Build Gaming computer for Dayz

greyfoxwins · Apr 16, 2014

HI all,

I am looking to build a gaming computer for as cost-efficient as possible while keeping it current and also expandable in capability.
I currently play various GPU-intensive computer games such as Skyrim (with HD texture mods etc) and Dayz, which uses a lot of resources when loading a lot of textures (in a city). I'm looking to spend about $400 on a good graphics cards, preferably NVIDIA. Can you help? Thanks!

-G

FlyingHelmet-1373206 · Apr 16, 2014

How much are you planning for the whole build?

Kekoh · Apr 16, 2014

GTX 770 would probably be the best deal for ~$400.

However, DayZ is extremely cpu intensive, so it's not all about the video card.

STACKS ON DECK · Apr 16, 2014

do you have your rig and just want to upgrade gpu ?
if yes so 770 is a good deal

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Was looking to spend about 1500-1800 on the wholebuild if possible.
-G

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

I don't currently have a rig but could put one together. Also was looking at maybe having Cyberpower or digital storm put one together for me for about that price. I'm looking for a high power machine that I can upgrade as tech gets more advanced.
-G

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

1500-1800 will get you an extremely powerful rig if you build it yourself. If you know how to build it yourself you should do that, you will end up paying extra for someone else to build it (or get slightly less at the same price point).

For that price range all of your components will be very powerful. Since you will be playing DayZ I would recommend a 4770K.

I ended up being curious and threw together a quick build. Here is what I came up with: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3to19

Keep in mind, I didn't try to go for the best deal. I just quickly threw together some really good stuff to see what the final price would come out to. You could easily shave ~$100-200 off

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Hey guys! Thank you for your quick responses and assistance. I went over to Cyberpowerpc.com and have compiled a rig that, from my somewhat limited knowledge in the part-selection process, would seem like a beast. It could be overkill for what I am looking for, but it makes my mouth water. The $2k price tag is a bit disconcerting as well. Here's the setup:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1G103X
Thoughts? Ideas on how I could shave some $ off the final price?

Thanks all,

-G

Avocade · Apr 17, 2014

Do not do a prebuilt like that... those custom rigs are over priced... and Cyber Power is one of the worst to use.

Part for part you can make that same rig for less.

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Avocade :

That's what I figured... Thank you for the tip Avocade. I am looking at building from parts from Newegg. Is that a suitable online store? Cheapest and most reliable? or do you have an alternative?
Thanks,

-G

abCasPeRR · Apr 17, 2014

greyfoxwins :

To be fair. I've never met someone who could run DayZ well at all.

Avocade · Apr 17, 2014

What you built in there uses a bunch of parts that you don't need or aren't making use of. Unless you plan to overclock and are comfortable actually doing it don't get an H80i get like a Noctua CPU cooler. You have a 3 way SLI motherboard? You are only buying one GPU. now having two is a good idea so if you wanted to Sli later it's there. an I9 4930k is well way overkill.... and i5 4670 non K or even a 4770k is more proper for a build like this even those are a bit overkill.

Avocade · Apr 17, 2014

Depends really. You can use PC part picker and it will find all the cheapest prices from all verified retailers. Newegg is great, I use amazon cause I'm a prime member and have a store card so I get free 2 day shipping. If you can or want me or someone here to make you a good solid build and get you set up with purchasing. Just let us know what retailer or if you'd like to use a cross retailer like PCPartPicker.

abCasPeRR · Apr 17, 2014

Avocade :

Months ago I would have recommended a i7. But with AMD releasing Mantle, and NVIDIA now starting to roll out their response. The hyperthreading will basically become unnecessary and i5's will rule gaming. IMO at least.

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

I'm not sure if it will shave money off or not, but I would recommend dropping the CPU down to a 4770K and upping the GPU to a GTX 780. I doubt you need the 4930K.

This is a very powerful build, but honestly, the GTX 770 will hold it back. You could always buy another GTX 770 down the road and SLI them, but you will end up running into optimization issues. I prefer to run a single, very powerful GPU.

Avocade · Apr 17, 2014

abCasPeRR :

I believe this is most cases is absolutely true, but some games are coming to the market in the next year or two that can benefit from hyper-threading more substantially and make gaming better for those of us who have that. Now that doesn't mean i5's are obsolete but if you can spare the extra $100 over an i5 to an i7 I'd say go for it.

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

abCasPeRR :

Honestly you're right. That game tries to load so much... and if we're talking about the SA then it is a very early build of the game, and the mod is exactly what it is... a MOD.

The best thing that can handle it to even get anywhere near 60 fps is probably closer to a $6000 machine ;D

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

greyfoxwins :

GTX 780 Ti will run DayZ SA @ 60fps (and a powerful CPU to match), with some minor hiccups here and there. It isn't optimized yet, so performance will get much better.

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Kekoh :

Honestly Kekoh I am doing some research on that build you made on pcpartpicker and it is amazing. I think if I go with building my own (which I probably will) then I will use your suggestion as the starting point... if I change anything at all. =)

Thank you sir.

-G

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

greyfoxwins :

No problem. It's basically a newer version of my PC which I did a lot of research on when building. I am still extremely satisfied with my rig, and it's now over a year old.

I did a minor update to the list and managed to knock off an extra $20. But you are able to lower the cost a little more by a few things.

1) If you have a MicroCenter near you, the 4770K is much cheaper there, that would save you roughly $40.
2) SSD. Samsungs are generally more expensive than other SSD's. If you do some research you can probably find one that performs equally, for less money.

This build doesn't include a regular HDD, which i forgot. Fortunately they aren't very expensive.

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Kekoh :

I noticed it didn't have an HDD, and I was looking at some 2tb for about $80. not too bad.
I would like to have an SSD for AT LEAST the OS for quick boot. the more software/games I can fit on there the better, but the jumps in price are pretty steep.

Also, I noticed that the tower is superb, but also contributes to the cost. What would be the advantages of a chassis like that versus something like this, from Newegg?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

Thanks again,

-G
UPDATE - Corrected link. I'm ctl-c'ing and v'ing a bunch of stuff here.

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

greyfoxwins :

Yeah, the Storm Trooper definitely adds cost, bu it is a truly awesome case. It's a full sized tower case, so it's pretty massive, but allows for excellent airflow and minimizes heat buildup. It also has a high quality handle near the top so moving the case is easy, plus a bunch of other nifty little features. One thing to consider about cases, is when you finally end up upgrading your computer, or doing a new build, the case will be reusable.

If it's too much (which it is for most people), then I would recommend this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Kekoh :

Wonderful!!! Thanks again for the input.
Now I think I'm narrowing down my search, and once again I'm going with a lot of your recommendations. One more question -- i know that there are a lot of variables with choosing a good video card, and what makes one better than another.
What makes the difference in the card you selected in the parts lineup, the EVGA GTX 780 3 gb stack up to the card in the link below?
http://tinyurl.com/mlquvez

This one is cheaper and has '4gb' of memory rather than 3... but ~$100 cheaper. I'm assuming the bitrate plays a big role in performance...

Thanks,

-G

Kekoh · Apr 17, 2014

greyfoxwins :

In this particular case, the one you are looking at happens to be a GTX 770. I put a GTX 780 on my list, which I recommend you should do. The video card will be you weakest component in your build, so a GTX 780 would fit nicely and allow you to play everything on ultra. There is only one card better than that, and it's the GTX 780 Ti, which is an additional couple hundred dollars more.

As for different models, I chose the EVGA (as opposed to ASUS, Gigabyte, etc) because they have the best customer service, and should you ever need to RMA the card it will be a better experience than the other brands. Not only that, but the EVGA cards perform well and have good cooling. 3GB will be plenty of VRAM, so don;t get caught up on that number.

Also, if you are planning on using the RAM I suggested, I've actually changed my recommendation based on a few things I read today. I would go with this: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl9d8gbsr

greyfoxwins · Apr 17, 2014

Kekoh :

Alright! Definitely working with the specifics of the build now. I am narrowing down selections and may start purchasing tonight. I wouldn't mind access to an Amazon Prime account though... haha

Looking for a solid monitor too. Good refresh rate, maybe 24" or around there, for a solid price. I know monitors can be elusive because there can be a range of different selections. Do you have any suggestions? what do you work with? (Also thinking about connecting it to my 42" HDTV, but Idk if its refresh rate is good enough).
Also thinking about the little things needed to compile it, such as thermal paste, etc. What else would I need to put it together? I'll check Youtube for instructional vids.

-G

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