Lonely Gamer's PC for $2,000

seventhdawn · Jun 10, 2014

Hi guys!

I'm planning to build a gaming PC with following specs:

Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 week(s) from now
Budget Range: should fit into $2,000
System Usage: gaming, lots of gaming
Are you buying a monitor: yes
Parts to Upgrade: new PC
Do you need to buy OS: yes (OEM)
Preferred Website for Parts: pcpartpicker.com
Location: Czech Republic (EU)
Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, GeForce GPU
Overclocking: maybe
SLI or Crossfire: no
Your Monitor Resolution: need upgrade to 1920x1080
Additional Comments: roomy ATX case with good airflow (at least 2-3 fans) and without annoying decorations, GPU must have good cooler, mobo must be very durable and as much future-proof as possible

My initial part list:

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero (note - this one should have good onboard sound)
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz (note - saving some budget here, will upgrade later)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 (note - these are not low-profile, will they fit alongside GPU on mobo?)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM (note - saving some budget here, will upgrade later)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST
OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM)
Monitor: Eizo FS2333 (note - is this really as good as people say?)

Components: approx. $1,935
Monitor: approx. $430

Thanks in advance and cheers!
SeventhDawn

woltej1 · Jun 10, 2014

1. considered the 290?
2. do you really need a $200+ mobo just for the sound?
3. the 4690k is coming soon
4. need better cooling than $30. get the nhd14 from noctua
5. no SSD at this price?
6. I doubt that screen is worth it.

Graphiicz · Jun 10, 2014

Only get this if you plan on overclocking.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($71.10 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M550 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($156.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($419.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($71.30 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Mwave)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1526.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 14:46 EDT-0400)

You can get a cheaper monitor than that. Something like this maybe:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/aoc-monitor-i2367fh

EpicStarman · Jun 10, 2014

Take this build and you can add any of the other needed devices (such as OS, Optical Drive and monitor).
It will serve you well.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/EpicStarman/saved/VM22FT
If you want to spend a bit more you can always use my build (you don't have to use the peripherals)
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/EpicStarman/saved/ccJnTW

seventhdawn · Jun 11, 2014

Thanks for the suggestions!

@ woltej1

1. considered the 290?

You mean something like MSI R9 290X GAMING or LIGHTNING? (both are OC'ed but the latter is more expensive)

Even though I prefer NVIDIA, looking at this thread both GTX 780 and R9 290X seem quite similar in performance, assuming I'll be gaming on single 1920x1080 monitor. I thought that NVIDIA has better features for games such as PhysX as well.

The price of EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX vs. MSI R9 290X GAMING 4GB is pretty much the same here, so why do you think I should go with R9 290X?

2. do you really need a $200+ mobo just for the sound?

Good question, as I wrote in my original post, I'd like to have a very durable mobo that should survive at least 4+ years of intense gaming.

A cheaper alternative would be something like MSI Z87-G45, looking at this thread people tend to prefer the Maximus VI Hero. Personally I don't mind spending extra $70 on a rock solid mobo.

3. the 4690k is coming soon

In general, I've tried to avoid buying expensive top-of-the-line CPU - I can upgrade it anytime later.

However, I see that 4690K pre-order at newegg has same price as 4670K so maybe I could wait... question is, if it's really worth it.

4. need better cooling than $30. get the nhd14 from noctua

Or maybe simply NH-D15 as Graphiicz mentioned in his post? I'm seeing NH-D15 getting top scores on most reviews, seems like the successor of NH-D14.

But yeah I agree, saving few bucks on CPU cooler might not be worth it, so I agree with you about going with Noctua.

5. no SSD at this price?

On a second thought, maybe I'll get a 250 GB SSD. I guess I'll choose between Crucial M5xx vs. Samsung 840 EVO but I'll need to read some reviews about them. What would you recommend here?

6. I doubt that screen is worth it.

That monitor (Eizo FS2333) is getting top reviews because of IPS panel technology and quick response times, I think it's currently the quickest IPS panel monitor on the market. So if not Eizo, what's your recommendation here, and why? After all, what's the point of spending big money on powerful GPU if the monitor isn't a good one

@Graphiicz

Agree with NH-D15. I'll consider the SSD.

G.Skill RAM isn't available for sale here and I don't want to order parts from some remote vendor.

I don't see much difference between Seagate Barracuda vs. WD Caviar Blue, why Seagate?

The monitor you suggested is indeed cheaper alternative but I think I'll stick with Eizo this time, always wanted to see if it lives to its legend

@EpicStarman

Thanks man!

Question - I see that your build with EVGA GTX 780 also has "only" 620W PSU, is that really enough? If yes, I could go for a similar PSU myself.

Should I also buy more (than 3) fans for the case (Corsair Vengeance C70) if I don't plan to overclock the GPU?

Kingston Fury Black RAM 1600 seems 15% cheaper than Crucial Ballistix Tactical 1866, why Kingston over Crucial?

Thanks again guys and cheers!

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Lonely Gamer's PC for $2,000

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