Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help. I really appreciate it.
I have not built a PC since jumpers had to be physically altered (which always went so well with my giant, clumsy, hotdog fingers). So, though I have some underlying knowledge, I am too far removed from the current realm of PC to know if I am putting things together that should not be, buying components that are a poor choice for any number of reasons, etc.
Things to know:
• My intent for this build is to have an LGA 2011 platform upon which I can upgrade better CPU, GPU, etc. later. I realize hyper-threading is not necessary in gaming much yet and the i7-4820 is not the ideal gaming CPU, but it is a good price for 2011 from what I can see and will be upgraded about the time I upgrade my GPU, maybe later this year, but probably next.
• Since I already own this card -
EVGA GeForce GTX760 Dual Superclocked ACX Cooler 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 – I only included two of them in the parts list for power calculation purposes. Later I may go SLI or just replace it with a single GPU, probably the latter. I would appeciate recommendations on this point.
• I do a lot of things on my PC, work from home, novice video and audio editing, etc., but the primary reason for the components I selected is to allow some of the latest games, BF4 for example, to be playable. I would like to achieve max or near max frame rates at some point, but again, that is later when I go for a much higher level CPU and GPU.
So, if you could help me keep the price as low as possible, keeping in mind my primary objective is a solid 2011 platform for fluid FPS gaming that will be viable as long as possible, I would greatly appreciate it.
I included the suggested questions for requesting build help below, after the system specs.
Also, everything is on the table...trash and rewrite the list per your expertise as needed. Just keep in mind the GPU will be the one I own for now, which is listed above.
Here is the system:
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant /
Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($313.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 12g Thermal Paste ($17.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($314.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Is it really better to divide the memory up into 4 slots? I do not think I will go beyond 16GB, so I went with 4x4. Also, there were 8 versions of the same memory from the same vendor...I read all the specs and the only difference I could see was the color.
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($251.02 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($251.02 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($20.00 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($20.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1955.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-10 21:31 EST-0500)
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: Soon, next 30 days…not longer than 90 days.
Budget Range: I would like to keep it under $1000, but as you can see from my list, I am willing to go above if the value is substantial.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: 95% Gaming, 5% video/audio/image editing
Are you buying a monitor: Probably, but not now. I am looking at the 1900x1200 monitors, but it will be later this year. Right now I have a 1680x1050 (I think a 2ms 24” Samsung).
Parts to Upgrade: See system lists above.
Do you need to buy OS: I have Win 8.1, upgraded from Win 7 on a PC I will no longer use. I assume I can transfer Win 7 to new PC and upgrade again using same disks/keys. If it would be better to do a new install of Win 8, let me know, but I will not include the cost in the build budget.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I shop Amazon & Newegg primarily, but can go anywhere.
Parts Preferences: See system lists above.
Overclocking: I may try a bit, but only at novice levels.
SLI or Crossfire: Probably SLI at some point, but perhaps not…whatever makes most sense ($) when I am ready to upgrade the GPU.
Your Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050, will probably upgrade in next 12 months
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Primary reason is gaming. My current system cannot play the latest games well.