First time builder, proposed build

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wbrian200

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Sep 29, 2013
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I've put together my first gaming rig (only on paper so far), and I'm looking for feedback. A couple places I chose to save money were going with no SSD, and choosing a micro ATX instead of a full ATX mobo. I think I may do some overclocking for the CPU only at some point, so I've tried to design it to accommodate that as well. Also, I'm pretty stuck on the mobo due to the onboard audio it provides (I am somewhat of an audiophile), but if anyone thinks there is solid cause for going with a full ATX, I could change to Sniper 5 and have essentially the same specs, just more slots. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (super clocked version)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit
 
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RedJaron

Adding an SSD after the fact generally isn't too difficult. You can get most SSDs with a drive replacement kit that comes with a software cloning tool that transfers things...
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RedJaron

RedJaron

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Sep 20, 2011
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I think you're spending a lot more on the mboard than you really need to. I like good audio too, but if you're not using near professional quality speakers and headsets, paying extra for special OP-AMPs won't make a difference. I'd just as soon save the money on a the mboard and get a dedicated add-on sound board like a Xonar or X-Fi. Same price, but you'll get extra connectivity and Dolby Digital Live and DTS-Connect support. My current "go to" board is the ASRock Z87 Extreme4 around $130.

You generally don't need 16GB of RAM if you're not doing heavy 3D design or video editing. Drop it to 8GB and you can save some money.

If you're only running a single HDD, I'd say up it to 2TB and get a performance drive, like the Caviar Black. However, I highly recommend a SSD. It just makes the whole system feel snappy.

The PSU isn't bad. That line of EVGA is made by FSP which is solid. However it's a lot of overkill. If you plan to run two 780s, that I'd keep it. But if you're keeping it single GPU, a good 550W will save you money .

For about $1400, if you want the i5, Noctua, and 780 for $1400, I'd look at something like this.

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1382.89

Then just add-in your favorite sound card.
 
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wbrian200

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Sep 29, 2013
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Thanks for your input...I've actually already ordered everything, with some slight changes. I still chose to go with no SSD, and I kept the same hard drive. My thinking/understanding is the hard drive I chose and the lack of an SSD will have no impact on game performance, so this was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I did change the mobo, though it was a slightly more expensive one.

The Asus I went with instead also has a very good on-board audio solution, and it's full ATX, as opposed to the micro I initially had. Audio, as mentioned before is important to me, and while I don't have a professional audio set up, I do have a very high quality home theater system I will be using this on.

As for the 16 gigs of ram, I am fully aware this is overkill right now, but I would like to think I'm future proofing it a little bit more, and the extra RAM should at least have some impact on overall system speed, making up a little for the lack of an SSD. Plus, I got a good black friday deal on the RAM, and it just seemed like the better value compared to just the 8.

My assumptions may be wrong, as this is my first build and my experience with this is limited. In any case, I am assuming the rig I'm putting together will be a great performer, and I'm hopeful it work well for the next few years or so before any upgrades might be needed. I'm only running this on my 1080p set in my living room, and nothing ultra hi-res, so I assume it will give me what I'm looking for.

Here is my final build:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($158.12 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($47.27 @ TigerDirect)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
 
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RedJaron

RedJaron

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Sep 20, 2011
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Well, here are a few pointers for your next build in a few years.

No, an SSD doesn't have direct impact on game performance while playing the game. However, games and applications load from an SSD much faster than from spindle. This means your system boots and responds better during ordinary tasks, apps start faster, and game levels load faster. It may not show up in a benchmark, but an SSD greatly adds to the computing experience.

Just because a mboard has a fiber optic or digital coax port doesn't mean you'll get surround sound in all your games. Most games don't actually output sound in Dolby or DTS surround formats. They use uncompressed PCM. You can't output 5.1 PCM over fiber, it doesn't have the bandwidth. Converting surround PCM to Dolby or DTS takes special stuff called Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect. Most Z87 boards have the ALC1150 audio chipset which has DTS Conect, which includes yours, but also includes a lot of cheaper boards too. Most add-in soundcards have DDL and DTS hardware in them, as do the PS3 and 360, which is why the games output digital surround sound. The audio shielding extras in some pricier mboards are only for analog signals, which are those going to the 3.5mm jacks. Digitally encoded audio signals over fiber or coax largely aren't affected by interference or degradation within the case. So unless you hook up speakers or headphones using multichannel cables, using those color-coded 3.5mm jacks, it doesn't make a difference.

Lastly, I never begrudge finding a good deal on RAM. However in this case, the extra RAM will not help replace the SSD ( unless you plan to make a RAM drive, which might be fun. ) Extra RAM only helps system speed when you're starting to use it all. Right now on my system I have Mass Effect, Guild Wars 2, and about 30 browser tabs all open ( just for testing purposes, this isn't a normal use scenario, ) and it's just barely using over 6GB RAM. By the time 16GB RAM becomes necessary, I'll need to build a whole new system anyway.
 
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wbrian200

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Sep 29, 2013
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That's all some really useful info, and I appreciate it! I am going to have some gift cards coming for Christmas, so I may just use some of that toward an SSD. I guess based on your input I probably could've gotten an equally performing system for about a couple hundred less, but overall I still feel pretty good about what I'm putting together. However, in the future I will definitely remember your mobo suggestions.

If I do decide to go ahead and add in the SSD after the holidays, is it a big deal doing that on a system already set up? Do I just transfer my OS over to the SSD as the boot drive, or do I have do a clean install, and what all is involved with running two storage devices?

Also, to ensure my games output in 5.1, what will I need to do?. I'm understanding the optical in most cases won't do this, so will the 5.1 audio transmit over the HDMI port? This is definitely an are where I want to be certain I'm doing what needs to be done to make this happen. Thanks!
 
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RedJaron

RedJaron

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Sep 20, 2011
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Adding an SSD after the fact generally isn't too difficult. You can get most SSDs with a drive replacement kit that comes with a software cloning tool that transfers things over. I've never used one myself, but I understand they're not too bad. As for running two drives, there's nothing special to it. Your SSD is limited in space so just make sure that only your most time sensitive apps are installed to it. Every other program, and preferably document data, should be stored on the spindle drive. Win7 actually makes document storage pretty easy with its library folders.

Getting 5.1 from your games might be a trickier affair, but it might be really simple too. Here are a few things to try:

    • Connect the multi-channel audio outs from your mboard to your receiver. This may not be the most convenient method cable-wise, but I can guarantee it will work.

      Connect a fiber cable from your mboard to your receiver and change Windows' audio preference to the Digital Audio device. That board has DTS Connect, so it should be able to convert 5.1 PCM to DTS 5.1 and send that to your receiver. The only limitation is if you have some audio devices that only support Dolby Digital and not DTS ( my Turtle Beach DSP is one such device. )

      Connect your 780 to your receiver with an HDMI cable. In Windows, change your audio preferences to the nVidia HDMI Output device. However, I don't know that the mboard's DTS Connect can be sent through the GPU. However I do believe uncompressed 5.1 PCM audio can go over HDMI as well as video, so your receiver might still get surround audio.
If you want a device that will be able to output Dolby Digital, DTS, and just about any other form of compressed 5.1 audio, then an aftermarket soundcard like a Xonar or X-Fi will be the way to go. These range about $100. You can also get PCIe soundcards that have HDMI outputs that can send 7.1 HD audio as well, though these are a lot pricier.
 
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wbrian200

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Sep 29, 2013
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You're been incredibly helpful. Thanks so much for your input! I will be able to put this info to great use in my current build, and any future builds I get in to. Thanks again.
 
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