$1500 Gaming Build Suggestions?

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Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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Approximate Purchase Date: Around Christmas, will there be major price drops in a month for some parts?

Budget Range: $1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, programming, netflix/hbo, school work

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Do you need to buy OS: No I can get it cheap at my University. I really like windows 7 and have a disk but if I upgrade should I get windows 8 or 8.1 or what?

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon and Newegg only please

Location: Ohio, USA

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: I would like to have a 2560x1440p IPSmonitor with integrated speakers (I know the speakers are bad but I don't want to buy separate speakers and I don't always want to have to wear my headphones when I want to watch/play something) like an Asus PB278Q (1440p version obviously).

Additional Comments: I want to be able to play newer games such as BF4/Hardline, Titanfall, etc. on high settings 1440p 60+ fps.
 
Solution
Kohwali


Both, I explain selections for a lot of the parts I chose.

Feel free to ask any questions.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.32 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card...
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Here you go, with a nice black / blue theme and it gives you $300 left over for the monitor of your choice:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BL 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($123.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($116.09 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1213.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 19:02 EST-0500

 
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I

i7Baby

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Jul 25, 2012
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Black Friday is the best time to buy in the US.

I like Windows 7 best.

The Asus PB278Q is $480 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294. I wouldn't spend 1/3 of the budget just on the monitor.

You should stick to 1080p - under $200

Try -

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.94 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($150.00 @ Logic Supply)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Orange ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Mac Mall)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($27.13 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1306.94

plus a monitor eg Asus 24in 1080p $160 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236102

 
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Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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Nice build but would you recommend a different cpu or motherboard that is cheaper that won't overclock? I would rather save the money on the cpu cooler, cpu, and motherboard (I know I wouldn't save a lot) because I really don't want anything I can overclock. Thanks!
 
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Nuckles_56

Nuckles_56

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May 25, 2014
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Here is what I would go with

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($274.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($50.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer UM.HB6AA.A01 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1490.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 19:07 EST-0500
 
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X

Xibyth

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It's a little over budget, but this should cover everything you need. The display has built in speakers, and at that price point it's a great deal. If you want to save a bit of money you could probably drop the disc drive but I noticed you had the OS disc, you can also drop that noctua for hyper 212 evo for half the price and very close performance. You can also get the non k 4690 for $30 less but it will affect performance. Do not get a server processor for daily use and gaming. It cost extra for features you will not use or even be aware of.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rDmxWZ
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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This is what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI H97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.32 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($459.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1515.22
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 20:37 EST-0500

-4690 is the newer version of the 4670 with better thermals. (both are the same price)
-Switched from WD Blue to Barracuda: http://hdd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/WD-Blue-1TB-2010-vs-Seagate-Barracuda-720014-3TB/2023vs1374
-H97 Guard Pro because SLi support
-Switched to EVGA G2 850W which is an excellent PSU and can support SLI + overclocking
-Enthoo Pro is the best full tower case, see a HardwareCanucks review here: http://youtu.be/cBhmn21ylkc

I know it should be able to get those games on 1080p at 60+ FPS. Not sure about 1440p, but I'm pretty sure it can at least run those games on medium settings at 60+ FPS.

UPDATE: Here are benchmarks of Battlefield 4 with different graphics cards. As you can see the GTX 970 averages 50 FPS on 1440p ultra settings: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2014/09/19/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-review/6
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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Go with this build and buy some $20 external speakers. They'll be better than integrated speakers, because integrated speakers/webcams/microphones are pretty garbage.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.32 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($78.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1219.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 21:18 EST-0500

Selected a Z97-A for the motherboard because tbh I'm not too sure about the H97-Guard pro I selected earlier and just about every H97 mobo does not have support for SLI, which would be a much cheaper upgrade alternative in the future.

I chose the ASUS VS239H-P and I'd vouch for it. Excellent product, especially for that price. I do a lot of gaming as well as a little video editing. Excellent colors and response times. Here's HubPage's take on the best IPS gaming monitors: http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-IPS-Monitor-for-Gaming
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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Both, I explain selections for a lot of the parts I chose.

Feel free to ask any questions.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.32 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1110.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 21:56 EST-0500
 
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Solution
Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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Jun 2, 2012
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Okay I have a few questions/issues.

1. Why a 4460 when everyone else is recommending a 4690?
2. Why a Z97 motherboard when I don't want to overclock or sli/xfire?
3. Why spend almost $100 on a 850w psu when the system will probably only use 550 watts full load?
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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1. Because you're not OCing, an i5-4460 is all you'll need. You won't notice a difference between a 4460 and 4690 in games.
2. If you ever need or want to upgrade, you can just grab another 970, which is easily cheaper and will give much better performance than upgrading to another single GPU.
3. EVGA G2 850W is highly regarded and will be more than enough for SLI + overclocking (yes, I know you're not doing any of these currently, but if you ever decide to, its a lot easier to upgrade less parts). It's a steal at $100. PSUs hit peak efficiencies between 40-80% of maximum load: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025425/how-to-pick-the-best-pc-power-supply.html

JonnyGURU's review on the G2 850W: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377
 
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Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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Okay, I liked the answers you gave and they did make a lot of sense haha :D.

I changed it basically to your build just made it red/black themed :D should look very nice: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7gM33C

Good?
 
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Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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Okay, I will most likely go with the seagate when I start ordering then unless like you said the western digital is cheaper. Thanks for the help and hopefully when black friday rolls around somethings will have dropped in price a bit!
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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When I said cheaper, I mean at least $10 cheaper. Good luck with your build! Do come back if you have any problems (like I did on my first build haha).
 
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Jordannn15

Jordannn15

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No one said anything but is the i5-4460 going to bottleneck a 970? Also no one recommended an amd build such as fx-8320/8350 + mobo... why? I know the intel's are more powerful core for core but aren't games utilizing more cores now like BF4?
 
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