Hi everyone!
So, I'm thinking of building a new PC. I've been out of the PC hardware game for quite a long time but am interested in getting back into things. Currently, I'm running a circa 2009 AMD Phenom II x3 720 rig, with similarly aged other components. It's served me well for a long time, but as of late I have a little bit more free time for stuff like video games, so I'm thinking of putting together something new that would constitute an absolutely massive upgrade from what I've been working with for so long. The most pressing issue with my current rig is that my ~10 year old PSU appears to be dying, so I'm having some weird power issues when I attempt to run somewhat more graphically intensive games. The PSU definitely needs to be replaced, and I already have something new on the way, but everything else should really be replaced as well.
I haven't looked too much into Kaby Lake, but from what little I understand it doesn't represent a massive upgrade from the Skylake architecture. Given my interest in keeping costs relatively low while still purchasing quality components, I've decided to go with the Skylake Socket 1151 platform. It seems to offer quality performance at a reasonable price, and is a mature platform at this point.
I should note that that unfortunately, finances don't permit me to buy all the components I'm considering at once, so I'm already considering purchasing the components in distinct "phases" and will probably have to spread even the first phase purchases over two months. It is what is, alas.
Anyway, enough talk. Let's get to the standard Q&A:
--
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Mostly general office/web browsing use, as well as some moderate to serious gaming. I'm not super hardcore about this stuff but would like to put together a new rig that will allow me to play all the latest stuff.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
As for the PC, I'd like to keep it to $1000-1200. I'm probably buying a few other components (keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc) a bit down the line that will increase the total price to $1,700-1,800.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Good ol' USA
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.
I don't really care, but it seems pretty clear that Intel is where you go for high performance CPUs these days. From what I understand the GPU picture is a little more muddled but NVIDIA generally offers the higher performance (and more expensive) parts.
6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
This is a little complicated. I do intend to use some old parts initially but replace them before too long. As I mentioned above, most of my current build dates to 2009 and I'm pretty worried about the continued longetivity of certain components like mechanical HDDs, etc. In any event, for at least a little while I'm planning on using the following components:
Microsoft ergonomic wireless keyboard (?)
Microsoft wireless laser mouse 6000
NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2 20.5" LCD monitor
1TB 7200RPM WD Black (?) HDD
EVGA GTX 680 video card
EVGA Supernova G2 550W PSU (I *just* purchased this, to try and address the power issues I described above. From what I've read it's an excellent PSU and more than enough for a single-GPU PC.)
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I would like to overclock, yes. Am not super interested in spending all my time tweaking BIOS values but if I can get a substantial boost over the 6600K clocks, that would be great.
8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
My current monitor is 1680x1050 (lol) but I am interested in a significantly larger 2560x1440 monitor. See below.
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Soon. I'd like to pick up as much stuff as I can during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. I'm hoping to score some pretty significant discounts from current prices. That said, it's pretty likely that I'll have to spread out my initial purchases over November and December.
10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
That's a good question. I have a legit DVD copy of Windows 7 x64 Home that I upgraded this summer to Windows 10. I don't intend to use my old PC after I build this one - is there any way I can transfer my current Win 10 license to the new PC with minimal hassle? Will I have to buy a new license?
--
In any event, here's what I was planning. The "Phase 1" components will come first and comprise the guts of the new PC. The "Phase 2" components include things like a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc that I would like to replace but can wait a little to do so.
Phase 1: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/dVMtWX
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor - $237
Seems pretty obvious as a fast and overclockable but still somewhat reasonably priced CPU.
CPU cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler - $35
From what I've read, this is the hot new best-in-class budget air cooler. Oddly, it doesn't seem that much more expensive (maybe ~$10) than the classic Cooler Master 212 EVO which has been popular forever. Seems worth the money, guys?
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Extreme3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard - $102 after mail-in rebate
I had some trouble picking out a Z170 motherboard as there are *so many* products available right now. Basically, I'm looking for a reliable, high quality mid-range board with some nice features that's less than $150. Specifically, I'm looking for a couple of things: i) Though I do not intend to run dual GPUs any time in the foreseeable future, it seems like a good idea to get a mainboard that offers at least x8/x8 PCI 3.0 x16 SLI/Crossfire operation (ii) Though I do not intend to immediately purchase an M2 SSD, it's possible in the future, so I'd like at least one M2 slot (iii) RealTek ALC 1150 sound would be nice but not required as I'm running a pretty standard 2.1 speaker setup (iv) it seems like a good idea to get a board with at least one USB 3.1(c) port, as that's where phones and other connectivity seem to be going, and finally (v) a nice, easy overclock if possible. The manufacturer of the ethernet port doesn't concern me as I will be using a separate wireless adapter.
I was also looking seriously at the Gigabyte Z170-UD3 as it seems like a really nice board at a very slightly higher price than some of the ASRock offerings. I don't have anything against ASUS but their boards seem a little more expensive for the same features that other manufacturers offer. Any advice or testimonials are welcome.
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory - $80
As far as I can tell, DD4 is currently a commodity market. All the RAM I saw is basically the same price, so it's hard to imagine what differentiates the various manufacturers. I've used G.Skill successfully in the past. I understand at least 3000 MHz RAM is important for overclocking purposes.
SSD: SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive - $124
I read on Tom's Hardware that this was a very nice SSD and delivered Samsung 850 EVO performance at somewhat reduced prices. I don't think can afford an M2/PCIe SSD right now, so this seems like the way to go. I don't really have a great sense of the performance differential between SSDs, having never used one, so if it doesn't matter and I should just go cheap, let me know.
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 - $80
From what I've read, this is a really nice, quiet, and restrained case that's excellent to build in and is currently on sale a couple of places. This will be replacing an ancient Lian Li case that is not quiet at all and hard to build in. Good riddance.
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold PSU - $75 after mail-in rebate
I actually just purchased this already. As I mentioned above, my current PSU (a 500W Silverstone) does not appear equipped to adequately power my current GPU, an elderly GTX 680, which my friend gave me earlier this summer. I've been experiencing some power issues lately, so hopefully the new PSU will resolve them. From what I've read it's a high-quality and reasonably quiet PSU.
Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter - $39
Hey, it's a WiFi adapter. Maybe I should go cheap here?
Total: $771
What do you guys think? If I can shave off a couple bucks here or there, that would be great, but I feel like I'm already going pretty cheap. Let me know what you guys think. Again, some of the specific products could change, as I will be keeping an eye out for Black Friday sales later this month.
Thanks for any and all suggestions! Phase 2 shopping list coming soon.
So, I'm thinking of building a new PC. I've been out of the PC hardware game for quite a long time but am interested in getting back into things. Currently, I'm running a circa 2009 AMD Phenom II x3 720 rig, with similarly aged other components. It's served me well for a long time, but as of late I have a little bit more free time for stuff like video games, so I'm thinking of putting together something new that would constitute an absolutely massive upgrade from what I've been working with for so long. The most pressing issue with my current rig is that my ~10 year old PSU appears to be dying, so I'm having some weird power issues when I attempt to run somewhat more graphically intensive games. The PSU definitely needs to be replaced, and I already have something new on the way, but everything else should really be replaced as well.
I haven't looked too much into Kaby Lake, but from what little I understand it doesn't represent a massive upgrade from the Skylake architecture. Given my interest in keeping costs relatively low while still purchasing quality components, I've decided to go with the Skylake Socket 1151 platform. It seems to offer quality performance at a reasonable price, and is a mature platform at this point.
I should note that that unfortunately, finances don't permit me to buy all the components I'm considering at once, so I'm already considering purchasing the components in distinct "phases" and will probably have to spread even the first phase purchases over two months. It is what is, alas.
Anyway, enough talk. Let's get to the standard Q&A:
--
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Mostly general office/web browsing use, as well as some moderate to serious gaming. I'm not super hardcore about this stuff but would like to put together a new rig that will allow me to play all the latest stuff.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
As for the PC, I'd like to keep it to $1000-1200. I'm probably buying a few other components (keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc) a bit down the line that will increase the total price to $1,700-1,800.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Good ol' USA
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.
I don't really care, but it seems pretty clear that Intel is where you go for high performance CPUs these days. From what I understand the GPU picture is a little more muddled but NVIDIA generally offers the higher performance (and more expensive) parts.
6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
This is a little complicated. I do intend to use some old parts initially but replace them before too long. As I mentioned above, most of my current build dates to 2009 and I'm pretty worried about the continued longetivity of certain components like mechanical HDDs, etc. In any event, for at least a little while I'm planning on using the following components:
Microsoft ergonomic wireless keyboard (?)
Microsoft wireless laser mouse 6000
NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2 20.5" LCD monitor
1TB 7200RPM WD Black (?) HDD
EVGA GTX 680 video card
EVGA Supernova G2 550W PSU (I *just* purchased this, to try and address the power issues I described above. From what I've read it's an excellent PSU and more than enough for a single-GPU PC.)
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I would like to overclock, yes. Am not super interested in spending all my time tweaking BIOS values but if I can get a substantial boost over the 6600K clocks, that would be great.
8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
My current monitor is 1680x1050 (lol) but I am interested in a significantly larger 2560x1440 monitor. See below.
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Soon. I'd like to pick up as much stuff as I can during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. I'm hoping to score some pretty significant discounts from current prices. That said, it's pretty likely that I'll have to spread out my initial purchases over November and December.
10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
That's a good question. I have a legit DVD copy of Windows 7 x64 Home that I upgraded this summer to Windows 10. I don't intend to use my old PC after I build this one - is there any way I can transfer my current Win 10 license to the new PC with minimal hassle? Will I have to buy a new license?
--
In any event, here's what I was planning. The "Phase 1" components will come first and comprise the guts of the new PC. The "Phase 2" components include things like a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc that I would like to replace but can wait a little to do so.
Phase 1: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/dVMtWX
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor - $237
Seems pretty obvious as a fast and overclockable but still somewhat reasonably priced CPU.
CPU cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler - $35
From what I've read, this is the hot new best-in-class budget air cooler. Oddly, it doesn't seem that much more expensive (maybe ~$10) than the classic Cooler Master 212 EVO which has been popular forever. Seems worth the money, guys?
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Extreme3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard - $102 after mail-in rebate
I had some trouble picking out a Z170 motherboard as there are *so many* products available right now. Basically, I'm looking for a reliable, high quality mid-range board with some nice features that's less than $150. Specifically, I'm looking for a couple of things: i) Though I do not intend to run dual GPUs any time in the foreseeable future, it seems like a good idea to get a mainboard that offers at least x8/x8 PCI 3.0 x16 SLI/Crossfire operation (ii) Though I do not intend to immediately purchase an M2 SSD, it's possible in the future, so I'd like at least one M2 slot (iii) RealTek ALC 1150 sound would be nice but not required as I'm running a pretty standard 2.1 speaker setup (iv) it seems like a good idea to get a board with at least one USB 3.1(c) port, as that's where phones and other connectivity seem to be going, and finally (v) a nice, easy overclock if possible. The manufacturer of the ethernet port doesn't concern me as I will be using a separate wireless adapter.
I was also looking seriously at the Gigabyte Z170-UD3 as it seems like a really nice board at a very slightly higher price than some of the ASRock offerings. I don't have anything against ASUS but their boards seem a little more expensive for the same features that other manufacturers offer. Any advice or testimonials are welcome.
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory - $80
As far as I can tell, DD4 is currently a commodity market. All the RAM I saw is basically the same price, so it's hard to imagine what differentiates the various manufacturers. I've used G.Skill successfully in the past. I understand at least 3000 MHz RAM is important for overclocking purposes.
SSD: SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive - $124
I read on Tom's Hardware that this was a very nice SSD and delivered Samsung 850 EVO performance at somewhat reduced prices. I don't think can afford an M2/PCIe SSD right now, so this seems like the way to go. I don't really have a great sense of the performance differential between SSDs, having never used one, so if it doesn't matter and I should just go cheap, let me know.
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 - $80
From what I've read, this is a really nice, quiet, and restrained case that's excellent to build in and is currently on sale a couple of places. This will be replacing an ancient Lian Li case that is not quiet at all and hard to build in. Good riddance.
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold PSU - $75 after mail-in rebate
I actually just purchased this already. As I mentioned above, my current PSU (a 500W Silverstone) does not appear equipped to adequately power my current GPU, an elderly GTX 680, which my friend gave me earlier this summer. I've been experiencing some power issues lately, so hopefully the new PSU will resolve them. From what I've read it's a high-quality and reasonably quiet PSU.
Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter - $39
Hey, it's a WiFi adapter. Maybe I should go cheap here?
Total: $771
What do you guys think? If I can shave off a couple bucks here or there, that would be great, but I feel like I'm already going pretty cheap. Let me know what you guys think. Again, some of the specific products could change, as I will be keeping an eye out for Black Friday sales later this month.
Thanks for any and all suggestions! Phase 2 shopping list coming soon.