~$1500 Gaming Build - Suggestions?

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Scionyde

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Jun 22, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($86.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($653.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill THOR V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1541.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 16:05 EDT-0400)

Any suggestions? With the current Newegg bundle sale for CPU+Motherboard, it's about the same as if I bought it at Microcenter, but this way, I don't need to drive two hours there and back. xD

I've heard mention that the Corsair Vengeance RAM can interfere with an aftermarket CPU cooler? Does anybody know what that means specifically? I looked on PC Part Picker to look at some pictures of builds that use the same RAM and CPU cooler, and it looks like it fits okay. Is it a problem of airflow or cabling?

Example: http://pcpartpicker.com/b/C2N

Also, is the full tower case too much? Will I have problems getting cables to reach?

Finally, right now I have a cheap monitor, but in a few months I'll be replacing it. What kind of monitor would I need to get to make a GTX 780 worth it? (Resolution, 120 Hz vs. 60 Hz?). If it's too expensive, maybe I should downgrade to a GTX 770 or Radeon HD 7970 GHz or something.

EDIT: BTW, this is planning for my first ever build, so I am still quite a noob!
 
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slomo4sho

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Consider the following changes:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB (Black) ATX Desktop Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1502.90
 
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Marcopolo123

Marcopolo123

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Wow lol definitly pick that cooler master seidon for only 35$ xD


 
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Whiteheadc37

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For a first build you definitely are goin all out. First off great solid build and merely as a suggestion is you can get performance very close to the 780 with the gigabyte 4gb 770 model and save about 200. I personally would use that saved money to up your motherboard to an asus Z87 Pro motherboard, get up to 16 gb of ram so you don't have to worry ever again (Corsair vengeance should be fine but if you prefer something different you can go with the G. Skill model) and upping your SSD to the Kingston Hyper 3x SSD



PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1994N
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1994N/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1994N/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($111.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($449.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill THOR V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1472.48
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 16:46 EDT-0400)


As for the case size you will be fine with that. Getting a bigger case means you will just have more than enough room for expansion should you want (dual-SLI GPU, liquid cooling system, etc.)



As for the monitor best overall monitor I prefer is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313
 
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Kamen_BG

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Just a few suggestions here.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5P Xtreme Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-7HX ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1519.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 16:54 EDT-0400)

In my opinion going for a bigger SSD is worth it.
You might have to sacrifice the HDD, but in my opinion 250 GB should hold you off until you get a HDD.

As for the monitor, this would definatly make the GTX 780 worth it.
http://overlordcomputer.com/collections/displays/products/new-overlord-tempest-x270oc-grade-a
2560 x 1440, 120 HZ, IPS Panel, it has it all.
 
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Jack Revenant

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To answer the question about RAM interfering with the CPU cooler, some RAM has tall heat spreaders (non-low profile Vengeance being one example) which are too tall to fit under an air cooler like the Hyper 212 Evo. To make sure you avoid that, look into ram marked as "Low Profile".
 
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Scionyde

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Thanks for all the responses, guys! I really appreciate it. :)

@Marcopolo123: Thanks for the suggestions. So, if I wanted to (over?)simplify it, 1080p -> GTX 770, 1440p -> GTX 780?

@slomo4sho: Interesting, especially with that relatively inexpensive liquid cooler. Definitely gonna do some more research on that. I've heard that there isn't a huge gain in performance between 1866 MHz and 1600 MHz ram, but it *is* only a few bucks more...do you ever notice a difference? As for the SSD, I was looking at the Samsung 840 before, but I've heard MLC is preferable to TLC, but I suppose I'm oversimplifying that a bit. I also noticed you suggest going with EVGA instead of MSI for the GPU. Is that just based on your personal experiences/preferences with the brand?

@Whiteheadc37: Hmm, I hadn't thought about going for a GTX 770 with more VRAM. One of the reasons I had picked the 780 over the 770 was some slight apprehension over whether the next gen console era would mean using more than the typical 2 GB for games. I suppose I'll do more digging into that. As for that SSD, how much better is it than the Plextor I picked? I don't know a whole lot about evaluating SSD's, but I was under the impression that how fast it reads is more important than how fast it writes. For Kingston vs. Plextor, it looks like 555 MB/s vs. 520 MB/s. I don't know if that's a whole lot, but are there other factors I'm missing? (Also, please correct me if I'm wrong lol). Finally, what do you consider to be the main benefits of going from the MSI board to the ASUS one? I'm a little embarrassed to say that I don't have a completely clear picture of what I want out of a motherboard featurewise. I've mostly been looking at whether it was relatively mid-range compared to others and had positive user reviews. >_< (Definitely an area where I plan to do more research)

@Kamen_BG: Another vote for EVGA! As far as I can tell, a lot of the specifications on these ~$650 GTX 780 cards look pretty similar. Are there any differences I'm missing, like does one have a better reference cooler than another? And that's an interesting point about the SSD. I originally was shooting for a 256 GB one, but I moved to 128 GB to save money. I suppose I could go for it, and see if there are any better sales on HDD around the 4th of July.

@Jack Revenant: Hmm, I see. Still, does the CPU cooler typically go over the RAM? In the pictures I saw on PC part picker, it looked as if they were adjacent with no overlap. But I suppose it would be prudent of me to look for some low profile ram, just to be safe.

:)
 
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Jack Revenant

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Hope you don't mind if I put in my two bits on a couple of these other responses.

1: 770 is enough for max on most games at 1080p. There are, however, a small number of games which require a 780 for maximum settings, and this number will grow as time goes by. This could be countered by adding another 770 down the line, but it's worth keeping in mind.

2: If you're looking for the best coolers, my vote would go to Gigabyte and ASUS. The Windforce and DirectCU II are extremely good. If you're looking to save a little on SSD, I've had good experiences with Mushkin.

3: It can vary. However, you lose nothing by choosing low profile and potentially avoid an issue (also, it looks less silly :p )
 
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slomo4sho

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The EVGA card is arguably the best card on the market currently due to it having the highest factory overclock and one of the best coolers. As far as the SSD, I prefer the reliability of the 840 series and the preference of MLC over TLC really does depend on your needs. Lastly, the price difference between 1600 and 1866 ram is too small to not consider upgrading to the 1866 (especially at this budget).
 
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Whiteheadc37

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First off the 770 will run virtually any game at max settings full 1080p very very well, especially with all the other things. However, there are those few games that require a nicer graphics card (the 770 will still run these games at max settings very well, just not as well as the 780) this can of course be countered by adding in a second 770 and completely beating any other single GPU performance (meaning the only thing that beats dual-SLI 770s is dual 780s or dual titans, a single 780 or titan won't be better than dual 770s) As for the motherboard, both Asus and MSI are great makers of it, Asus is just a little bit of a more reliable company and IMPO are better overall. As for the functions the main ones you want are dual sli, usb 3.0, efficient overclocking, sata ports. Both the MSI and Asus motherboard come with all these features and the MSI is in it's own a really great motherboard but I personally prefer Asus. Now as for the SSD the reason I recommended the Kingston isn't necessarily because the brand is bad it is more because in comparison Kingston is a much more reliable company with a bit of legs under it (Ex: Outback Steak house vs. some hole in the wall steak house, it isn't necessarily because the hole in the wall place is bad, for all we know it could be very good, the difference is outback is a more established company) If ya have any more questions I'll do my best to try and answer em.
 
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Scionyde

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@Jack Revenant: Not at all, I appreciate the help! Yeah, I've been getting recommendations to get a card that uses a custom cooling cooling designs like ones EVGA and Gigabyte offer. However, I can't seem to find the ASUS DirectCU II for sale anywhere. Unfortunately, the EVGA and Gigabyte seem to be largely sold out, so I might just pull the trigger on the deal/promo items and hope more get in stock soon. As for the SSD, I'm deciding between the Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 240GB and Plextor M5S 256GB. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226371 vs. http://www.microcenter.com/product/398906/M5s_PX-256M5S_256GB_SATA_60Gb-s_25_Internal_Solid_State_Drive_(SSD)_with_Marvel_88SS9174_controller Only problem is, I don't know if the Mushkin reviews I'm reading apply to the Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB or the Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB-7, the former being the same price as the Plextor. If they were equally priced, I think I'd choose Plextor since people seem to say the Marvell controller has better reliability than the SandForce, but I'm not sure.

@slomo4sho: Yeah, I think I will pick the EVGA one you picked. The only other one with custom cooling I can find for purchase is by Gigabyte, but it's a tad more expensive. Amazon lists it temporarily out of stock, so I hope they get more in soon!

@Whiteheadc37: Haha, I get what you mean. Speaking of brands, I've been looking into Mid ATX cases, partially to save money, partially so my case doesn't look so empty lol. I think I still want to go with the MSI board, so I've been looking at black/red cases to match (Kinda silly, I know, but part of me is being incredibly shallow and materialistic xD

I suppose this is open to everybody - the four black/red cases I was looking at are:

COUGAR Challenger:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811553008

ZALMAN Z11 Plus HF1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235035

Cooler Master Storm Scout 2:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119263

Cooler Master Storm Enforcer:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240

I'm more familiar with the name Cooler Master, so I'm more inclined to start looking into them more. Anybody have any experience with these cases? In a case, I was looking for something with 2x USB 3.0 ports, some built-in fans, at least one dust filter somewhere, and optionally for cosmetics - a side window and the black/red theme.
 
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Whiteheadc37

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Out of those options I personally would go with the storm enforcer. Just know that if you wanted you could go with the Cooler Master HAF 922 case (also black and red) which is about the same size as the enforcer, and about $40 cheaper. Only difference is it doesn't come with front usb 3.0 (can be replaced by usb 3.0 hub $30 if really desired). Another thing to keep in mind is that these cases are on their own black. They get the red glow to them from LED light fans on the inside so for some of these cases you can add a red LED fan to it and get the same effect on a regular black looking case.
 
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