Require expert advice on first build!

[Bad Pingu]

Hello fellow pc enthusiasts!

I am about to build a pc for the first time. I have spent a long time researching the majority of components over the last few weeks. As I have no experience or knowledge in pc building, I require professional advice in regards to compatibility and optimisation in relation to all of my selected components. As this computer including its peripherals are going to be such a large investment it’s crucial I receive expert advice and feedback based upon the computer components have selected/not selected.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

General pc usage as well as a lot of word processing, high quality music playback, programming and playing the latest pc games.

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

I see no need to provide a budget as I have already selected the majority of my components. However I should mention that if you recommend me a replacement for one of my selected components please choose a replacement which is close to the price of the component which I listed.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

The United Kingdom.

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.

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 will only be using an ASUS motherboard, Intel processor and Nvidia graphics card.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

No.

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

Overclocking is something I will consider in the next 1 – 3 years, so future proofing against overclocking would be wise.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

1920 x 1080 at 120hz – 144hz. Specifically either one of these two monitors:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BenQ-XL2420...TF8&qid=1409108956&sr=8-2&keywords=benq+144hz
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BenQ-XL2411...TF8&qid=1409108956&sr=8-1&keywords=benq+144hz



9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.

I plan to build the pc during the next month although the graphics card will be added a bit later, the gtx 800 series is expected to be released in September. As I may either be purchasing an EVGA gtx 780 or gtx 780ti I believe it’s wise to wait for the release of the 800 series, this will hopefully bring the gtx 780 and gtx 780ti price down and also to see what the 800 series offers in terms of high end gaming.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

I’m only aware of Windows 8.1 to be necessary at this time as this will be the operating system of my choice.

Operating System – Windows 8.1

Chassis – MATX Xigmatek Aquila
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-083-XG&groupid=2362&catid=2278

Fan controller – I do not know if this is necessary or where it is connected. I
would like to be able to control the speed of the fans.

Case front fan – 200mm spectre pro 148.72 CFM ±10% http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-063-BX&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=2335

Case back fan - 140mm Noctua NF-A14 IndustrialPPC 3000RPM PWM Airflow: 158.4 CFM http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-027-NC&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=1816

Case top fan – 2 x 140mm Be Quiet! Shadow Wings Fan PWM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-014-BQ&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=1816

DVD-RW drive – I would like the ability play CD’s on my computer and I’ve also read that OS installation is easier with a DVD-RW drive. However I’m not willing to sacrifice performance in relation to gpu, cooling etc for the DVD-RW drive.

Motherboard - Asus Maximus VII Gene Z97 (I’ve read that this does not include SATA express, I’m unsure how I can resolve this issue or what exactly SATA express is.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maximus-VII...UTF8&qid=1409255492&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+gene

CPU – Intel i5 4690k
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-i5-46...?ie=UTF8&qid=1409255617&sr=8-1&keywords=4690k

gpu – Will have at least 3gb of vram, the gpu will either be the gtx 780, 780ti or possibly the new 800 series if it provides similar performance.

Ram – G.Skill TridentX 8GB (2x4GB)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-080-GS&tool=3

SSD - Samsung 840 evo 250gb 2.5inch Basic SATA ssd

Speakers - Harman/Kardon Soundsticks III

Method of internet connectivity - Cat6 Ethernet cable

Power supply – Need expert advice on what power supply to buy I do not wish to save any money on purchasing the power supply, I would like the most reliable and efficient power supply possible.

I would like to thank you in advance for your time and help

 

[Termie]

That's a very cool looking case - definitely a bit unusual for a first build, but it should work fine.

You seem to be planning a very high-end gaming PC, which is fine if you have the budget for it. Driving a 144Hz monitor near its optimal frame rate indeed requires something like a 780 or 780 Ti. You do have to deal with the drawbacks of a TN display, however, such as poor off-angle viewing and odd colors. Just make sure you understand the drawbacks, as putting that much money into a system to hit 120fps may leave you disappointed if a 1440p 60Hz monitor were better for your overall usage patterns.

I wouldn't bother with that 3000rpm rear fan. It would be extremely loud at full speed. I recommend using the 120mm rear fan that the case comes with, but adding the other aftermarket fans you list is fine.

Everything else seems like a good choice. The lack of SATA express on the motherboard is a minor omission. There are no SATAe drives on the market yet, so you're not missing much.

In terms of a power supply, I'd recommend the eVGA Supernova G2 750W. A bit more capacity than you need, but a great unit at a great price. The Seasonic 550W G Modular is also a good option.

 

[mfenn]

I wouldn't bother with that 3000rpm rear fan. It would extremely loud at full speed. I recommend using the 120mm rear fan that the case comes with, but adding the other aftermarket fans you list is fine.

Agree. Picking up another one of the bQ! fans would be fine too. You're never ever going to want to run a 3000 RPM case fan due to noise, nor would you need to with a fairly normal single-GPU setup.

As for the other parts, I have comments on the following:

- ODD : The case has a 5.25" bay, so you can add a normal DVD-RW like this Pioneer for £14
- Mobo: The MVIIG is pretty expensive for what it is. I it seems overkill for someone who is isn't getting right into high-end overclocking. I'd look at the ASUS Z97M-PLUS for £102 instead.
- GPU: The Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X for £282 is the way to go here from a price/performance point of view, but if you must stick with Nvidia, then I'd pick up this MSI GTX 780 for £330.
- RAM: For the health of your memory controller, you should stick with 1.5V memory. Luckily, there is very little gaming benefit from high-speed RAM. The memory on the GPU is what does the brunt of the performance-critical work. This is a normal DDR3 1600 CAS 9 1.5V kit for £66. If you do pick up the Trident kit, knock it back to DDR3 1866 CAS 9 @ 1.5V.
- SSD : The 840 EVO is a good drive, but the Crucial MX100 256GB will offer the same experience for £80.

 

[Bad Pingu]

Hello and thanks for your prompt replies to my post.

The 3000rpm fan is going out the window and I will stick with the stock fan which comes with the case if you believe it will cool almost as well as a be quiet! fan. Would be nice to save some money so that I can actually afford some games!

I forgot to ask whether the...
fan on the front taking air in,
two fans on top taking air out,
and fan on back taking air out is the optimal positioning of the fans? I believe the power supply fan points downwards through the air vent located at the bottom of the case hence why the case is tilted.

Do you recommend I use a fan controller? or will this be easy for me to do through software?

I was wondering would using the 5.25 inch drive bay obstruct any of the high performance components as they are rather large and also decrease cooling capability. I'm aware the bay can be removed but if there is no need to remove it then I will quite happily install a dvd-rw drive.

" RAM: For the health of your memory controller, you should stick with 1.5V memory. Luckily, there is very little gaming benefit from high-speed RAM. The memory on the GPU is what does the brunt of the performance-critical work. This is a normal DDR3 1600 CAS 9 1.5V kit for £66. If you do pick up the Trident kit, knock it back to DDR3 1866 CAS 9 @ 1.5V. "

^ This is interesting, I will try and find a brand I recognise which sells 1.5v ram.

Thanks Termie for recommending the power supplies, can I ask why you chose those two specifically over other brands?

The motherboard and monitor I will reconsider.

I searched for 24inch 1440p monitors after reading your post termie and they seem to be non existent. I should of mentioned that 24inch is definitely the maximum monitor size I will be buying. I spent a lot of time researching monitors and I read a lot about IPS panels being superior in terms of colour etc in comparison to older TN panel technology.

Hmm... The benq 144hz monitors I posted are rather expensive and a lot more than I initially wanted to pay not to mention even bigger than I initially wanted at 24 inches (I will be sitting very close to the monitor). I did a lot of research comparing the benq monitors I posted to the ASUS VG248QE which interestingly you appear to own Termie. The benq is apparently slightly better even though they use the same panels, I can't remember why it's better but regardless did you notice a big change upgrading from a 60hz panel?

I wish I could see a comparison of a 60hz IPS panel to a 144hz TN panel side by side.

I look forward to reading more of your replies

p.s. The gtx 780 MSI twin frozr card is tempting to purchase at the price listed on overclockers, I was not aware of their weekly deals until now so much appreciated. They seem to be a good place to purchase components from and they offer a free game unlike amazon. However I believe I should still wait until the 800 series is released.

There is a comparison video on youtube of the gtx 780 non-reference cards ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtIl-W4hqrA there are comparison charts near the end of video, are the speeds of evga a vast improvement over msi?

 

[Essence_of_War]

I forgot to ask whether the...
fan on the front taking air in,
two fans on top taking air out,
and fan on back taking air out is the optimal positioning of the fans? I believe the power supply fan points downwards through the air vent located at the bottom of the case hence why the case is tilted.

That will likely be negative pressured, which isn't great for dust since it means air might be coming into the case through all kinds of cracks and crevices that aren't filtered.

I'd keep the top fans as intakes.

I didn't see a CPU cooler on the list, it would be shame to build such a high-end rig and use the stock Intel cooler.

In general, fan controllers are a pretty nice idea, however, most of them are voltage controllers, and it isn't usually a great idea to spend extra money for PWM fans, and then use voltage controllers on them. There do exist PWM splitters that let you run a bunch of PWM fans off of the motherboard PWM for the CPU-fan, but I'm not sure how reliable they are. If that interests you, you'd still have to configure some software (something like speedfan) to set your fan curves, or else you'd just end up with all of your case fans getting loud whenever the CPU gets hot.

 

[Charlie98]

Hmm... The benq 144hz monitors I posted are rather expensive and a lot more than I initially wanted to pay not to mention even bigger than I initially wanted at 24 inches (I will be sitting very close to the monitor). I did a lot of research comparing the benq monitors I posted to the ASUS VG248QE which interestingly you appear to own Termie. The benq is apparently slightly better even though they use the same panels, I can't remember why it's better but regardless did you notice a big change upgrading from a 60hz panel?

I originally upgraded to a 24" monitor, thinking bigger was better, right? Wrong. Setting at the desk, the monitor is about 2' (less than a meter) from me... a 24" monitor made my eyes bug out! Not that it wasn't a beautiful panel, but it was just too big for my use. I paid the money and sent it back and got a smaller (19") panel (which cost almost as much as the 1080p 24" panel ) and I'm much happier.

If you are on the fence about the 24" monitor(s), try to find someone or somewhere you can try it out first.

 

[Termie]

...

Do you recommend I use a fan controller? or will this be easy for me to do through software?

I was wondering would using the 5.25 inch drive bay obstruct any of the high performance components as they are rather large and also decrease cooling capability. I'm aware the bay can be removed but if there is no need to remove it then I will quite happily install a dvd-rw drive.
...

Thanks Termie for recommending the power supplies, can I ask why you chose those two specifically over other brands?

The motherboard and monitor I will reconsider.

I searched for 24inch 1440p monitors after reading your post termie and they seem to be non existent. I should of mentioned that 24inch is definitely the maximum monitor size I will be buying. I spent a lot of time researching monitors and I read a lot about IPS panels being superior in terms of colour etc in comparison to older TN panel technology.

Hmm... The benq 144hz monitors I posted are rather expensive and a lot more than I initially wanted to pay not to mention even bigger than I initially wanted at 24 inches (I will be sitting very close to the monitor). I did a lot of research comparing the benq monitors I posted to the ASUS VG248QE which interestingly you appear to own Termie. The benq is apparently slightly better even though they use the same panels, I can't remember why it's better but regardless did you notice a big change upgrading from a 60hz panel?

I wish I could see a comparison of a 60hz IPS panel to a 144hz TN panel side by side.

I look forward to reading more of your replies

...

Lots of questions packed in here, let's see if I can help you:

(1) Fan controller - unnecessary unless you're using a motherboard without good fan controls. The Asus Maximus line has the BEST fan control. Other Asus boards have similar controls.

(2) DVD - if you won't use it much, just buy an external DVD drive. No need for installation, just keep it in your desk until you need it. They are often just $10 more than an internal drive. Yes, you will use it to install the OS and motherboard drivers, so don't skip it entirely.

(3) Power Supplies - you want a quality unit, and it's not just the name on the unit, it's who actually manufactures it. The EVGA Supernova G2 is made by Superflower, the Seasonic is made in house by Seasonic. Both are excellent. Any Seasonic is great by the way. Also, you should get a Gold unit for lower noise/heat, and modular cables due to the compact case.

(4) Monitors - now that I hear you will be close to the monitor, I withdraw the recommendation of a 1440p 27" monitor (there are no 1440p 24" models). In that case, you are looking at 1080p 60Hz IPS like a Dell 2412 versus 1080p 144Hz like the BenQ or Asus. Having owned many Dell IPS monitors, I can assure you that the picture quality is far ahead of a 144Hz TN panel like the one used in the Asus, which as you noticed I also own. The Asus is not a good general-purpose monitor. Vertical viewing angles are very tight, so if you stand up from the desk or even move your head around a lot, the colors shift a lot. Furthermore, the brightness and contrast is very hard to get under control. The BenQ likely helps little with all of this, but the advantage it has is a non-proprietary blur reduction technique to further smooth gaming graphics. The Asus can do this too using an Nvidia video card and a third-party app. You can learn more at the Blur Busters website.

And in terms of the effect on gaming, 144Hz (plus blur reduction for that last additional boost to smoothness) is not subtle. It is extraordinary. Game rendering looks much, much better, and all the problems with contrast and viewing angles are forgotten, as they don't matter much when you're in the midst of a game.

In short, if your primary use is gaming, yes, go for 144Hz. If you want the all-around best quality picture, get a 60Hz IPS panel.

That will likely be negative pressured, which isn't great for dust since it means air might be coming into the case through all kinds of cracks and crevices that aren't filtered.

I'd keep the top fans as intakes.

I didn't see a CPU cooler on the list, it would be shame to build such a high-end rig and use the stock Intel cooler.

....

Not so sure I agree with having top fans as intakes. In a small case with this much hardware packed into it, you're going to trap all the heat in the case doing that. I've done tests with top fans blowing up and down. I've never found it better to have them as an intake. Goes against natural heat convection. Furthermore, you're going to draw tons of dust from above by having those fans as intakes, negating the dust reduction argument.

 

[Essence_of_War]

I understand that it doesn't go with natural heat convection, but I think there is some advantage to not having the case be a vacuum cleaner.

That being said, I think you're right, I went back to look at the lid of the case, and it doesn't look like there are dust filters for the top fans, so it's probably a wash with regards to dust.

 

[Bad Pingu]

@Termie, thank you for taking the time to write the highly detailed information in your last post! Unfortunately I have yet another question for you!

How does this sound to you? "Colour performance out of the box was fairly impressive, with the 1,920x1080-pixel panel displaying 95.1 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut in our initial tests. After tweaking the brightness settings, turning off Blur Reduction and calibrating the screen with a USB colour calibrator, the panel was able to display 99 per cent of the colour gamut, so colour accuracy won't be a problem."

"Black levels were in line with other TN panels, with blacks appearing fairly deep. A measured contrast level of 807:1 didn’t quite live up to BenQ’s claim of 1000:1"

I found the above paragraphs within this review ---> http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/monitors/1307152/benq-xl2420z

Second question, What is the Nvidia 3d like? I've only ever seen 3D at the cinema (movies). I'm assuming I will only have to purchase 3D glasses and ensure my gpu has the Nvidia 3D functionality. The 3D is a rather exciting feature so hopefully you're going to tell me that games feel incredibly immersive but of course be critical of the 3D when providing your opinion .

Also when you wrote this ---> (1) "Fan controller - unnecessary unless you're using a motherboard without good fan controls. The Asus Maximus line has the BEST fan control. Other Asus boards have similar controls."

Does it control the fans automatically or is it software which contains settings I must manually tweak?

"(3) Power Supplies - you want a quality unit, and it's not just the name on the unit, it's who actually manufactures it. The EVGA Supernova G2 is made by Superflower, the Seasonic is made in house by Seasonic. Both are excellent. Any Seasonic is great by the way. Also, you should get a Gold unit for lower noise/heat, and modular cables due to the compact case."

^Very happy with this statement above.

@Charlie98

I appreciate the advice regarding 24 inch sizes being too big.

@Essence_of_War

"I didn't see a CPU cooler on the list, it would be shame to build such a high-end rig and use the stock Intel cooler."

I've read elsewhere that a CPU cooler is not necessary if the pc is not overclocked (please confirm)? If the Intel cooler is more than sufficient then I'd rather save the extra money .

 

[Bad Pingu]

Ok this is interesting, found on the benQ website ---> "Customize Your Individual Viewing Preference

The Display Mode and Smart Scaling features allow you to change the monitor view to suit your liking and to simulate any in-game experience. Interchange instantly between different screen sizes , from 17" (4:3), 19" (4:3), 19"W (16:10), 21.5"W (16:9), 22"W (16:10), 23"W (16:9), 23.6"W (16:9) to 24"W (16:9), using the Display Mode. Or take advantage of the Smart Scaling feature and enjoy the flexibility to freely scale the screen content to any custom size. You can certainly use the two features together to get the best possible view for any application or game."

If there are no disadvantages when reducing the screen size then the above feature could prove valuable! ^

 

[Termie]

@Termie, thank you for taking the time to write the highly detailed information in your last post! Unfortunately I have yet another question for you!

How does this sound to you?
...

I found the above paragraphs within this review ---> http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/monitors/1307152/benq-xl2420z

Second question, What is the Nvidia 3d like? I've only ever seen 3D at the cinema (movies). I'm assuming I will only have to purchase 3D glasses and ensure my gpu has the Nvidia 3D functionality. The 3D is a rather exciting feature so hopefully you're going to tell me that games feel incredibly immersive but of course be critical of the 3D when providing your opinion .

Also when you wrote this ---> (1) "Fan controller - unnecessary unless you're using a motherboard without good fan controls. The Asus Maximus line has the BEST fan control. Other Asus boards have similar controls."

Does it control the fans automatically or is it software which contains settings I must manually tweak?

...

I've read elsewhere that a CPU cooler is not necessary if the pc is not overclocked (please confirm)? If the Intel cooler is more than sufficient then I'd rather save the extra money .

You can certainly tweak a TN panel like the BenQ to make it look pretty good, but it will not look like an IPS. If you're interested in ultra-smooth gaming, there is no comparison, however - you want 144Hz.

Nvidia 3D requires a proprietary transmitter and 3d glasses. That's $150+. Unfortunately, 3D gaming is on its way out. There are very few games currently being released with 3D. I have used AMD's 3D, which is not proprietary, on a 3D TV, and it is fabulous. Of course, that requires a TV, not a monitor, which is why Nvidia came up with a proprietary solution for monitors. I question whether 3D a half-meter from your face was a good idea in the first place. TV gaming is probably where it had the most promise. This all would really require an entire article to explain, so I'm going to leave it at this: 3D gaming on the desktop isn't worth chasing after right now.

And for fan controllers, yes you can have it control things automatically, but I prefer to create a fan curve manually because I like optimizing that sort of thing.

Oh, and as for the CPU cooler, in a build this expensive, you'd be pound-foolish to skip out on an aftermarket solution. It's one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to reduce noise and increase overclocking potential.

 

[Bad Pingu]

Can you recommend a cpu cooler for under £20 (Approx 33 dollars) please. I'm asking for a recommendation because after looking at coolers on amazon it appears there are different types and I need one which is guaranteed to fit in with the other components.

Thanks

 

[Bad Pingu]

@mfenn

Does this meet the specs you stated when looking for ram? Is it good for my build?

---> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CML...rmance/dp/B006E065O0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Thanks

 

[mfenn]

Can you recommend a cpu cooler for under £20 (Approx 33 dollars) please. I'm asking for a recommendation because after looking at coolers on amazon it appears there are different types and I need one which is guaranteed to fit in with the other components.

Thanks

You'll want to get something with a 120mm fan, like the Xigmatek Gaia II for £23 (any similar Hyper 212+ clone is fine). I agree with the other posters that spending a ton of money on high-end components and then sticking with the stock Intel cooler doesn't make sense, if only from a noise point of view.

@mfenn

Does this meet the specs you stated when looking for ram? Is it good for my build?

---> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CML...rmance/dp/B006E065O0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Thanks

That would be fine, but I don't see it being worth the money over this £66 Team kit.

 

[Bad Pingu]

So i've considered the r9 290 tri-x this one ---> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-TR...ie=UTF8&qid=1409567778&sr=8-1&keywords=r9+290 before...

... but came to the conclusion that the gtx780 will consume less power (which may prove valuable when I'm not gaming as the computer will be used for a lot of word processing) quieter and also cooler which might be important in the matx case I listed. HOWEVER... if you do disagree then please reply as after doing even further research... it is difficult to decide.

May I also ask if you believe the i7 will provide any benefit while programming? With it's multithreading... as there is little information on the matter.

Thank you

 

[Bad Pingu]

I also found a lot of threads stating that the r9 290 has driver issues and that people are using beta drivers. These threads were only dated a few months ago, please share your thoughts and experience on this too

 

[Essence_of_War]

Both amd and nvidia cards idle pretty well. Unless you live in a country with extraordinarily high kW*hr costs the delta is likely irrelevant, and even then your decision will probably weighted by the greater power draw delta under load.

As far as driver issues go, historically, both nvidia and amd/ati have made good and bad drivers. Picking one or the other is unlikely to save you from having to work through driver issues at some point, esp if you're trying to get max perf in modern games.

 

[Termie]

Both cards are fine. There are no driver issues I've seen. The 290 uses about an extra five watts at idle and about the same at load if not factory overclocked.

The 290 is the better value.

 

[mfenn]

Both cards are fine. There are no driver issues I've seen. The 290 uses about an extra five watts at idle and about the same at load if not factory overclocked.

The 290 is the better value.

Both amd and nvidia cards idle pretty well. Unless you live in a country with extraordinarily high kW*hr costs the delta is likely irrelevant, and even then your decision will probably weighted by the greater power draw delta under load.

As far as driver issues go, historically, both nvidia and amd/ati have made good and bad drivers. Picking one or the other is unlikely to save you from having to work through driver issues at some point, esp if you're trying to get max perf in modern games.

:thumbsup: Agree.

May I also ask if you believe the i7 will provide any benefit while programming? With it's multithreading... as there is little information on the matter.

Thank you

I'm guessing you mean HyperThreading on the CPU? Multithreading just means that a program uses multiple threads.

There have been uncounted volumes written on the benefit of HyperThreading (or not), and at the end of the day the answer always comes down to "it depends". HyperThreading will help your code if it runs into a lot of pipeline stalls (usually as the result of very random memory access patterns and branch mispredicts). Since you are writing the code yourself, we can't really say if that's the case for you.

 

[Bad Pingu]

Hello and thank you for all of your advice so far. I have changed many components based upon advice I have received from you all and research of my own. Please take the time to carefully study the build below for incompatibility issues as I'm relying on your advice and expertise.

Like before... If you believe the build can be optimised or changed for the better in anyway then please let me know.

I have highlighted all of the changes in bold.

Operating System – Windows 8.1

Chassis – MATX Xigmatek Aquila
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-083-XG&groupid=2362&catid=2278

Case front fan (will take air in) – 200mm spectre pro 148.72 CFM http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-063-BX&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=2335

Case back fan (will take air out) –1 x 140mm Be Quiet! Shadow Wings Fan PWM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-014-BQ&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=1816

Case top fan (both will take air out)– 2 x 140mm Be Quiet! Shadow Wings Fan PWM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-014-BQ&groupid=701&catid=2331&subcat=1816

DVD-RW drive £44 (will be used to install os and bluray playback, cd playback and cd/dvd writing) –LG CH12NS30.AUAU10B 12x Blu-ray Combo
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-CH12NS30...qid=1409600465&sr=8-12&keywords=blu+ray+drive

Motherboard - Asus H97M-PLUS £72
http://www.amazon.co.uk/H97M-PLUS-M...8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=matx+asus+h97

CPU –i5-4690 £160 amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-3-50G...=UTF8&qid=1409592057&sr=8-2&keywords=intel+i5

CPU cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo £25 amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Mast...=1409692438&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+master+212

gpu – R9 290 TRI-X
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-TR...ie=UTF8&qid=1409692477&sr=8-1&keywords=r9+290

Ram – Corsair CML8GX3M2A1866C9R £75 amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CML8GX3M2A1866C9R-Venge...

SSD - Samsung 840 evo 500gb 2.5inch Basic SATA ssd £150
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-500...UTF8&qid=1409593445&sr=8-1&keywords=500gb+ssd

Speakers - Harman/Kardon Soundsticks III £100

Method of internet connectivity - Cat6 Ethernet cable

Power supply – EVGA Supernova G2 750W
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-SuperN...=1409692546&sr=8-1&keywords=evga+g2+supernova <--- Could you please check this is the correct one? and if it is still the right power supply for my build after all of the changes above?

Once again I thank you for your time

p.s.
I'm a bit worried if the motherboard can power so many fans and where I will connect them. I researched PWM fan and apparently they are controlled by motherboard so as the 200mm fan is not PWM then I'm guessing that this is connected to a separate 'thing' which does not control fan speed.

 

[Essence_of_War]

I'm a bit worried if the motherboard can power so many fans and where I will connect them. I researched PWM fan and apparently they are controlled by motherboard so as the 200mm fan is not PWM then I'm guessing that this is connected to a separate 'thing' which does not control fan speed.

Most fans don't draw that much power. They take 12V, and use a fraction of an amp of current so, 1W give-or-take is a decent estimate. This is not particularly difficult for a motherboard fan header to provide. Using splitters to chain MANY fans off of a single 3/4 pin header might not be a wise idea, though.

For your mobo:

1 x 4-pin CPU Fan connector
2 x 4-pin Chassis Fan connectors for 3-pin (DC mode) and 4-pin (PWM mode) coolers control
1 x Front panel audio connector (AAFP)
1 x S/PDIF out header
1 x parallel port connector(s)
1 x COM connector
1 x TPM connector
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector
1 x 8-pin EATX 12V Power connector
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
1 x System panel connector
1 x MemOK! button
1 x GPU Boost switch

It looks like your board has 1+2 4pin PWM fan headers. I count 4 fans in your build, including the CPU cooler, so you'll need either a y-splitter, or a fan hub, or a 3/4pin-to-molex adapter to use all of them.

I'm not familiar with Asus's implementation of PWM on the non-CPU headers, so maybe someone else can chime in here, but for many other motherboards, the only reliable PWM fan header is tied to the CPU-fan connector. Unless you see a review verifying the PWM on the other fan headers, I would suggest not assuming that PWM will work properly with them.

 

[MongGrel]

I was going to throw another fan or two out there, but you've already listed one of my favorites in a version I haven't tried yet, so won't bother.

Looks pretty nice build from where I'm sitting.

*edit* Meh, ya dumped the Noctua, he he.

Ah well, I've read good things about the Be Quiets too, just haven't tried em.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I still don't know why Noctua doesn't make a 200mm, I'd have a few.

 

[Termie]

Essence_of_War is correct about fan power draw and PWM control. But Asus, and many other board makers, allow control of 3-pin fans using the 3-pin headers. The only thing you cannot do on a modern board, based on my experience, is control a 3-pin fan using a 4-pin PWM header. And this could therefore be a problem with the H97M-Plus, which apparently only has PWM headers.

OP - I'd suggest dropping down to just two case fans for now. You can always add another later on, once you've figured out how the fans interact with your motherboard.

 

[mfenn]

For your mobo:
It looks like your board has 1+2 4pin PWM fan headers. I count 4 fans in your build, including the CPU cooler, so you'll need either a y-splitter, or a fan hub, or a 3/4pin-to-molex adapter to use all of them.

There's actually 5 fans in the build, 4 case fans plus a CPU fan. I agree that that's a little overkill for a moderate system like this. I'd probably stick with a front and a back 140mm PWM like Termie said and add fans as needed.

Loading up every single fan mount is a common mistake for new builders and typically leads to a louder system than is necessary with no real cooling advantage.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Loading up every single fan mount is a common mistake for new builders and typically leads to a louder system than is necessary with no real cooling advantage.

I did that with an Antec 300. But then again, I actually needed the fans, I had four video cards working 100% 24/7 doing DC.