-1100

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
->USA,USA

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.
->N/A

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,No other Preferences

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
->Monitor,Keyboard,Mouse
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
->Default
8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
->1920*1080
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
->Now or after Thanksgiving[will explain below]
X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
->Win7

Gaming Laptop Config:
Sager Clevo NP7330

http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php

Display 13.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display with Wide View Performance AAS in Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080)
Video & Graphics Card Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory
CPU Processor 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.40GHz)
Thermal Compound Stock Standard Thermal Compound
Operating System Genuine MS Windows® 8 64-Bit Edition
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 4GB
mSATA SSD RAID Storage Options Info Non-RAID Storage
mSATA SSD Drive Slot 1 None
Hard Disk Drive 1 750GB 7200rpm SATA2 Hard Drive
Wireless Network Card Internal 802.11 B+G+N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo Module
Primary Battery Smart Li-ION Battery Pack (6 Cells)
Microsoft Office Microsoft Office 2013 Trial - Included in Price
Warranty Sager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty

Total Cost: $1255[after Tax,S&H] includes Win8

A. Please note that this is my first gaming machine ever thus the query between these 2 rigs specifically.
B.My first Anand Tech Post ever.Let me know if this violates any rules
C.I have gone through the reviews for Sager NP7330[Clevo W230].
D.Between Desktop and Latop whichever I chose I will not be upgrading for another 3 years at the minimum.

Query:
1.Should I begin building this desktop rig as-is today or should I wait till thanksgiving to get a better deals on this desktop rig?

Please note that this is the first time I am looking for computer components on Thanksgiving so I do not know how much of a variation happens on Newegg,Tigerdirect or Amazon.

2.If I were to make a decision to obtain a gaming rig should it be the desktop rig or the Laptop rig.Again specific to the above mentioned rigs only.

Thanks.

 

[Ken g6]

1. Well, AMD is supposed to release their next generation of GPUs by October or so. So it probably wouldn't hurt much to wait a little bit.

2. Laptop gaming rigs are never as powerful as desktop rigs. Only get a laptop gaming rig if you need the portability.

 

[dragonlord72]

@Ken_g6:
Thanks for prompt response.

1.
Does Black Friday or Cyber Monday offer components at a reduced price as compared to today? I am asking about the expensive components like GPU,CPU, SSD etc

2. In case AMD releases their next gen GPUs what kind of reduction in price will be looking at in general?I have never followed how the GPU price wars work .

 

[Torn Mind]

Some of the GPUs AMD are selling has had some severe price drops recently. Enough to make one suspect something big is going to happen. There are 7950s for sale for about $200, which is crazy low.

 

[mfenn]

1. Does Black Friday or Cyber Monday offer components at a reduced price as compared to today? I am asking about the expensive components like GPU,CPU, SSD etc

Not usually because those aren't mass market items.

2. In case AMD releases their next gen GPUs what kind of reduction in price will be looking at in general?I have never followed how the GPU price wars work .

It's extremely doubtful that the 7000 series will drop below their current prices. Vendors are clearing out stock right now to make way for the 8000 series. The 7000 series will go out of production as soon as the 8000 series comes out (at least for the midrange and up cards), so prices will slowly rise over the long term as stock dries up.

As for the larger gaming desktop vs. laptop discussion, I don't really think it's the endless debate that you make it out to be. If you need portability (forget mobility), then you get a gaming laptop. Otherwise the desktop will give you more performance for your money every time.

 

[Sleepingforest]

As for the larger gaming desktop vs. laptop discussion, I don't really think it's the endless debate that you make it out to be. If you need portability (forget mobility), then you get a gaming laptop.

I just want to elaborate on this point. Don't think of a gaming laptop as a laptop--think of it as a really light desktop with a small backup battery.

A gaming laptop is basically just a more portable desktop with a different set of disadvantages. It has no practical battery life. If it's broken, you cannot easily service it yourself. The intense heat will take a toll on the parts inside. The fan is loud and obnoxious. It's nearly impossible to upgrade. It costs more for the same performance.

On the other hand, you only need to bring around the laptop and the charger instead of: a desktop (often 30-40 pounds), a monitor, speakers (or headphones), a keyboard, a mouse, and power cords for many of these things. Furthermore, the laptop is less likely to be damaged during transit, since it can just sit in one easily moved piece instead of having to lug around many heavy things.

Basically, evaluate how much you'd be moving the thing around. Only once a month or so? No need for the laptop. Every day or many times a week? You might want to consider it.

 

[toughtrasher]

By gaming PC vs gaming desktop, you mean gaming laptop vs gaming desktop?

I thought a PC was a desktop................................

 

[Torn Mind]

By gaming PC vs gaming desktop, you mean gaming laptop vs gaming desktop?

I thought a PC was a desktop................................

I thought it was any non-Mac computer running an x86 processor, typically with an operating system that boots into a desktop, and that operating system is typically Windows, although some folks prefer a "nix" distro.

 

[Blue_Max]

Some great ITX alternatives have made portability much more feasible! If you choose your parts carefully, you can get GREAT gaming performance for a good price and a very portable size.

 

[Davidh373]

Some great ITX alternatives have made portability much more feasible! If you choose your parts carefully, you can get GREAT gaming performance for a good price and a very portable size.

Agreed. If you need a bit of both get a Bitphoenix Prodigy and a Mini-ITX motherboard. It's a very popular rig for lans and the like.

 

[dragonlord72]

Correction:
I meant Gaming PC vs Laptop

Update:
I am going ahead with a PC build

I have already ordered the I5 4670k

To Decide:
MoBo:AS Rock Z87 Pro3 or GA-Z87X-D3H[open to others]
RAM:Any DDR3[not decided]
HDD : Any
SSD : Any
CASE: Corsair 300R[again picking from the mid range sticky by mfenn]
PSU: Corsair 650W[ '' ]

Have:
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
Win7

How do I ensure compatibility for these different components?
Does the Mid Range thread/sticky by mfenn takes into account the compatibility of the components?

I will keep updating these as I decide on them.

 

[DDRGamer]

The major compatibility issues are things like Socket types (intel v AMD) and maybe chipset on the motherboard (some have IGPs and newer features like thunderbolt and USB 3.0).

To help clarify, what do you intend to do with it? OC? crossfire?

 

[dragonlord72]

No Crossfire or SLI intended
No OC either

I have not yet decided on GPU so can be Radeon or NVidea
I will mostly go for the most bang for the buck unless I have compatiblty issues

 

[lehtv]

No OC, no SLI, no CF? Then why are you even considering a Z87 chipset board? You could as well get a cheap b85 microATX board and end up with the same essential functions (though on your budget that sort of saving isn't necessary.)

Asrock Fatal1ty H87 Performance + i5-4670 $307 (ALC1150 sound) (return the 4670k, or decide to OC anyway and buy a Z87X-D3H)
Freezer i30 $30 (optional but recommended for quiet computing)
G.Skill Ares 2x4 1600Mhz $55 AP
HIS 7970 IceQ X2 + CM 690 II ATX case $351 AR
WD Blue 1TB + Samsung DVD Burner $82
Plextor M5P 128GB $100 (5 year warranty)
Seasonic G550 $80

= $975 AR AP

 

[dragonlord72]

SLI / Crossfire isn't something on my mind right now.

Regarding OC with Z87 what kind of performance boost are we looking at?

Also on the topic of OC should all components be over clocked at the same time or is it component specific.

I mean why do people overclock.? What is the end game?Is the OC machine worth the exp MoBo,cooler etc as against say the cheaper MoBo suggested.

If I get a Z87 with stock cooler installed ,no OC ,Can I OC later and install other cooler?

 

[mfenn]

Does the Mid Range thread/sticky by mfenn takes into account the compatibility of the components?

Of course It wouldn't be very useful if I did not.

 

[Davidh373]

Of course It wouldn't be very useful if I did not.

mfenn is the best. He and many others are always helpful when I have a question. Sometimes they are even nice enough to shake me a little to straighten me out

 

[lehtv]

SLI / Crossfire isn't something on my mind right now.

That's good, most people who get SLI/CF compatible motherboards and power supplies never end up buying a second card. SLI/CF is useful if you play on higher than 1080p (or on 120hz) and buy two cards right away.

Regarding OC with Z87 what kind of performance boost are we looking at?

With a $30 cooler like the i30 I posted, you can expect a 4.1-4.3GHz overclock depending on luck of the draw. The performance increase is about 15% here. With a higher end cooler like Noctua D14, you could get 25% higher clocks. The cost of an overclockable motherboard, CPU and cooler is perhaps 20-30% higher (without taking away other motherboard features).

Also on the topic of OC should all components be over clocked at the same time or is it component specific.

It's component specific.

I mean why do people overclock.? What is the end game?Is the OC machine worth the exp MoBo,cooler etc as against say the cheaper MoBo suggested.

For gamers, overclocking gets you higher framerates in games, and thus higher playable image quality settings and smoother overall gameplay. However you have to keep in mind that overclocking the CPU increases framerates only in circumstances where the CPU is the bottle neck. With a 7970, you wouldn't really have to overclock the CPU immediately although it could still be useful in CPU heavy games.

The graphics card is responsible for the framerate output, but the faster the graphics card, the faster the processor needs to be to keep up. With a slow processor driving a fast graphics card, the GPU will be underutilized in a lot of situations and not providing the framerate it should. It needs to be balanced, otherwise one or the other will be unnecessarily fast (i.e. you could get by with a cheaper CPU or GPU and still get the same framerates).

I think an important thing to consider about overclockable components is that the next time you upgrade the graphics card (say, in 2 years), a stock clocked CPU may not be fast enough to take the most out of the new GPU, while an overclocked CPU will probably be just fine.

If I get a Z87 with stock cooler installed ,no OC ,Can I OC later and install other cooler?

Yep. However, regardless of what motherboard you buy, you can still overclock the graphics card equally well - and I would suggest doing at least a mild OC as the 7970 is pretty overclockable.

 

[dragonlord72]

Thanks mfenn-
Thanks lehtv-

I asked cause I picked out parts from different builds from you sticky.
Is there a compatibility analysis that once should follow or pcpartpicker compatibility check is good enough?

While I understand the CPU socket and MoBo compatibility.

How does one determine the PSU wattage required, the RAM[something about CAS Latency,voltage],power requirements for HDD/SSD,power for GPU .

Taking all these components into account how to make the decision on the type of Case required with vents [inflow/exhaust] at different areas.




So with that in mind would a 650W PSU be an overkill for now?
Also I intend to keep the CPU on a carpet floor so are there any recommendation for Cases and PSU which take this into account.

I checked that the corsair 300R and the rosewell challenger-U3 have some vents at the bottom.

Is this the standard make of all ATX cases[with a vent at bottom for PSU?

===============================
Update:
Just ordered GSKILL Ares from NewEgg today

To Decide:
MoBo: AS Rock Z87 Pro3 or GA-Z87X-D3H[open to others]
HDD : Any
SSD : Any
CASE: Any
PSU : Any

Have:
CPU:I5 4670k
RAM:GSKILL Ares 8GB
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
Win7
===============================

I will make a decision on MoBo,SSD after Monday.

I am looking to buy the Case and PSU accordingly.

 

[lehtv]

How does one determine the PSU wattage required, the RAM[something about CAS Latency,voltage],power requirements for HDD/SSD,power for GPU .

Wattage can be quite easily determined by buying a watt meter / kill-a-watt. That way you'll know exactly how much power your exact configuration is drawing from the wall. Or you can just look at power consumption reports from graphics card reviews. I like to use Guru3D for this. The HIS 7970 card I linked: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/his_radeon_hd_7970_x_turbo_edition_review,8.html - 390W system wattage with only the GPU at full load, or about 330-350W of juice from the PSU to the components (I don't know the exact efficiency of the review PSU). In your case it will be lower as you will have fewer extras and your CPU will be less power hungry.

As for RAM, it's pretty foolproof. All consumer desktop DDR3 modules are compatible with the default 1333MHz @ 1.5V setting, even if the rated speed and voltage are higher. And all consumer desktop motherboards and processors support that setting as well. It's only when wanting to use higher speed RAM that you need to be more careful. Firstly, some CPUs and motherboard chipsets only support RAM up to a certain MHz. Secondly, higher than 1333MHz RAM may be rated at a higher voltage than 1.5V, and current Intel CPUs are designed for 1.5V or lower RAM. The Ares ram you picked is 1.5V. Timings are irrelevant to compatibility.

All modern consumer hard drives and SSD's work in all modern desktop motherboards, and drives consume very little power, so compatibility is a non-issue. All you need is enough cables and a case with enough slots for installing the amount of drives you want.

All modern PCIe graphics cards work in all modern desktop motherboards. All you need is enough 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power cables from the PSU, and a case with enough space for the card.

Taking all these components into account how to make the decision on the type of Case required with vents [inflow/exhaust] at different areas.

Any non-overclocked system with one graphics card is fine using one intake and one exhaust fan. You could even get by without an intake. The graphics card produces the most heat in your system, but it will blow out something like half of the hot air directly out of the back of the case, and the other half will spread inside the case and then taken out via the top where your exhaust fan is.

Adding more than 2 fans becomes necessary only when you're pushing for high overclocks, install a second graphics card, or want to make the system run quieter without sacrificing airflow (using lower RPM fans).

So with that in mind would a 650W PSU be an overkill for now?
Also I intend to keep the CPU on a carpet floor so are there any recommendation for Cases and PSU which take this into account.

650W is a bit overkill, you'll be using less than half the capacity when gaming on a single graphics card. An overclocked setup including an overclocked high end card could consume more than half of that.

Generally, you'll want the PSU installed fan side up if you have a case with a bottom located PSU mount and you have the case on a carpet floor. But there's a fairly good amount of space under the CM 690 II I posted... I think you'll be fine installing it in the default orientation of fan side down.

I checked that the corsair 300R and the rosewell challenger-U3 have some vents at the bottom.

Is this the standard make of all ATX cases[with a vent at bottom for PSU?

Yes, that is the current standard. A few cases still have a bottom PSU mount without a vent, this was more common some years ago. Budget cases still typically use a top mounted PSU that doubles as an exhaust. Recently we've seen some cases where the PSU is installed sideways in a separate compartment on the right side of the case, and there have other rogue layouts earlier as well but these are unlikely to become the norm.

 

[dragonlord72]

Can some one tell your opinions on this Roswell Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147170#top

 

[supermag24]

"Can some one tell your opinions on this Roswell Case"

No

 

[toughtrasher]

"Can some one tell your opinions on this Roswell Case"

No

LOLOLOL HAHAHAHA aren't you funny

Can some one tell your opinions on this Roswell Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147170#top

It looks like a solid case. I'd make that purchase if you really can't find anything else, the discount is nice too

 

[dragonlord72]

"Can some one tell your opinions on this Roswell Case"

No

Lol

Should have put the meme as well

 

[lehtv]

The Cooler Master 690 II case I posted is better in every way, and effectively costs only $10 more given the combo discount and rebate