Need guidance to complete a rig, budget <$600-800 [Finalizing the parts!

[Powermoloch]

Hello everyone, I know some Anand members are calling me out on this (if some you guys are active in GPU forums ). But I'll be truly grateful make a new gaming rig right before the holidays. I've been out of the loop in CPU/mobo/ram builds and it'll be awesome from to get a response. My overall goal in this build:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
- 1) Gaming current gen 2)Netflix/Entertainment 3)browsing

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

> $600-$800, less is better, tax included since I live in SoCal

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
U.S. Prefer to buy in one place as much as possible to grab ( no interest payment plans ). But other sources are fine as well.

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.
No preference. I have great experience with AMD/Intel/Western Digital/Asus/Gigabyte/Sapphire etc. If CPU water cooling is a possibility it'll be great! but I can sacrifice that thought.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Maybe - Spare 1000W Coolmax PSU ZU series

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

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
yet to be determined, 4K in the near future

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
1-2 weeks from now


So far I only acquired these items:
Win 8.1 oem (on hand)
(2) Sapphire Tri-x OC R9 290 ($395)
(1) NZXT H440 orange/black ($119.99)
(1)Corsair AF140 Quiet Edition 140mm Case ($12.99)
(2)Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition ($15.00)
(2)G Skill Ares 2 x 4 gb DDR3-1600 (gonna pull out from my other rig)
~$625 with tax and shipping

Thanks Ken g6 for your suggestions! updated list

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k) | $309.99 @ Newegg
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1) | $19.99 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [MSI H97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-h97guardpro) | $59.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct256mx100ssd1) | $109.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $54.99 @ Newegg
**Video Card** | [Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-1003622sr) (2-Way CrossFire) | $0.00
**Video Card** | [Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-1003622sr) (2-Way CrossFire) | $0.00
**Case** | [NZXT H440 (Orange/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-cah440wm2) | $0.00
**Power Supply** | [CoolMax 1000W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/coolmax-power-supply-zu1000b) | $0.00
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $554.95
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-09 04:59 EST-0500 |

 

[Ken g6]

1. Fine.
2. Hard to guarantee. You should know that.
3. Why water cooling at stock speed? Also, closed-loop or are you rolling your own?

Are you near a Micro Center? If so, go pick up an i7 4790K/Z97 mobo bundle there.

Otherwise...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: *Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: *Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: *MSI H97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: *PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($127.18 @ Amazon)
Storage: *Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: *Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($43.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: *XFX 850W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: *Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $755.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-08 22:57 EST-0500

I threw in an air cooler just for quietness. Water cooling makes no sense to me unless you already have a setup, and you're using it for the video cards too.

Why a 4790K if you're not overclocking? Its stock clock is 4GHz, with turbo to 4.4!

Also, this could all be overkill depending on your monitor resolution.

 

[Powermoloch]

Yes I do have a microcenter sorta nearby my area 30-35 minute drive within the normal speed limit in SoCal . The idea of water cooling is nice, but I dont mind keeping the build within the price range.

As for Overclocking? I dont have the need and never did any since Sempron paris hayday. It's a matter of personal choice.

updated format for easier reading.

 

[Powermoloch]

updated the list based on ken g6 suggestion. Will pull the trigger later today

 

[Ken g6]

If you have a Micro Center, I'd recommend the i7-4790K + ASRock Z97 Extreme 4 bundle for $355, vs $370 for a lesser board online.

I can't recommend a CoolMax PSU. I can't find any good reviews of that particular one, but this 700W one exploded! If you think you need more power than the XFX - which I think is a really good deal by the way - here's a 1KW Gold Corsair for $130 AR AP.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I can't recommend a CoolMax PSU.

This.

 

[Powermoloch]

Hmmm apparently microcenter does not have the 4790 k instock.

 

[mfenn]

Hmmm apparently microcenter does not have the 4790 k instock.

That sucks. I checked he Orange County store for the i7 4790K and the i5 4690K and they were both out of stock. Since you don't want to build for another couple of weeks, you should probably check their stock levels each day until you need to build. If they don't get any by then, you might as well just order from Newegg.

 

[Powermoloch]

Well that's a bummer apparently. But for now I can start order through new egg! what do you think so far? sadly the Ares 2 x 4 gb for $60 is out of the question/soldout. But I can bum out 2 x 4 gb sticks from my gaming pc. I failed to remember they where Ares (same model!) as well when I bought 4 sticks of them from a fellow anand member.

Also does a mobo make a difference? what will be your recommendation for a sensible mobo choice within my price range?

 

[mfenn]

Did you have a chance to look through Ken's build? I agree with his choices for your budget, but can definitely help explain some things or offer alternatives if it turns out you have some extra requirements in mind.

 

[Powermoloch]

Did you have a chance to look through Ken's build? I agree with his choices for your budget, but can definitely help explain some things or offer alternatives if it turns out you have some extra requirements in mind.

I did went over the list that ken provided, but the one thing that bothered me was the
PCIE 3.0 x16 + PCIE 2.0 x4 on the mobo. How would that affect in real world performance?

 

[mfenn]

I did went over the list that ken provided, but the one thing that bothered me was the
PCIE 3.0 x16 + PCIE 2.0 x4 on the mobo. How would that affect in real world performance?

That's a very good point, I had forgotten that you had two R9 290's when I was thinking "$800 PC". You'll need a Z97 board with x8/x8 Crossfire. In the absence of MC getting the CPUs in stock, I think the way to get there without blowing your budget is the Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE for $115.

 

[Powermoloch]

Thanks for the suggestion. It's weird I thought the Ken's build was perfect for me since new egg stated that the motherboard has (2) PCI gen 3 x 16 slots. But when I reviewed the official MSI's product website, it tells a different story of the item description. Because I just ordered before I reviewed the motherboard much closely.

Have I dun goofed lol?

 

[Ken g6]

PCIE 3.0 x16 + PCIE 2.0 x4 on the mobo.

I believed Newegg too - that's the only reason I suggested this board. But I also think the requirements for Crossfire are much less strict than for SLI.

 

[Powermoloch]

I believed Newegg too - that's the only reason I suggested this board. But I also think the requirements for Crossfire are much less strict than for SLI.

The mobo arrived...and it's PCIE gen 3 x 16 and PCIE 2 x 4 =( newegg why!?

 

[Cerb]

You could return it, that being the case, if you wanted to. Their page does indeed state two of them (while you can't get 32 PCIe 3.0s, it would be reasonable to expect the slots to run as PCIe 3.0 16x/0x, 0x/16x, or 8x/8x, as many boards have done that sort of thing).

 

[Powermoloch]

I will have to return it unfortunately, New egg rep was very helpful and I can have refund w/o re-stocking fee + free shipping table. I had to be absolutely sure what i'm paying for is what it is says haha

 

[Zizzlez]

If your not trying to overclock the i7-4790 is fine. "k" for overclocking. They do exactly the same, but k is unlocked for overclocking. If you are overclocking then you'll need a Z97 Motherboard, preferably asus or asrock.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790 for processor. Going to Microcenter is well worth it. They will not only give you a deal on the processor, but if you give say im looking to buy the i7 and the H97 totally. Try to bargain a deal on both. They'll give you a deal on the motherboard. LIke $10-20 off the motherboard after all the money they already give off. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97mpro4 for the Motherboard. Most motherboards in your price range that comes with pic slots x16 come with a 3.0 and 2.0. There is only a 2-5% performance difference. Not really noticeable. And if your not OCing you don't considerably need a Cpu cooler. Yes I agree the stock fans are shit, but your cpu will run my excellent compatriot enough without a Cpu cooler. Just make sure you face the fans the right way.

 

[Cerb]

If your not trying to overclock the i7-4790 is fine. "k" for overclocking. They do exactly the same, but k is unlocked for overclocking.

Wrong. The K is the better CPU, period. Look at the clocks.

 

[Powermoloch]

Everything arrived so far, I'm waiting for the motherboard now...Hard to believe that it's been almost 4-5 years from my 1st official gaming rig! pretty excited. I had lifted one of the new video cards, they are heavy without a doubt.

 

[Powermoloch]

phew! 2 weeks already and just finished assembling everything together what a beauty. I'll be uploading the software later in the day after I get some sleep. The 2 r 290s tri x are humongous.

 

[mfenn]

Glad it worked out!