Final Thoughts Before Purchase?

SIRmisterD

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Hello,
If you're a constant viewer on this forum, you'll have probably seen me post many threads related to this but I again want to make sure everything is good as I am certain that I will be buying. My main concern that I DO NOT want to happen, worst that I can think of, is me buying all the parts and then find out that something is missing or crucially wrong. I've went over this many times myself, but I want someone else to do the same so I know for certain that I won't screw anything up.

Uses: Editing, Gaming, Recording, School Work, and Daily Use.


Here is what I have:


CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)

Thermal Compound: Arctic Cooling MX-2 4g Thermal Paste ($4.59 @ Outlet PC)

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($144.99 @ Best Buy)

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.98 @ Outlet PC)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.98 @ Outlet PC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($265.79 @ Amazon)

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($24.99 @ Microcenter)

Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.42 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($143.54 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ Outlet PC)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)

Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($250.52 @ Amazon)

Other: Rosewill Anti-Static Wrist Strap RTK-002 ($2.99)

Total: $1824.66


There it is. If anything is majorly wrong, or I totally missing something, anything that raises an alarm, let me know. Even questions on parts, let me know. I'm sorry that I may sound a little bit paranoid but I have been waiting for a long time and I am just now given the chance.

Thanks! :)
 
Solution
The GPU isn't the best bet for the budget , not at all. The monitor won't be useful , any 130-180 range HD monitor will just do it. PSU is overkill , you wont need 700W plus even under OC on CPU and GPU. Thats unless you plan on adding a second GTX 760. You can save on SSD by picking a 840 EVO. Furthermore savings if you pick a Ultra Plus from SD. You could save some money , a 3.5inch slot and a 6GPBPS by buying a single 3TB HDD of your choice. The CPU cooler cant even handle a OC of 3.8GHz with stock voltage or a light voltage change. Get a Ivy Bridge CPU if OCing is the choice for you over outdated stuff.

Thats basically it.
The GPU isn't the best bet for the budget , not at all. The monitor won't be useful , any 130-180 range HD monitor will just do it. PSU is overkill , you wont need 700W plus even under OC on CPU and GPU. Thats unless you plan on adding a second GTX 760. You can save on SSD by picking a 840 EVO. Furthermore savings if you pick a Ultra Plus from SD. You could save some money , a 3.5inch slot and a 6GPBPS by buying a single 3TB HDD of your choice. The CPU cooler cant even handle a OC of 3.8GHz with stock voltage or a light voltage change. Get a Ivy Bridge CPU if OCing is the choice for you over outdated stuff.

Thats basically it.
 
Solution

SIRmisterD

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Ya, I personally don't like going with the 760 as well. For right now, I will be doing gaming, but not Skyrim, for example, gaming where its super graphic intensive. However, I plan on getting the EVGA 770 maybe for Christmas then upgrade it using the EVGA 90 Day Step-Up Plan to get the 780 for around $200 more.

The reason I chose such a beast of a monitor is so I can have it for later on, and never have to get a new one, because I know it will last, etc.

The PSU I choose because I do plan on adding either a second 760, or even a better card then even later on a second one.

The reason why I went with a 2TB HDD and a 1TB HDD is so I can separate the editing storage, and daily storage. SSD obviously for OS, and applications I want to open quickly.

Really? I've heard that the CM 212 EVO was a great choice for a low budget cooler and could handle a 4.0-4.5GHz OC?. That was from many people too. I want Haswell because I am not that big into OC. I certainly will try to OC my 4770k however.
 
In case if editing and recording isn't regular and a bit of lag is acceptable , you could fit a GTX 780 , 3570k and monitor , this way -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Beast 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($138.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($653.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750B BRONZE 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($151.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1821.59
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-26 11:37 EDT-0400)
If you want lag free streams and faster edits over GPU performance , get this i7-3770K + GTX 770 build with bigger SSD , better cooler and motherboard -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($92.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($174.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Kingston Beast 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($138.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($178.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750B BRONZE 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($151.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1819.62
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-26 11:36 EDT-0400)
 


Hmmm , Get the GTX 770 or GTX 780 build , depending on your preferences.
Expensive and Higher specs monitors wont last longer than poorer specced and cheaper ones unless its a brand and quality difference , my Dell S2240L , which is amongst the poorest one on paper in some fields ( 7ms response time , No DVI , etc ) still satisfies my HD 7950 on ultra or very high in most games and I have seen Dell monitors last for 3-4 years under 8 hrs usage a day not for office or home , but even under gaming , editing , etc ( although it wont make a huge difference ) All about durability depends on the brand and your usage. Your monitor IMHO is nothing different compared to a similar spec monitor at 170> unless its about showing it off to every one you know.
Okay , like I said if 760SLI was to be done , no problem with PSU.
You can create partitions on a single HDD according to your choice. The advantage of a single HDD technically is more than two. Practically , two HDD's also seem better.
Haswell produces a lot of heat under lowest possible voltages and multipliers ( forget FSB's ) So yeah , a Noctua NH-U14S is a must have if Haswell OCing was to be done. Would prefer a cheap Custom Water Cooling Loop Kit though ( like the XSPC Raystorm RS240 )

 

SIRmisterD

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Ok, based on what you said about the monitor, does the refresh rate make a difference? The one I selected has a 144Hz.

Yes, I have my reasons behind my PSU, so thats all good and dandy there.

I can, but I'd rather have separate drives. Just my preference.

For the cooler, I just looked at some results with the CM EVO, and they were 4.4 - 4.6GHz. Click this for the link to see the results. On PCPartPicker, I filtered the builds to be a i7 4770k, with the CM 212 EVO, and that it is OC'ed. Thats what I got.
 


I haven't used 144Hz although a friend and most guys here won't recommend one , unless your a pro gamer who just wants something for bragging rights.
Okay for PSU and HDD.
The CM 212 EVO surely does cool , if volt's under 1.250 ( 1.3 if lucky ) Here's a guy saying something about voltage "I think the sweet spot for Intel 4th Gen i7 4770K processor is < 1.2 to 1.275 Volts." Also he was using the iGPU , so at best he can hit med on average game. The statement ahead is wrong as I can bet a H100i can cool it down on 1.3+ to a limit. Also the 212 EVO will not keep you cooled satisfactorily on editing. Both guys haven't said about settings , and the other guy says " I honestly don't know the CPU temperature under load because it's never gone over 40C yet." , and on top , he was using a crappy CRT , so thats a bigger shame and temps not trustable as his best resolution will be somewhat 800x600 which means the CPU wasn't breaking a sweat. Weird that PCPartPicker says 61 on full and 27 on idle , I mean even a NH-U14S will have it challenging. I also have seen people claiming that PCPartPicker has a crap temp loader so I won't trust it for this one. Check some reviews and you will realise what I mean.
P.S - I have no hate on the 212 EVO or CM ( I love CM since my HAF XB purchase ). Its just the case that I believe you will have issues with it and I felt I should let you know what might be on stakes so that your first OC doesn't end up as a BSOD.
 

SIRmisterD

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Ok, seems like everything is solved except for this cooling situation. I am now just starting to see what you are talking about. What would you recommend for a cooler that is cheap(ish), but still provides quality? I really can't go too much higher. I don't mind if it is Air, or Liquid- Just not custom loop. I might do a custom loop later.

That's ok. I mean at the beginning I had a feeling that you were against CM, but now I see the reason why you wrote what you did. Thanks for that. This is what I really wanted, someone to call me out on something. Thank you.
 

Nope I have no hate on any brand including CM. TBH the 212 EVO is a great cooler , no doubt at all. Just the case that no proper build was shown on PCPartPicker as there was either a poor GPU or none and a CRT monitor. So it wont make even a bit of sensible as your looking for a sky high system.
For your monitor , the GTX 760 then is left as a choice which will never though satisfy you unless you SLI which I believe your not looking for right now.
Anyways , as for the cooler , the U14S was the cheapest one that even got approved when Thomas compared 9 big aircoolers on the i7-4770K. Its noise and acoustics over performance was great as well. So yeah , for me the winner probably was the U14S. If you add another fan on it , I am sure you will see a greater reduce in temps. If you still cant justify yourself , get the Thermalright True Spirit 140 BW atleast. Cant recommend anything below. The choice is yours. Either buy a CM 212 EVO cooler for now and upgrade to a custom loop once you get into OCing and have the monet or buy a U14S or True Spirit 140BW just now and sit back and relax.
 

SIRmisterD

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Ok, well what I did was go with the monitor you have suggested, and got a 770. I think I'll be more satisfied with this, like you said.

Alright. I think what I'm going to do is get the CM 212 EVO for now, just as a start, then later on get a custom loop. I'll try and see what I can get out of the EVO for now, but I'm sure if I get the custom loop I'll get high 4+GHz. Maybe 5, if I'm lucky.

Thank you for all this help! You did save me from buying the 760. Thank you again! I will be purchasing all of this at the end of this week. Maybe every part except the CPU because I will be getting that at Microcenter for $280.
 


How do you fit a build with GTX 770 + i7-4770K + ASUS VG24QE in 1830$ bucks ? Just tell me and you will get my approved award.
 


No problem ! Also if you want a custom loop part list , let me know your budget and I will give you one. I would appreciate if you provide me some pics here , of your PC and parts ( if you can ) Also if you pick my answer as the solution , I would love it.
Thanks !
 

SIRmisterD

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I put the monitor you suggested instead of the one I chose. Came out to around $1850, close enough to my budget.
 

SIRmisterD

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I definitely will later on! How would you like me to let you know? PM you on here, or email, or someplace else outside of TomsHardware? I'll be able to, no problem! Same question, how would you like me to give you some pics? Again, I will. I just didn't want to close the thread until we were done. I will pick your answer now. Thank you again!
 

SIRmisterD

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I need the i7. I do a lot of editing, thats why I need the 4770k. If I didn't I would go with the 4670k all day long.
 

SIRmisterD

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But then I do gaming on the side as well. I would rather have the 1-2ms response time, than the 6ms response time. I think the monitor now is fine for both, just like CommentariesAndMore said.
 

SIRmisterD

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I agree.

Have you thought about how you'd like me to send you pictures, and how I can ask you later on for a custom loop kit?
 
By posting on this thread or creating a new one or you can PM me or mail me at - awesomecommentaries@gmail.com

Also the Dell S2240L has a 7ms response time. But TBH , response times above 10ms is what makes difference , else its good. If you want lower response time over clarity by a bit , go for the Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor.
If you have an idea on the budget let me know right now and I will give you a loop list.
 

SIRmisterD

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Alright, I think I'll probably email you from my backup gmail account.

Ok, thats good to know. I mean I still think 6-7ms is a little bit high for me. I think 1-2 is prime for me. I don't mind if it isn't as good quality.

I really don't as of now. What does a great quality one cost?
 
Even if its Vegas ,Still it affects.
IPS Panel are the best choice as there's a wider viewing angle and have the best picture.
1-7ms is the best choice for response time. I found no lag in my Dell which has the 7ms response time. Some users use 10-12ms monitors for gaming and still have no ghosting. However would recommend you to pick something in the 1-7ms range.
 

SIRmisterD

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I have heard they were too, but also super expensive sometimes. I'm fine with the one you suggested.