$2,000-$2,500 PC. Help with building it

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dexterm

Honorable
Aug 26, 2013
4
0
10,510
Approximate Purchase Date: This week or maybe next week. Depends on how busy I am at work.

Budget Range: Around $2000 -$2500(not that accurate since pricing from where I live is a whole lot more than the usual SRP in the States). So I'm willing to go more or less depending on recommendations.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Mostly gaming with some video & Photo editing

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: The whole CPU (starting from scratch)

Do you need to buy OS: Yes. But that's not included on my price range and will be bought separately at a different time. I'll most likely get windows 8

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Buying it locally. Mostly just need opinions on the parts not the price.

Location: City, State/Region, Country - Singapore

Parts Preferences: Asus, Corsair

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: As mentioned earlier, price range doesn't really apply to me as SRP is different here than in the US. But I guess you guys have a general idea of my budget from the parts listed below.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Typing this on a 5 year old pc. nuff said...

I'm no computer expert, but I did a lot of research regarding these parts. I still wanted to know if I made the right choice from the experts here.

Here are the parts:

Intel Core i7-4770K
Asus MAXIMUS VI FORMULA
Corsair Hydro Series H100i
Corsair AX760 ATX Power Supply CP-9020045
Corsair 600T Special Edition White Graphite Series
Samsung MZ-7PD256BW 256GB 2.5-inch SSD 840 Pro Series
(will be grabbing a hdd shortly after this so I'm kinda ok with only this much space for about a month)

Ok... I'm pretty much fixed on the parts stated above but will gladly change it if you guys have a better suggestion.

The parts below is where I'm having some doubts with...

Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR3 1600 4GBx2kit CL8 CMD8GX3M2A1600C8 (x2)
---I like how this RAM looks and I do know they're pricey but I'm kinda ok with that. My question is, should I go with the 2400 version (2x8) of this with c10? or is this enough? I don't plan on going more than 16GB so using up four slots is ok with me. I am however concerned if it's better to use two slots only for 16gb with ddr3 2400 and if there is a considerable performance boost.


This is my next problem...
GPU: EVGA GTX780 DDR5 3GB 384bit Superclockes w/ACX
GPU: Asus GTX 780 DirectCU II 3gb/384bit -37780
GPU: EVGA GTX Titan

1st, Is there any difference between the evga and the asus card(780)? From what I heard I can get a boost if I use an Asus board and gpu together. But from where I live, there's a HUGE difference in pricing between the two. So I'm kinda thinking if it's all worth it going with the Asus instead of the evga one.

I'm also thinking of just skipping the 780 and going for the Titan. I think I can still squeeze it in my budget but I'm really doubtful if it's gonna be worth it.

Hope you guys can help me with my concerns. Don't really want to rush buying this and then regret it afterwards. So expert opinions from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Here's basically the rig I was thinking of...

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1wBZa

Thanks!
 
Solution
Drew010
Here is a build that is smack dab in the middle of your price range and has all the components you requested. The RAM speed doesn't make all that much of a difference, 1866Mhz at CL9 is a very solid set. I managed to fit a titan in as well. the EVGA Titan is pretty much the best one out there. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1wBzU
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dexterm

Honorable
Aug 26, 2013
4
0
10,510


Thanks for the quick reply.

I do have some questions regarding some of the parts that you recommended.

Is the Asus SABERTOOTH Z87 ATX better than the maximus Vi formula? Haven't really researched outside of asus' ROG line.

and is the Gold rated but higher wattage psu better than a 750 platinum?
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Jul 27, 2011
42,542
815
104,940


ROG is way overrated. You do not need to pay $400 for a motherboard when one that's $200 performs the exact same functions.

The energy efficiency labels on power supplies are just that: labels. There's almost no discernable difference between gold, silver, platinum, and bronze. As long as you get one that's well made you won't have a problem. On the previous build - 1866 RAM is not necessary (and there is absolutely zero reason to pay 3x the price for Dominator Platinum, repeat ZERO), and the Titan I could go either way. Dual GTX 770 has been known to match or beat the Titan for less money.

I would do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($107.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($108.99 @ 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 (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2 1000W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($197.04 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2006.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-26 14:53 EDT-0400)

 
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babernet_1

babernet_1

Honorable
May 8, 2012
2,850
0
13,460
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($73.00 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.24 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.24 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($669.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master V700 700W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $2315.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-26 20:16 EDT-0400)

Here's a build with a different slant. First of all, I specked a top quality air cooler that will also cool your motherboard and RAM. A lot less hassle than a water cooler, the NH-C14 is almost silent too. Also I went with an awesome 1TB SSD, the Samsung 840 EVO. It will last forever with that capacity and is fast as blazes. Comes with RAM cashe software that makes it twice as fast as any other SSD out there, even the 840 PRO! At 1TB you can put everything on there and enjoy that speed. I included a HDD just in case.

Note the RAM has no heat spreader so it will fit fine with any CPU cooler.

Mother board is fine for a non-SLI user. Save a few bucks. The Sabertooth tends to trap dust under the shield.

The EVGA GTX 780's have the best ratings at Newegg.

The case is a personal decision, go with what you want.

The PS is a real bargain. Cooler Master is moving into the top quality area of Power Supplies and their new V series is the best. Has the best fan - hands down. And is very efficient when you are in sleep mode and misses Platinum efficiency by a percent or two. All reviewers highly recommend it.

 
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dexterm

Honorable
Aug 26, 2013
4
0
10,510


Yeah, I kinda always get that answer regarding the Dominator platinum. But I still kinda like the looks. I know it's superficial, but to each his own. But thanks for the honest opinion. So I guess from what you're saying, I should just stick with the 1600 version. Still not sure if I should get 4 sticks or 2 sticks. Max I'm planning is 16gb so available slots really isn't an issue with me.

With regards to the Video card, I also read that 2 770's on sli does outclass the titan, but I'm not really into doing SLI That's why I'm looking for a better option between an asus/evga 780 or a titan(if it's worth it, then why not). Still not sure if There's a benefit in using asus board+gpu together or just go with the cheaper evga one. or.. again.. a titan.

I guess it's back to the old drawing board for me with regards to the mobo. don't really have any other idea aside from the rog ones.
 
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dexterm

Honorable
Aug 26, 2013
4
0
10,510


Wow. This is really different from what I was looking for but definitely a good angle to look at.

Never really considered other PSU's 'till now since most people would recommend corsair or seasonic so i only looked into those.

I guess, everyone here agrees that the maximus vi formula isn't worth it. (sigh) It did kinda look nice though. But I still need a board with wifi+bt and a good integrated sound chip.
 
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babernet_1

babernet_1

Honorable
May 8, 2012
2,850
0
13,460


The pro has wifi bt + good sound.
 
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