First Build (Feedback Please)

Ben Carter

Honorable
Jan 29, 2014
15
0
10,510
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX760 SuperClocked w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2765-KR) Graphics Cards 02G-P4-2765-KR ($250)

*OR*

MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 OC 2GB GDDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card N760 TF 2GD5/OC ($265)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.4 GHZ 6 MB Cache ($220)

PSU:Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 750 Watt ATX/EPS 80 PLUS Bronze (TX750) ($120)

Motherboard: MSI Computer Corp. Motherboard ATX DDR3 1333 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z87-GD65 GAMING ($190)

Case: *HELP*
Rosewill Blackhawk ($70)
Corsair Carbide 500R ($130)
Corsair Graphite 230T ($70)
($70-$130-$70)

RAM: *HELP* CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9R ($85)


CPU Cooler: *HELP*
Corsair Hydro Series H110 280 mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler ($110)

*OR*

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) ($35)

*OR*

Noctua 6 Dual Heatpipe with 140mm/120mm Dual SSO Bearing Fans CPU Cooler NH-D14 - ($80)

Storage:Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE250BW ($160)

*AND*

Western Digital WD1002FAEX Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive ($100)

This is compiled from feedback from my first thread, and I wanted to get even more variety from the community before I begin my planning.

I have no idea what fans, radiators, airflow configurations to use, feedback would be appreciated.

I plan to use this rig for gaming, but I also add the 16GB of RAM for a bit more flexibility in regular use.

I'm a bit reluctant on the storage options I've made. Please help me with those.

I'm somewhat amateur, where I've read articles and watch PC build guides, but I've never had the available resources to physically build my own.

All products and prices are from Amazon.

My budget would have to be around $1350, but if it HAS to, I could probably go anywhere up to $1450.

If there are any huge things incoming in the tech world, please tell me, as I don't want to end up being outdated within months of buying.

Also, if you think there's a monitor or speaker that would be well suited to my hardware and needs, as well as having longevity to go with this project, please include that in your response.

This project will need some long-term plotting, as I'm going to want to be able to stick with this rig for quite a long while, as $1200 is quite a large figure to me at this point in life.

Here's my PCPartPicker list: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Shimokaze/saved/3B7x

Thanks for all of your feedback on my first thread, I was overjoyed to see so many quick and detailed responses.
 

Ben Carter

Honorable
Jan 29, 2014
15
0
10,510
Well, on my PCPartPicker list, it goes up to about $1200, not including the monitors, speakers, or additional fans. But my top, top budget would have to be about $1350.


 

Ronaldspiers

Honorable
Sep 25, 2013
333
0
10,860
OK. I will give my personal thoughts on your build.

1- The MSI GTX 760 Hawk is supposedly the best of the 760s. Its has the highest clock rate, it's quiet, cool and can be overclocked well. (As someone has mentioned which I forgot) EVGA have a better warranty than MSI with their cards.

2- Super fast 2400 MHz RAM is not going to help gaming performance much. You probably wont even notice the difference. So I would go with what is cheaper to be honest. And unless I am mistaken no game would ever really use 8GB of RAM. 16GB is more for encoding and that kind of thing. So if you just wanted to save some cash then 8GB would definitely suit your needs.

3- If you plan on doing serious heavy overclocking (which again won't really impact on your gaming performance at all) then go for the corsair cooler or a top tier air cooler. For light - moderate overclocking the hyper 212 EVO will be great. It could probably coole your CPU well enough even in hefty overclocking situations. But better safe than sorry I guess :p


OK here is something along the lines of what I would personally do.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill BLACKHAWK-BLUE ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit - OEM (64-bit) ($137.98 @ Best Buy)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1354.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-31 17:59 EST-0500)

Hyper 212 EVO cooler
Cheaper motherboard
8GB RAM (1600MHz)
Cheaper PSU
With the saved money form those changes your budget can now afford a GTX 770 and an SSD. You could always ditch the SSD and use the remainder of the funds on a PSU with more wattage or whatever else you wanted and still afford the 770

This is just what I would personally do. Feel free to disregard it. Everyone wants to have a build that meets their standards
 

deadmaufive

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2013
405
1
18,960
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139056 I would recommend this PSU just because it allows for more upgrading in the future, and it is full modular.

as for the case, I would say either the carbide 500 or the 230 depending on how large you want to go, but I personally don't like rosewill products other than their cables.

For the RAM, go with the gskill, it's cheaper and unless you're doing some extreme editing you won't need speeds past 1600 anyway. Not to mention 16GBs is already overkill, again unless you're editing. 8Gb is more than enough for gaming and everyday uses for your computer.

The cooler, if you plan on overclocking go with the corsair H110. I personally use a swiftech h220 which does wonders and allows for adding in loops to graphics or other components if you ever wanted to do so in the future. but if you only plan on doing your cpu, the h110 is extremely good.

and then their's your gpu, both are nice and don't offer enough of a difference to determine which would be better. Choose whichever brand is your favorite.
 

dgingeri

Distinguished
Nice decision making so far. you've got a nice set of components. I'll give you my opinion on some things and why I feel that way. Your decision, after all is said and done, though.

I'd go for the EVGA video card because they have better warranty service.
I'd go for the Mushkin memory because it is faster.
For the case, I have a Corsair Carbide Air 540. It is a WONDERFUL case, especially with a water cooler. http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Airflow-CC-9011030-WW/dp/B00D6GINF4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391208673&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+carbide+air+540
I have two H100 coolers, and I swear by them, The installation procedure is so easy. The H110 has a bit harder install bracket. The water coolers make things so much easier than air coolers because you don't have to worry so much about clearance around the CPU socket.

The Hybrid hard drive isn't such a great thing, though. They made the cache far too small. With a Z87 board, you can get a cheap 60-64GB SSD and use that as a cache for a regular 2TB hard drive. It works a whole lot better.