Building a Gamer, but what CPU?

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Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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Hey Tomshardware, i got a little question or 2, hope you can help.

I am thinking about building a gamer, that should be able to run games like BF4, Watch Dogs and other "big" games on max settings, maybe not AntiAliasing, but atleast the other stuff.

This is the setup i'm thinking about at the moment:

Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout II (Black)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H (LGA 1150)
CPU: ??? (Been thinking of doing a i5-3570K and change MB to GA-Z77X-UD3H, but i'm not sure what to do.)
MEM: 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Kingston (Will be upgraded)
Graphic Card: ??? (Thinking about a R9 290X, but i have read it have heat problems(?), so ill prolly wait for a Toxic version for it.) (Else i'm open for suggestions on something similar)
Harddisc: 240GB SSD for my games + 2TB standard harddisc for storage and other stuff.
PSU: 750W Energon
DVD-drive: Samsung Sata DVDRW 224BB (Just a normal one)

Don't mind my spelling mistakes, english is not my first language :)

Hope some of you can help me out, and i'm open for better solotuins if any comes up.
 
Solution
Foldalot


That's true, if they are overclocked well. But since Lajsen won't do any OCing, I don't think that an AMD CPU is a good choice for him.

Anyhow, as long as he buys a powerful GPU like 290x, he doesn't have to worry too much about the CPU.

Maybe this will help him in his choice.

Or something like this

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L

Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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Well, i won't have all componets before christmas, so i got some time to wait and see what will be released.

Saw you posted a chart on another thread, and it looks nice. I see the i5-3570k i was thinking about is high on the charts. But can't find the i5 4670k you mentioned?

And if i go AMD, does a AMD FX-8350 + GA-990FXA-UD5 sound bad? :)
 
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Foldalot

Foldalot

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Oct 3, 2013
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You can't find i5 4670k on the chart I posted on the other thread? They didn't benchmark it because there isn't much of a difference in FPS even with quite lower CPUs, so i5 4670k wouldn't have gone bellow 97FPS.

FX 8350 is a good CPU, but if you are good with OCing and want so save some money you can get FX 8320. I am not good with motherboards so I don't want to fool you into taking a bad one. However, the one you posted doesn't seem to support PCIe 3.0 which is not future proof.

http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/images/perfrel_1920.gif
 
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Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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Ahh okay, i guess that's why it ain't on the chart. :)
I know absolutely nothing about OCing, tbh.
And i wasen't aware of that about the MB, thanks alot for telling me :)

Might as well stick to the i5 3570k and the GA-Z77X-UD3H, or is the i5 4670k better overall? Also thinking a little bit on the price.. :p
 
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Foldalot

Foldalot

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Knowing nothing about overclocking changes everything...

You do know what the "k" stands for at the CPU number, right?

You are buying a CPU that is meant to be overclocked (you don't have to, but it's a waste of money). Also that motherboard is for overclocking, and thus, more expensive.

If you are not going to OC, then you can get cheaper 1150LGA motherboard and i5 4570.
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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The 4670k is 5-10% better than the 3570k, but it's worth going for the 3570k if you can save some money towards a better graphics card. The 3570k overclocks a little better so you can make up some up that 5-10% with that.

The FX 8350 + 990FX motherboard combo is good too if you want to save a little more, but I do prefer the K-model i5s to this option.

Of course the i7 3770k/4770k are best if you have the money to spend.
 
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Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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Yeah, i know the "K" means it can be overclocked, but nothing more.. :)

So i won't be OCing it. But i guess i still can get a CPU + GPU strong enough to handle BF4, Watch Dogs etc.. on max settings?
If yes, what would you suggest?

EDIT: I won't be overclocking anything, because i know nothing about it.
With the price im willing to pay is about.. 450$~ for a CPU.
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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I really like these Xeons for people that aren't interested in overclocking.

Xeon E3-1230v3 - $253 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116906
Xeon E3-1240v2 - $264 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117285

These Xeons will easily outperform any non-K model i5

These Xeons are essentially locked i7s at a cheaper price making them extremely good deals. They both have turbo and hyperthreading.
The 1240v2 uses the LGA1155 socket and the 1230v3 uses the LGA1150 socket.
 
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Lajsen

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So, a i7 4770 / i7 3770 / i5 4670 / Xeon E3-1230v3 / Xeon E3-1240v2.
What about motherboard, any specific i need? Also thinking future, since i won't be thinking of replacing i a while.
The only thing i require of the mb is that it can take a R9 290x. Else, enlighten me, i'm very open of suggestions since i don't know alot about it :D
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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If you are not overclocking, any H or B series motherboard will work. The Z series motherboards are best if you can afford one, but they're mainly used for people who want to overclock as much as possible. They do sometimes offer better graphic support though.

LGA1155 socket - H61, H67, B75, P67, and Z77 are the most common.
LGA1150 socket - H81, H87, B85, and Z87. There are some Q ones too, but I don't know much about them.

The 1150 socket offers better standard features, but you can usually find better deals on the 1155 socket.
 
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Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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So, a Intel Core i7 4770 with a Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H will do my job? BF4/Other heavy games on Ultra.
Im very happy you guys will help me out this much, and type it down specific why, and such. :)

or is i7 overkill? will a Intel Core i5-4670 do?
 
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Avro Arrow

Avro Arrow

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For gaming, you don't need anything more expensive than an AMD FX-6300 and an R9-280X / HD 7970. Having said that, if I were you, I'd be going for the R9-290. The FX-6300 and R9-290 are the best values in gaming hardware today. Couple that with an ASRock 970 Pro3 motherboard and you're good to go.
 
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Foldalot

Foldalot

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That's true, if they are overclocked well. But since Lajsen won't do any OCing, I don't think that an AMD CPU is a good choice for him.

Anyhow, as long as he buys a powerful GPU like 290x, he doesn't have to worry too much about the CPU.

Maybe this will help him in his choice.

Or something like this

 
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Solution
Blaise170

Blaise170

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Sep 12, 2013
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Even without an overclock, AMD CPUs work very well for gaming. The FX series can utilize Catalyst Control Center and allow for an easy to apply turbo boost. The FX-6300 specifically can be boosted up to 4.0 GHz without an issue which is plenty for most games.
 
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Foldalot

Foldalot

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Oct 3, 2013
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I never said that AMD CPUs don't work well for gaming without overclocking. I was just explaining why they were considered as best value hardware.

My opinion is that if you want your AMD CPU to be future proof, you need to overclock.

He should also be able to boost the i5 4670 to 4GHz without problem. He'll just have to change the stock cooler

 
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L

Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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I think my final solution will be GA-Z87X-UD4H + i5 4670, since i have read some places the difference from the i7 4770 and i5 4670 will not affect the gaming experience.

Thank you all for your time and help, i really appreciate it! :)

Final setup:

Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout II (Black)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H (LGA 1150)
CPU: i5 4670
MEM: 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Kingston (Will be upgraded)
Graphic Card: (Waiting for a more cooled R9 290X)
Harddisc: 240GB SSD for my games + 2TB standard harddisc for storage and other stuff.
PSU: 750W Energon
DVD-drive: Samsung Sata DVDRW 224BB (Just a normal one)

In case you guys think anything else should be replaced based on the other content, please tell me. (Most afraid of PSU)
 
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Foldalot

Foldalot

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Yeah, don't overlook the PSU. Since you are building a high-end PC, go with good recognizable brand. Antec, Seasonic, Corsair, XFX... 750W bronze 80 plus will do the job. You'll also have space for CPU boost.
 
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L

Lajsen

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Nov 19, 2013
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I will go with a XFX 750W Bronze 80 plus i think also.

I'm also thinking of doing a i7 4770k, just because i can afford it.
Also i've been thinking ALOT about gpu. I'm between a single GTX 780Ti (heard rumors of a 6-8gb version coming) or 290x in CF. (If they make a Sapphire/Toxic/Vapor/whatever they are called) because i've read it have a few problems with heat and such.
 
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