Gaming PC build with a budget of ~$1100 - suggestions/opinions needed!

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BlackRoseImmortal

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Feb 16, 2014
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Hello all. I'm going to be building my first gaming rig and I'd like some critique on the parts I have selected for my build before I make any purchases. I want to be able to play BF4 on maximum settings. I will also be watching movies on this rig and is the reason why I'm spending about 20 dollars extra for an LG blu-ray capable optical drive. Aside from that, my goal is to get the best bang for the buck. I have posted the parts I have chosen below with some comments about why I chose what I did, and also what I'm unsure about.

Approximate Purchase Date: Very soon
Budget Range: $1000 to $1200 at most
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Movies, Music, Light Photo Editing
Are you buying a monitor: No
Do you need to buy OS: Maybe
Location: Dallas, TX
Overclocking: Not interested
SLI or Crossfire: In the future, maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: dual 1920 x 1080 monitors

Parts List:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116898
*I have no intentions of overclocking, so I chose the 4670 instead of the 4670k. This saved me $20.

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157369&ignorebbr=1
*This seems like a good value board
*I realize an H87 board would be a cheaper option since I don't intend on ever overclocking, but H87 boards seem to be lacking in input choices and, from what I've read, a Z87 board would be the better option if I ever decide to get another GTX 770.

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Storage: SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247
*I already have a spare 1TB Seagate 7200 RPM HDD that I will use for game storage. The SSD will be the boot drive.

Video Card: GIGABYTE GV-N770OC-2GD GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready WindForce 3X 450W Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125463
*This card seems to be regarded as a great value for the money. I read somewhere that the 4 GB version is only worth it when you have a monitor that has a higher resolution than 1920 x 1080, which I don't.

Case:
Rosewill ARMOR-EVO Gaming E-ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, support up to E-ATX, come with Six Fans-2x Front Red LED 120mm Fan, 2x Top 120mm Fan, 1x Side 230mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147175

Power Supply:
[strike]EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750 B 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified 750W Active PFC ATX12V v2.31/EPS 12V v2.91 5 Year Warranty 120-PB-0750-KR SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular NEW 4th Gen CPU Certified Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready Power Supply[/strike]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438007

SeaSonic S12G S12G-650 650W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151137

OR

Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371059

Optical Drive: LG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model UH12NS30 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136268

This build will cost a tad over $1100 before rebates. After rebates it will cost $1060. It seems like a good bang for the buck and should be able to play any current game at max settings. I'm unsure about purchasing Windows 8 since I have a spare copy of Windows 7, but if it's worth it I'll purchase Windows 8 which will take the build to around $1160.

Thanks for your help!
 
Solution
tiny voices
Change the PSU. That unit is average at best. Get 650w from Antec, XFX, Corsair (not CX), Seasonic.

The CPU cannot be overclocked so drop the motherboard to an h87 board.

You are correct with the GPU. 4gb is not needed at all for a 1080p monitor.
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BlackRoseImmortal

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Feb 16, 2014
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Thanks for the quick answer! I'll check out some more PSU's and the motherboard type you suggested. I wasn't sure how going with a CPU that couldn't be overclocked would effect my motherboard choices. Thanks again.
 
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BlackRoseImmortal

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Feb 16, 2014
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Actually, I might stick with a Z87 mobo even though the 4670 can't be overclocked. The reason is because it seems like all of the H87 boards I looked at don't have as many ports, and the layout of the boards seem poor in comparison to the Z87 boards. Also, I read that Crossfire would function better with a Z87 board, so I need to take that into account if I ever decide to get another GTX 770. I could be wrong, but it seems like H87 boards are more geared towards single GPU setups, despite being capable of SLI/Crossfire.

As far as PSU's go, I found this one:

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650M 650W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Semi Modular High Performance Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139031

Is it any good? I wish I could go with a cheaper alternative but even with that PSU the total build cost is $1090, which is fine. Thanks.
 
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BlackRoseImmortal

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Great, thanks! Is Windows 8 worth getting? I've heard a lot of bad things about it, but I've never actually used it. I have an extra copy of Windows 7, but if Windows 8 is actually good, I'll buy it. From what I've seen Windows 8 boots faster, and is more lightweight. I could probably get used to the UI.
 
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BlackRoseImmortal

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I considered the EVGA PSU because a friend of mine has been a loyal customer of theirs and I witnessed firsthand their great customer service when he had an issue with his GTX 670. The 5 year warranty also caught my eye as well as the attractive price point of the PSU. After reading some reviews on Newegg it does appear a few people had issues with the PSU actually catching fire in the case. I don't know if I'd want to risk something like that.

The Corsair HX 750 is a nice looking PSU but is a tad pricey for me. Is there anything comparable under $100? Thanks.
 
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BlackRoseImmortal

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Well, I don't intend on overclocking. I was trying to find the absolute best value rig for the money hence why I didn't opt for the 4670k. I was saving $20 by going with the regular 4670, which doesn't seem like much, but when I can save money on each component it adds up. Is there any advantage in going with the 4670k over the 4670 if I never intend on overclocking? I'll spend the extra 20 bucks if there is.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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Sep 6, 2012
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You don't really want that EVGA PSU. They make some good units but that is not one of them. HEre get any of these for $100 or less, they are all much better:

All of these are VERY high end units and will be plenty more than enough to run your system.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371059

Or if you REALLY think you need 750w (you don't):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

There is no advantage to the K CPU at all if you are not overclocking. Don't waste the money.
 
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BlackRoseImmortal

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Feb 16, 2014
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Thanks for the recommendations! I don't know how I missed those when I was looking at PSU's. The SeaSonic looks like a safe bet and a good value. I also like the Antec, and the red and black color scheme will match the other components in my case nicely. It's also modular. Hmm, I just need to decide between the SeaSonic and the Antec. Thanks again for the help!
 
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