My next gaming PC build - Suggestions?

[ITGL72]

RAM: Brand doesn't matter that much. Now I see what you meant by "I do not overclock, but I would not mind the option to do so." Anything over 1600 is overclocking.

GPU: There's a reason I picked that particular 980ti: It has a dual-fan cooler that is likely to be quieter than a blower. And, look, it has free shipping now!

PSU: You only need 850W if you're going to SLI two 980ti's. As I don't see that happening, I picked out a really nice 650W unit for you.

I'll probably look at the RAM suggestion. I'm just happy with last several purchases of G.SKILL. Creature of habit?

Made a few edits, here is where I am at as of this post time. My mind... is getting foggy so I'm about to head out to garage for a bit to do some needed work on this and that.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($102.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($142.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($669.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1739.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-20 18:19 EDT-0400


As a side, a few have muddied the waters on the MB pick although I think I'm 90% good where I am at with the one selected above. Their suggestions were to look at (the more expensive in some cases)

ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=ASUS_MAXIMUS_VII_HERO-_-13-132-125-_-Product

and

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_sp=Homepage_FDD-_-P1_13-131-976-_-06202015

 

[ITGL72]

Made a few edits, here is where I am at as of this post time. My mind... is getting foggy so I'm about to head out to garage for a bit to do some needed work on this and that.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($102.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($142.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($669.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1739.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-20 18:19 EDT-0400


As a side, a few have muddied the waters on the MB pick although I think I'm 90% good where I am at with the one selected above. Their suggestions were to look at (the more expensive in some cases)

ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=ASUS_MAXIMUS_VII_HERO-_-13-132-125-_-Product

and

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_sp=Homepage_FDD-_-P1_13-131-976-_-06202015

 

[nsafreak]

No reason to go with either the Asus Maximus or the Sabertooth motherboards that others have suggested. The Sabertooth is an older chipset being Z87 and you would possibly run the risk of it not working with your Devil's Canyon CPU without a BIOS flash. The Maximus really doesn't offer anything over the Z97-A unless you're into extreme overclocking which most folks typically don't get into without liquid cooling.

 

[Ken g6]

If you insist on looking at $100 750W PSUs, don't miss this "flawless" 760W Platinum unit from Corsair. (Here's a review.)

I really don't understand why you're aiming for such expensive drives. The OCZ from my first build really isn't bad, especially for heavier workloads, and is half the price of the Samsung. And the current least-expensive 2TB HDD, this Hitachi, costs even less.

Good call on the GPU though. I didn't know any superclocked 980tis were that close to their non-superclocked cousins in price.

 

[VirtualLarry]

And the current least-expensive 2TB HDD, this Hitachi, costs even less.

Not sure why you would choose a refurb HDD though. (From "goHardDrive" - nuff said)

 

[RaistlinZ]

Made a few edits, here is where I am at as of this post time. My mind... is getting foggy so I'm about to head out to garage for a bit to do some needed work on this and that.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($102.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($142.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($669.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1739.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-20 18:19 EDT-0400


As a side, a few have muddied the waters on the MB pick although I think I'm 90% good where I am at with the one selected above. Their suggestions were to look at (the more expensive in some cases)

ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=ASUS_MAXIMUS_VII_HERO-_-13-132-125-_-Product

and

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_sp=Homepage_FDD-_-P1_13-131-976-_-06202015

Money spent on storage doesn't seem very optimal. Is the 2TB WD Black just going to be for dumping pictures and video? There are much cheaper 2TB options. You could use the money saved and maybe upgrade the SSD to a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO.

 

[ITGL72]

I'm sort of conflicted on the data drive, and reading and feedback I get pulls me in different directions. I do think 2TB for me, is something I would use.

 

[Ken g6]

Not sure why you would choose a refurb HDD though. (From "goHardDrive" - nuff said)

Just proves PCPartPicker doesn't discriminate when presenting Amazon price listings. Although "goHardDrive" doesn't look like a bad seller.

In any case, here's a $71 Toshiba drive from Newegg.

 

[mfenn]

Money spent on storage doesn't seem very optimal. Is the 2TB WD Black just going to be for dumping pictures and video? There are much cheaper 2TB options. You could use the money saved and maybe upgrade the SSD to a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO.

Agree 100%. There's no point in spending $143 on a ~250GB SSD which is ever so slightly faster than other 250GB units. Same for the HDD.

Just proves PCPartPicker doesn't discriminate when presenting Amazon price listings. Although "goHardDrive" doesn't look like a bad seller.

In any case, here's a $71 Toshiba drive from Newegg.

They're not a bad vendor as far as vendors go, but the main thing to understand is that they specialize in refurb hard drives (mostly used pulls). PCPartPicker lumps them into the same category as new drives, which is an issue with PCPartPicker more than it is with goHardDrive.

 

[ITGL72]

So, do you feel good about OCZ SSDs?

 

[mfenn]

So, do you feel good about OCZ SSDs?

The ARC 100 is a good unit designed after Toshiba bought them, so yes.

 

[ITGL72]

Greetings all, here is where my current build stands so far. its a holiday weekend here in the states so I held off on all purchases till i get back home from holiday. I did have a few items below already purchased from sales, researching, and plenty of recommendations to filter through.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $298.00)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $144.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $89.99)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $110.00)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $341.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($669.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1870.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-03 11:05 EDT-0400

I'm now toying around with the idea of a CPU water cooler. I've been leaning towards the H100ic but not settled yet, still reading up on that. I've never run a CPU water cooler and it looks like it can be a fun part of my build. I'm satisfied with the memory and speeds for that price too. Hope to get this finalized in the next few days.

 

[nsafreak]

Not sure I would go with an SSD for bulk storage since you can get more storage cheaper with a standard mechanical, but you've already bought it so moot point there. A couple of options to explore:

Case - Nothing wrong with the Define R4, like it a lot myself but I like the new Define S even more since it does such a good job for airflow for air cooling and has a ton of space if you decide to go the water cooling route

Power Supply: That seems to be a bit pricey for a 750 watt PSU and tbh your build will be fine with a 650 watt PSU. You might want to consider something like an eVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650 instead

 

[ITGL72]

These are my very first SSD purchases. You see, there was a sale, and the rest is history.

 

[mfenn]

These are my very first SSD purchases. You see, there was a sale, and the rest is history.

The prices you paid were not really much of a discount unfortunately. You can get a ~250GB drive for under $90 any day of the week and a ~1 TB for around $300 on a good sale.

Power Supply: That seems to be a bit pricey for a 750 watt PSU and tbh your build will be fine with a 650 watt PSU. You might want to consider something like an eVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650 instead

Agree. In addition, the SSDs, CPU, and mobo aren't great values for a gaming rig.

OP, it seems like you've gone over $1500 by quite a bit. Are you OK with that or are you looking for advice as to what to return to get back under budget?

 

[ITGL72]

These were the SSD drives I wanted. So I'm ok with them. I'm just keeping the thread updated. I had a loose budget, I'm not trying to get it lower. I guess my absolute dead stop on price is 1999.99. Appreciate everyone's feedback. This has been fun. Pity I only do it once in a while. ;-)

 

[ITGL72]

What do you think of the 1tb ssd for main drive and 250gb ssd for swap file? Not what I was intending but read on another forum that this was a thing. It's not what I intend to do but I am always interested in different configurations.

 

[mfenn]

What do you think of the 1tb ssd for main drive and 250gb ssd for swap file? Not what I was intending but read on another forum that this was a thing. It's not what I intend to do but I am always interested in different configurations.

Honestly, if you have a 1 TB drive and a 250 GB drive of the same model, you should use the 1TB for everything because it is faster than the 250 GB. There's really very little reason to use the 250 GB for anything unless you are filled to capacity on the 1TB.

I would not shoot for a large swap file under any circumstances, put a nominal 1GB file on the 1TB drive. If you are swapping then you don't have enough memory. That's a problem which won't be solved by having a large swap file..

 

[mfenn]

Appreciate everyone's feedback. This has been fun. Pity I only do it once in a while. ;-)

A benefit to spending less is that you get to have fun more often with upgrades. And you get to ride the efficiency curve rather than being stuck with an overly-expensive machine that you can't afford to replace.

 

[Yuriman]

I dumped my custom watercooling loop a few months back. The CM 212 EVO will get you within 100mhz max OC of the best AIO watercoolers, with fewer parts to fail and at a fraction the price. If going all-out there isn't a lot of reason not to, but there isn't much "value" in a WC loop in most cases.

 

[ITGL72]

Think Im staying with the HSF. It's the last item on my list to order.