Build me a gaming computer

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

I might be building my first gaming computer and currently looking for the BEST parts and most reliable brands or manufacturers. But there is a challenge...

Requirements:
-A AUD$2,500 budget (AUD$2700 if previous budget was not possible).
http://au.pcpartpicker.com
-A computer that will last me at least 4-5 years.
-A gaming computer that can play the latest games on Ultra or High settings (Battlefield 4 and Hardline, upcoming Battlefield games and next-gen games for the next 3 years the minimum).
-Will be photo/video editing.
-Intel CPU with overclock (I might be overclocking).
-NVIDIA GPU (might be waiting for the 800 Series). I might plan to SLI.
-SSD
-A case that has good air circulation (I currently want the NZXT Phantom 820, but you figure that out).
-Gaming Keyboard and mouse.
-Monitor (4K if possible) to play 1080p.
-Operating System (Windows 8).
-You do your best.

I hope this is not a challenge. Good luck.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($399.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII RANGER ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($223.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($199.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($799.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($199.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($109.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($159.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($45.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $2588.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-31 21:01 EST+1000
There you go, this might require some fine tuning depending on what exactly you want out of your system.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

Thanks mate for your help.

Questions
-Is the ASUS Z97 better?
-I know G.Skill is a good brand but are there any brand maybe better than that? (How about Corsair)
-Between Seagate and Western digital, which one is better?
-Is Gigabyte a better brand than ASUS?
-I don't think 759W PSU is enough for me as I might be doing a SLI. I reckon a 850W would have enough headroom, what are your thoughts?
-I have taken a look at the Corsiar 750D, but I think I will still stay with the NZXT Phantom 820. What are your thoughts in this case?

Sorry to bombard a bunch of questions.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

1. Which Asus Z97? Z97 is a platform, the Ranger I listed is an Asus z97.
2. Corsair isn't better than G.Skill, but you can choose whichever you prefer, just see if there's something cheaper or the same price that's higher than 1600Mhz.
3. Both are good, Seagate drives are reliable and cheaper.
4. It's not a better brand, and it's not worse, it's just cheaper for comparable performance.
5. Indeed, a 750W would be enough, but going with an 850W PSU would be much better.
6. The 750D is a great case, but the phantom is good too, cases are a personal choice, so if you like the looks of the 820 then by all means go with that, it is more expensive though.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

-Maybe I should ask, what is the best LGA 1150 motherboard.
-Alright, anything better than G.Skill. I haven't heard much about it here down under.
-Alright I'll go with Seagate.
-Yeah, I will go with the 850W.
-As you said, it is a personal choice, thanks for understanding. Yup I heard it is overprice by many people.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

lightcloud :

1. The best? I would say the Maximus VII Hero, but it is more expensive, the Ranger is a step down from that, but it is still a great motherboard.
2. Nothing is "better" than G.Skill, it is known to be reliable and other than that, all RAM brands are basically the same, so if you went with a corsair ram with the exact same specs, you wouldn't see any difference in performance.
3. Good choice
4. The 850W version of the same PSU is excellent, I'll post it in the second build after you work out what you need exactly.
5. And yeah, I do understand, I for example, really like the H440, but it doesn't have an optical drive bay, which some people need. As long as the case is well built, and has good cooling performance, you can go for whatever shape/size/color you want.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

lightcloud :

1. The best? I would say the Maximus VII Hero, but it is more expensive, the Ranger is a step down from that, but it is still a great motherboard.
2. Nothing is "better" than G.Skill, it is known to be reliable and other than that, all RAM brands are basically the same, so if you went with a corsair ram with the exact same specs, you wouldn't see any difference in performance.
3. Good choice
4. The 850W version of the same PSU is excellent, I'll post it in the second build after you work out what you need exactly.
5. And yeah, I do understand, I for example, really like the H440, but it doesn't have an optical drive bay, which some people need. As long as the case is well built, and has good cooling performance, you can go for whatever shape/size/color you want.

-Alright could you add the Maximus VII hero int the new build.
-I will go with the G.Skill, the best. Probably don't need a 2400MHz right??
-Yeah, Seagate it is.
-Yup the best and most reliable brand for the PSU. Do you think it should be a Full or Semi modular.
-I go with the 820. Btw, checked out your case, looks cool and amazing.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

Oh, forgot to ask you, do you really need 16 GB of ram? For gaming, you wouldn't use anything over 8, but for video editing you might.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

I'll guess I'll need one for my editing, but it is not going to be occasional.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Forgotten to add this. I want my computer to be as silent as possible and not sound like a car engine.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($399.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($275.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($199.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($799.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($255.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($199.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($109.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $2542.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-31 22:07 EST+1000
The cooler I chose is really quiet, and performs great, so no need to worry about that. ^^ And the case has good acoustic performance as well.
I removed the keyboard, mouse and monitor for now, as it would be better to settle on the build first.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($399.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($275.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($199.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($799.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($255.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($199.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($109.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $2542.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-31 22:07 EST+1000
The cooler I chose is really quiet, and performs great, so no need to worry about that. ^^ And the case has good acoustic performance as well.
I removed the keyboard, mouse and monitor for now, as it would be better to settle on the build first.

Thanks very much for your help. Yeah, good idea to remove the keyboard and stuff. Just one more question, does my case have an optical drive.

Thanks again, really appreciate it.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

It doesn't come with one, but it has an optical drive bay. Look at the list of components, there's an optical drive in there.
And you're welcome.

You're gonna have a really nice build there. Good luck.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Would I need a wireless card adapter?

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

Thanks. So the case doesn't come with one but I can install it with the one you gave me right? Do I need to buy any extra materials to install the optical drive into the case.

Thanks, it is my first time and I like the build. I took out the GPU if you don't mind because I think I will be waiting for the 800 Series.

What monitor do you I should get when I finish the build?

Have you built a computer or have any experience. I am new to this, so could rate it out of 10 for building a computer.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

If you can't have a cable going from your router to your PC, yes you will need a wireless adapter.
And indeed, you can just install the one I gave you, and no you don't need anything else. Everything you need to build your computer comes with the parts.
That's a good call for waiting on the 800 series, but you might have to wait for some time, as rumors are saying it might have been delayed to 2015.
And yes I have built computers before, and this is definitely a high-end build. Without going into SLI or Crossfire, this is one of the best builds you can have. You have the best single GPU graphics card. (The r9 295X2 is better for example, but it's a dual gpu card, and over two times the price) The best lga 1150 processor. (You could get something better with lga 2011, but that's a lot more expensive, and you wouldn't benefit from it anyway) And great all-around components. I can't really give you a rating, but I can definitely tell you this is a great build.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Ytyoussef :

If you can't have a cable going from your router to your PC, yes you will need a wireless adapter.
And indeed, you can just install the one I gave you, and no you don't need anything else. Everything you need to build your computer comes with the parts.
That's a good call for waiting on the 800 series, but you might have to wait for some time, as rumors are saying it might have been delayed to 2015.
And yes I have built computers before, and this is definitely a high-end build. Without going into SLI or Crossfire, this is one of the best builds you can have. You have the best single GPU graphics card. (The r9 295X2 is better for example, but it's a dual gpu card, and over two times the price) The best lga 1150 processor. (You could get something better with lga 2011, but that's a lot more expensive, and you wouldn't benefit from it anyway) And great all-around components. I can't really give you a rating, but I can definitely tell you this is a great build.

Thanks mate for your help.

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

You're welcome.

Tom Farrow · Jul 31, 2014

A crucial thing to remember is, you asked for something that is future proof.

The future is not predictable

Just something to keep in mind

Ytyoussef · Jul 31, 2014

That is absolutely true.

lightcloud · Jul 31, 2014

Tom Farrow :

Assuming nothing happens like the CPU fries, or one of those problems. What is the expected life span of this latest computer build made by Ytyoussef.

Build me a gaming computer

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