Haswell $1800-2100 Build

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ged325

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Hi All,

First time using pcpartpicker, hope this works.

Uses:

Programming
Gaming
Generic Email and all around desktop
Media / photo storage.


Possibly looking to trim up a bit to get this to about $1800 as I've already spent $200 on a 24" 1080p monitor to overtake my primary display.

I'm leaving room for expansion, I know I want to SLI but I just don't see it in this budget price right now. I figure start with 1 770 and can bump it up later.

Games played:
Call of duty
League of Legends
Star craft 2
a few other FPS & MMO types (no WOW).

I could see myself going maybe to a 3 way SLI, but 2 is more than likely for the livelyhood of this build. Possible upgrades are the broadwell chip when it comes out in a few years, another video card or two, extra ram if 16GB ever becomes not enough.

My first impression is getting a different MOBO but not sure of any others that leave as much room for expansion. Also will I need additional case fans? No Wifi needed this thing will always be wired.

Thanks very much.

The build itself:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($22.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC Force ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($430.01 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($174.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Crucial V4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($164.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($449.99 @ NCIX US)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DSX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($55.38 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro M 1000W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($114.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($68.20 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($9.78 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Microsoft S7J-00001 Wired Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $2094.21
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-03 14:50 EDT-0400)
 
Solution
bigshootr8
Also, without knowing his need and his desires its hard to rule out a blu ray drive or a sound card. Personally I'm a audiophile and I can tell the difference. People can say onboard has gotten better but I'll tell you not next to a decent soundcard. Just keep in mind a few things. If you want to watch blu rays on your computer great a blu ray drive is great however keep in mind that you will need to spend money on playback software since its not natively supported. So that means spending 40-100 dollars on blu ray software.

I personally would change G-Unit's build to a 840 Pro however the Vector's I'm sure are similar in performance.

Also I'd change the cooler to the h100i. The price on the Swiftech cooler doesn't support the...
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G3ox

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The config is good but that mobo is overkill, you should be able to find decent mobo (maybe with a good onboard sound card) under 300$. With that GPU I don't think you ever need SLI for 1080p, so you should get a cheaper PSU since 1000w is overkill (even with a heavy OC you won't use 500w).
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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You don't need an i7 for your uses. And you can definitely get a way less expensive motherboard and put the money into peripherals or monitor. I'd heavily suggest dropping the sound card and the dual BD-R drives. One is too many, and I really don't like blu ray on PC. Too many hassles, the software isn't included with the drive and costs $100 per license. Plus everything is moving toward cloud computing and online distribution anyways - the days of physical media are coming to an end. Sound cards are too expensive and don't do anything that the audio built into your motherboard does. Cooler Master Silent Pro PSUs are horrendous and you definitely don't need 1KW for your rig. You don't need 16GB of RAM or a 256GB SSD either. I'd drop that whole build.

Here is what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($150.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($188.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($415.66 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1672.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-03 15:14 EDT-0400)

About $400 less than the proposed build and:

- WAY less expensive motherboard (you should never pay more than $200 for one)
- Switched out i7 for i5
- Upgraded cooler to Swiftech H220
- Much better and less wattage PSU
- Dropped the dual BD-R burners and the sound card (money thrown away needlessly)
- You can add a much better keyboard and mouse that way
 
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CommentariesAnd More

CommentariesAnd More

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That's a great build IMHO. I couldn't find anything better. Way good for your first one. Just change the to a ASRock Z87 Extreme3 and the GPU to a GTX 780. Two GTX 780's will just be as good as three GTX 770's. Also get a 850W PSU. 1000W is an overkill.
 
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Drew010

Drew010

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I would agree with Commentaries and more rather than g-unit1111. Go with a cheaper MOBO (how about the Z87 Sabertooth?), downgrade your PSU to a lower wattage but a more reliable unit, and spend the extra money on a 780. Also you could go with a smaller SSD such as a samsung 840 PRO 128GB. My final suggestion would be to drop the sound card unless you really want to spend $55 for marginally better audio...
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Why? The proposed build has almost $600 completely wasted - $200 in unnecessary accessories, a storage configuration that is way overkill, and a way over priced motherboard, that they could easily do without. You could get way under budget if you cut out the junk. And an i7 is way overkill for the uses the OP described. Really, why waste money on junk when you don't have to?
 
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Drew010

Drew010

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Did you not read my suggestions? I proposed a better storage, MOBO, and PSU. If he wants as much expansion as he said, then he is planning for a long term, in which games will most likely be utilizing more than 2-3 cores (due to the next gen consoles having 8) and therefore hyperthreading will have a large impact. That little bit of overkill now will last longer than a slightly cheaper, albeit good setup now.
 
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bigshootr8

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Also, without knowing his need and his desires its hard to rule out a blu ray drive or a sound card. Personally I'm a audiophile and I can tell the difference. People can say onboard has gotten better but I'll tell you not next to a decent soundcard. Just keep in mind a few things. If you want to watch blu rays on your computer great a blu ray drive is great however keep in mind that you will need to spend money on playback software since its not natively supported. So that means spending 40-100 dollars on blu ray software.

I personally would change G-Unit's build to a 840 Pro however the Vector's I'm sure are similar in performance.

Also I'd change the cooler to the h100i. The price on the Swiftech cooler doesn't support the performance.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032&Tpk=100i&IsVirtualParent=1

I agree though cheaper motherboard unless you are going for something enthusiast like overclocking wise.

Here is my shot at a build for you. I added a stronger power supply which is fully modular. I've added a cooler, a stronger then standard keyboard a mechanical keyboard and a decent mouse.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($167.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.30 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($409.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($154.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.94 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse ($50.05 @ Amazon)
Total: $1777.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-03 16:58 EDT-0400)
 
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Solution
G

ged325

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Just a general note. I buy top of the line and let the market catch up to itself. Just as an example I'm still using my P3GHZ that I bought in 2004. The only upgrades were a new video card, ram, and a storage drive. I'm also not a fan of water cooling and I'd prefer to stay with the 8 threads. Overkill for now? yes. In the future? who knows.

EDIT:
I don't need the OS . . . MSDN subscriber so I have access to all the software needed. Target is a windows 7 ultimate build though.

Again software costs aren't really a concern. I can add the sound card later if I need to but going off the comments (and consider I'm mostly on my head phones anyway) the integrated sound should run fine.


Updated Build Based on comments:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/12Cri

In regards to 16GB ram, yes I probably won't need that much but I'm specing out a 32GB board. If I ever want to expand I'm gonna buy the max. It doesn't make sense to me to buy 2x4GB now and potentially throw them out later. Also I'm willing to absorb the $70 for a 256 SSD vs a 128 SSD.

Changes:
Took out the overkill mobo based on consensus to:
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($176.13 @ Newegg)

Can anyone give me a good reason to throw the sabertooth in there instead?

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
And I thought I was crazy for $450. Read the specs, love it.

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($86.25 @ Newegg)
I know corsair is a good brand. Adding in a 2nd 780 eventually will run another 250 watts. (450 estimated consumption). Given the 80% rule when planning for electricity the 850 and assuming not a lot of spikes this should run at about capacity. Maybe a 900W would be better?

The blue ray burners are for backing up DVDs and what not. Not to watch them on the computer. I'm not worried about the software for now but want the capability to have the burners for future use. 1 reader + 1 writer for direct CD to CD copy without ripping.

Nixed the sound card, forgot the boards come with 7.1 integrated now. :)

New total: $1971.70

Keep the comments coming.



 
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Drew010

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Really the only reason to go for the Sabertooth for an intel build is the 5 year warranty. For AMD it is the only board with PCIe 3.0. As for the MOBO, good choice. ASRock and ASUS are the best brands. For the PSU I would suggest the Antec HCG 900 (I have it, and hits the sweet spot at 900W plus looks awesome). However I would still suggest a Samsung 840 Pro SSD.
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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I would say you are fine with the extreme 6 the only reason I would go with a sabertooth board is if you want a board that has been tested for stability and if you like the thermal armor look.
Also, why the need for 2 blu ray drives? Do you intend to copy blu ray media from one to the other?

Otherwise I'd say you are fine with your build nothing completely out there stands out to me other than I don't care too much for high profile memory in the event you went with something stronger cooling wise. It's very difficult to say go with the unlocked i7 and then go cheap with the cooler.
 
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G

ged325

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Any reason for the 840 pro? Just trying to get your thoughts behind it. Also will I need additional case fans?
At least 2 different people have brought up the cooling. Anything to be done there?

@BigShootr, yes based on my last message I want to copy from one to to the other without having to rip the thing to HD first.

What do you mean by high profile memory? What cooler would you recommend?
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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The 840 PRO has a stronger NAND flash MLC versus TLC in the 840 Non Pro. It also has faster writes and It has more durability over time having more write cycles then the non pro for you to use.

Well cooling wise its really up to you man. I can see you going with a large air cooler or even a closed water cooler in something like the h80i or h100i.


For fans I'd go with the AF140's (I have the same case as you). And SP120's for 120mm radiators and heatsinks. They don't have a SP140 so you'd need to find a Pressure oriented 140mm fan if you want that route in which case would be a pain in the ass to mount a 140mm radiator in a R4 like a Corsair h110.
High profile memory is memory that has really tall heat sinks you'll see them all over and they are generally cheaper. They don't add much. Also to note I go for quiet edition fans and when I can I get the dual pack although with the 140's they are sold individually but are super quiet and do a great job at cooling.

I personally would go with the NH-D14 from Noctua, the Corsair h80i, and h100i (If you do this get fans to go with it the stock fans that come with it make a weird noise I hear), or swiftech's h220. With the EVO its just so mainstream that its great for stock CPU clock cooling but for overclocking you want more UMPH!

I had my old h100 rma'd they sent me a h100i so I'll take a pic with corsair fans so you can see.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Copying BD-R media is considered piracy and is very illegal.

The Sabertooth is an expensive, overrated POS - the thermal armor does nothing but trap heat and recirculate it, shortening the board's lifespan. You could get a far less expensive motherboard than that.
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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Well copying content you already created was where I was going with it. I wasn't going through the whole copying blu ray ordeal. Which as a notation since I know how to copy blu rays you would need just one drive for that. But I don't think hes after Copying movies but more data from discs user created content.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Unless you've got a movie studio set up in your home, chances are very good that you're not using a dual BD-R setup for that purpose. The OP said that media archiving and management was among the uses, not video editing.
 
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bigshootr8

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Well then I'm sorry I can't encourage that. And even so even at that point the days of needing 2 drives to copy things is unnecessary. Here is a picture of my build I just installed the h100i and I changed out my fans the rear and front fans are AF140's and my cooler fans are the SP120s all quiet edition fans. I hadn't closed up the computer yet so thats why you see my G710+ keyboard box behind it.

 
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ged325

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I'll look into a better hard drive. After reading a few of the articles I found this:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=614941

They're offering it with the 4770k for $430 + tax ~470. Represents a $50 savings . . . perhaps for the pro.

Sorry to keep changing the specs, but this info is very helpful.

The SP120s are those liquid cooling? Can you post some links to what you're talking about? Would like to do some more reading on the cooling.

Regarding the blue ray copies . . . you are allowed to make a backup blu-rays you already own #1, and #2 I do have an HD camera which I will be using to burn and re-burn movies I have made for family members. I'm a software developer by day so I know about piracy and assure you it's for legal means.
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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I have the h100i which is essentially a closed loop water cooler. However the fans that come with it aren't nearly as good as the SP120 quiet edition fans they are a modified version of them which have lead to weird noise apparently.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181025

In terms of the motherboards I'm not sure its worth the extra money to get the UD4 I know the last generation had the thunderbolt ports but this one doesn't appear to have any. However it does look more durable to overclocking.
 
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CommentariesAnd More

CommentariesAnd More

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Okay , I agree with g-unit , So I propose a rig on the common things -
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 240M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Antec Formula 7 Nano Diamond 4g Thermal Paste ($11.75 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($145.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator GT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($123.34 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.50 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($139.48 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($68.20 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1757.08
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-04 00:34 EDT-0400)
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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You go with a Cheap SSD along with everything else. If you are going to get a OCZ drive you get a Vertex 4 or a Vector a Agility 2/3/4 whatever is the lowest/cheapest of what they make.

Also, if you get that cooler you will want to change out the fans I'm sure to something stronger. SP120's 30 bucks for 2 or NF-12's from noctua which are 30 bucks a pop or so.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah it's against the board's TOS to encourage it. If you're doing heavy backups of your media an external hard drive would be a wiser investment than two blu ray drives.
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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Well and to protect yourself its wise to take that stance even withstanding the forums TOS

 
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G

ged325

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I'm reposting the full build based on everything going on. I will NOT consider a build that doesn't have the i7. I understand it may be overpowered for my needs but I am future proofing. I also do development work so having the extra threads is always helpful.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
From Microcenter:
Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H Socket LGA 1150 ATX Intel Mo
Intel Core i7 4770K 3.5GHz Socket LGA 1150 Boxed P
Samsung 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 128GB SATA 6.0G
~$600 (includes tax. There's an additional $20 off the SSD when you buy an intel chip, lucky me)


Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 MemoryP ($174.99 @ Best Buy)
Data Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard DriveP ($128.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video CardP ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair TX950 ($109.98 @NCIX US) [an extra 50W for $20 less)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower CaseP ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD WriterP ($68.20 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD WriterP ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard KeyboardP ($9.78 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Microsoft S7J-00001 Wired Optical MouseP ($19.99 @ Adorama)
New Total: $1901.64

Please keep comments to this current build only.

With the voltage regulators on the chips I'm wondering if I really need the Liquid cooling? Most articles say you can only get to 4.5 GHZ and be stable?

If I go back to the H100i that's an additonal $100 .

I guess I can always add it them later with the corsair fans later as well if need be.

I'm trying to keep this around $1900 . . . if you could find some room in it without sacrificing performance I'm all ears. Thanks in advanced again for all of the help, this is giving me high confidence for building my own rig.



 
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g-unit1111

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No you don't need liquid cooling. But why do you need two BD-R burners? A single one doesn't work as advertised on the PC.
 
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