JT's First Ever Build! (Late 2013)

jtsanabria · Oct 15, 2013

Approximate Purchase Date: Late October/Early November 2013 (Once I complete all research)

Budget Range: <$2000 before rebates, after shipping
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, watching movies, surfing the web, CADD, pure enjoyment
Am I Buying a Monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: All. Please note this is my first computer build so I am very open to learning new things about all/any components and their innate compatibility with one another. Here is my list so far:

• Processor: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901] Intel i7-4770k ($340)[/urlExt]
• Motherboard: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157369] ASRock Z87 Extreme4 LGA 1150 ($145)[/urlExt]
• RAM: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104371] Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB 2133Mhz($185)[/urlExt]
• Graphics Card: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949] EVGA GTX 760 4GB ($290)[/urlExt]
• Hard Drive: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840] Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200rpm ($70)[/urlExt]
• SSD: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192] Samsung 840 Pro 128MB ($142)[/urlExt]
• Case: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225] Cooler Master HAF X ($170)[/urlExt]
• Power Supply: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171057&Tpk=COOLER%20MASTER%20SILENT%20PRO%20GOLD%20800W] Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W ($170) [/urlExt]
• Cooler: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835214023] Enermax ETS-T40 ($35) [/urlExt]
• Optical Drive: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204] ASUS DVDR/RW, CDR/RW ($20) [/urlExt]
• Monitor: [urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313] Asus VG248QE 24” LED ($280) [/urlExt]

Do I need to buy OS: Yes
Preferred Website(s): Newegg (but also Frys, Amazon, TigerDirect)
Location: Rochester, New York
Overclocking: Maybe, I would like to learn more
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, I would like to learn more
My Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments / Why I’m Upgrading: I’m really just interested in getting any opinions from someone that may know more about computers than I currently do. I plan to learn a lot from this build. I enjoy learning about new technologies and how they work together and am open to any suggestions.

TNoDz_ · Oct 15, 2013

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($97.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($192.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($98.92 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($147.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $1986.68
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 17:03 EDT-0400)
This would be my realistic dream build if I had the cash for it. I find that these parts would make an absolute beast of a machine and that corsair 750D case is just perfection.

Your budget allows for this. Why go for a 760 when you get afford a 780 with the right pieces. If its a gaming rig you are building, the bulk of you money must be on the GPU.

Tradesman1 · Oct 15, 2013

TNoDz_ :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($97.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($192.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($98.92 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($147.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $1986.68
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 17:03 EDT-0400)
This would be my realistic dream build if I had the cash for it. I find that these parts would make an absolute beast of a machine and that corsair 750D case is just perfection.

Your budget allows for this. Why go for a 760 when you get afford a 780 with the right pieces. If its a gaming rig you are building, the bulk of you money must be on the GPU.

____________________________

+1

Good build, will however suggest the DRAM being the GSkill Tridents 2x8GB in 2133 or 2400, much better sticks and a better price

g-unit1111 · Oct 15, 2013

An i7 and 16GB of RAM does nothing for gaming, even for light CAD usage you don't really need it. Drop both of those and invest in a better GPU which you can definitely do for that much. Also that cooler is junk.

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: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($77.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($86.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($142.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($305.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($305.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($198.98 @ 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: $1717.72
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 19:03 EDT-0400)

Replaced the single GTX 760 with a pair of the new R9-280Xs, and that still gives you nearly $300 to spend on getting whatever monitor you want.

TNoDz_ · Oct 15, 2013

g-unit1111 :

I respectfully disagree with some of your choices good sir. First off, although the i7 might be a little overkill for gaming, I don't see it being too much because of the light CADD he will be doing. You never know if he might start working on it more, and with his budget...there is plenty of room for him to indulge in the i7's power.

When it comes to RAM, i'm pretty much sticking with 16gb. Yes i recommend quite often 8gb for any gaming rig. That's currently the sweet spot, but what's the harm in going for 16gb if there can be usefulness to it, and, again, when he has the budget for it. I know you can't future-proof a system but having extra RAM is a way to be prepared for a foreseeable future.

For dual graphics, I don't really have a preference. However, if he not going to be using more than one monitor than what's the point. I would rather get the full power of a GTX 780 on a PCI3 16X config than two r9 280x running on PCI3 8X config. I just don't see the benefit from that point of view.

Finally, on a personal note, I find that the fractal design r4 would be a better choice for a case if you want to go mid tower. But the 750D is just too pretty and too well made to pass up on; especially at it's current price.

Anyways, this is my 2 cents. Everyone has their preferred choices.

Tradesman1 · Oct 15, 2013

TNoDz_ :

g-unit1111 :

I respectfully disagree with some of your choices good sir. First off, although the i7 might be a little overkill for gaming, I don't see it being too much because of the light CADD he will be doing. You never know if he might start working on it more, and with his budget...there is plenty of room for him to indulge in the i7's power.

When it comes to RAM, i'm pretty much sticking with 16gb. Yes i recommend quite often 8gb for any gaming rig. That's currently the sweet spot, but what's the harm in going for 16gb if there can be usefulness to it, and, again, when he has the budget for it. I know you can't future-proof a system but having extra RAM is a way to be prepared for a foreseeable future.

For dual graphics, I don't really have a preference. However, if he not going to be using more than one monitor than what's the point. I would rather get the full power of a GTX 780 on a PCI3 16X config than two r9 280x running on PCI3 8X config. I just don't see the benefit from that point of view.

Finally, on a personal note, I find that the fractal design r4 would be a better choice for a case if you want to go mid tower. But the 750D is just too pretty and too well made to pass up on; especially at it's current price.

Anyways, this is my 2 cents. Everyone has their preferred choices.

_______________

+1

Don't forget, that despite years of promises, XFire is still very buggy

jtsanabria · Oct 15, 2013

I appreciate all the suggestions - thanks! I'm looking into all of these options and considering which ones I believe will suit me best.
HOWEVER, I did notice that apparently my EDIT did not go through when I meant to put that my budget is actually $1750 for the entire system - monitor and OS included. With that being said, I would assume I should stick with the GTX 760? Do you prefer the Corsair 750D over the CM HAF X? Why?

Thanks for the helpful tips, I've been reading a lot of other material to try to boost my knowledge on the topic so I appreciate all and any answers.

-JT

Tradesman1 · Oct 15, 2013

760 is still a very good GPU, and the HAF X is a great case, but could prob scale it back

TNoDz_ · Oct 15, 2013

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($327.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($97.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($192.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($126.92 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($98.92 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.96 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($405.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($147.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $1792.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 22:06 EDT-0400)

If 1750$ is your goal than this might be the build you want (OS and monitor included). Yes it's about 40$ above your budget but you can swap out the Asus ROG mobo for an MSI gaming one which is around 40$ less.

I really like the ROG mobos because they are literally designed around gaming. Every component is optimized for gaming. However, MSI offers a very nice gaming board in itself and it would also be a very good choice.

I toned down the GPU to a GTX 770. This GPU is pretty freaking awesome as well. Lots of people will pick this card if they can because it offers a little more longevity than the 760. If you want to be sure to run every game for the next couple of years on ultra settings, the 770 will do just that. Pick up a second 770 down the road and you will still be able to run everything no problem. The 760 is great in its category (budget of less the 1300$) but with your budget I would recommend the 770.

g-unit1111 · Oct 16, 2013

I respectfully disagree with some of your choices good sir. First off, although the i7 might be a little overkill for gaming, I don't see it being too much because of the light CADD he will be doing. You never know if he might start working on it more, and with his budget...there is plenty of room for him to indulge in the i7's power.

When it comes to RAM, i'm pretty much sticking with 16gb. Yes i recommend quite often 8gb for any gaming rig. That's currently the sweet spot, but what's the harm in going for 16gb if there can be usefulness to it, and, again, when he has the budget for it. I know you can't future-proof a system but having extra RAM is a way to be prepared for a foreseeable future.

I only recommend having 16GB or more if there's going to be Photoshop or video editing involved. For most CAD uses - you don't really need the extra RAM. If there's rendering you do, but for basic 2D CAD the extra RAM is not going to be used. Plus the price of RAM is so ridiculously high right now that I only recommend having 16GB or more in very rare circumstances.

For dual graphics, I don't really have a preference. However, if he not going to be using more than one monitor than what's the point. I would rather get the full power of a GTX 780 on a PCI3 16X config than two r9 280x running on PCI3 8X config. I just don't see the benefit from that point of view.

Depends on the resolution. If you're running a 1080P monitor I would agree, but if you've got $300 to spend, put that toward a 2560 x 1080 or 2560 x 1440 monitor, and then you will notice the benefit of dual GPUs.

Finally, on a personal note, I find that the fractal design r4 would be a better choice for a case if you want to go mid tower. But the 750D is just too pretty and too well made to pass up on; especially at it's current price.

They're both good choices, you can't go wrong with either one.

jtsanabria · Oct 16, 2013

Alright, so after seeing a couple discussions here and doing some reading:

MOBO: ASUS Maximus VI Hero vs. ASRock Z87 Extreme4? There is a decently large price difference here, so is it worth the extra ~$50 for the Maximus?

RAM: I'm going to go with 16GB based on my application (I will probably do more CADD than I'm expecting so I'd like to be ready for it). With that being said, is there any RAM that blows other RAM out of the water? I have heard great things about Kingston HyperX and Corsair Vengeance LP.

Case: I have a neweggbusiness deal that could potentially get me the CM HAF X for $130 shipped. That's a comparable price to the 750D. Which is a better case? If one is better than the other I wouldn't mind spending $30-40 extra on a better case.

Also, if I choose the Noctua cooler - Will I need LOW PROFILE ram?

Thanks!

Tradesman1 · Oct 16, 2013

I'd suggest the Hero, to me it was definitely worth it, OCs better, better BIOS and runs cooler, on DRAM 2x8GB and would suggest the Gskill Tridents (1866 or 2133), can run in slots 2x4 so no problem with the cooler (plus the upper fin is removable), good deal on the HAF, go for it!

jtsanabria · Oct 16, 2013

Thanks! And as far as the RAM goes - how do you know whether the mobo will match the required voltage input of the RAM? (1.5V vs. 1.65V etc)

Tradesman1 · Oct 16, 2013

With any DRAM 1600 and better, it should have XMP built in, simply enable XMP in the BIOS, select profile 1 and should be good to go, it will set up all for you. On DRAM, especially w/ the Hero I'd suggest looking at the GSkill Tridents or Snipers, they've been by far the best I've run on my Hero

jtsanabria · Oct 24, 2013

So after some more research and thinking, here is what my finalized proposed build is (please let me know if there's anything different I should consider!):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($165.51 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($127.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 4GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XM (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($168.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($266.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1892.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-24 15:16 EDT-0400)

TNoDz_ · Oct 24, 2013

It's getting there buddy. There are two things that I would like to bring up.

1. Having 4gb of VRAM will not increase performance as opposed to a 2gb version of the card. This is especially true on the GTX 760. Only if you're up in the ultra HD (4k) resolution will you see a small performance enhancement with 4gb, however it would take close toe 4 GTX 760 in SLI to get decent performance at that resolution.
Invest in a GTX 770 if you want more performance. It's a card built really to go in to the next generation of games. You'll still need to run two of the in SLI to reach 4k and at that point, if that's your goal, I would opt for an R9-290x which is built for that resolution.

2. Your PSU is quite costly. You'll be able to run two GTX 770 on a 750W PSU and still be able to OC. If you really want to be safe, 800W is a good place too. Spending 160$ on a PSU is a little high IMO and you can get something a little less powerfull for about 60$ less.

jtsanabria · Oct 24, 2013

TNoDz_ :

Points taken. Would you think that the Corsair AX760 would be a better solution for a psu or would you go to something even cheaper? For ~$30~$40, I don't want to sacrifice quality if possible. And as far as the 760 vs. 770 debate, I've heard that benchmark wise the 770 did not perform THAT MUCH better than the 760 (not $150 worth anyways). Comments on this?
Also, thanks for the time to help me out!

TNoDz_ · Oct 24, 2013

The AX series is a very high quality PSU, you should have no issues at all with the 760W; especially since its gold rated.

For the 770, you are loosing about 10-15 FPS with the 760 as opposed to the 770. This is considerable especially when you go a little more in the future where the power of the GPU will be put to test. Honestly, there might not be any futureproofing in the industry, however the 770 will handle more next gen games at ultra settings than the 760. If you can afford it, then go for it, otherwise the 760 will do.

jtsanabria · Oct 24, 2013

So let's say I go with the 770 - Would you still suggest a 2GB card over a 4GB? What implications would this have? The price difference between the two options is essentially $40 so...

TNoDz_ · Oct 24, 2013

Do you plan running three monitors off the 770?

jtsanabria · Oct 24, 2013

No, 2 max. With that being said I'm guessing you think the 2GB would be the better option?

jtsanabria · Oct 24, 2013

No, 2 max. With that being said I'm guessing you think the 2GB would be the better option?

TNoDz_ · Oct 24, 2013

You read my mind my friend!

Really, you will read pretty much everywhere that there is only marginal performance increase with 4gb even on 3 monitors. Just read a couple of reviews that pitches both versions of the cards against each other and you will see what i'm talking about.

JT's First Ever Build! (Late 2013)

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