New Build - Looking for advice and sanity check

SuperDaveA

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Nov 17, 2014
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I'm getting ready to build a new computer. Primary function will be gaming, but to be honest, I have less and less time for gaming these days (work, kids, wife, life). I'd still like something fast and able to game on the rare occasion that I get the time. Anyways, I'm looking for a sanity check on the components I have chosen and for a bit of advice where I can't decide what to choose.

Build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MNXzCJ

Rundown and questions:
i5-4590 --> Looks like I can probably get my hands on an i5-4590K for only $10 more.... so if that is still the case when I go to order, I'll probably do that.

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX

8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 (2x4GB)

Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" SSD --> I have tons of old school 3.5" drives for data storage. Super excited about getting my first SSD.

EVGA GeForce GTX 760 --> Not sure if I should go for the GTX 770. Looks like it's around $50 more. Any advice/ opinions here would be appreciated.

BitFenix Prodigy M MicroATX Case --> I was also considering the BitFenix Phenom M or Corsair 350D. I kind of liked the Prodigy M look though. Not sure how quite the included fans are though. Any advice/ opinions here would be appreciated. I'm looking for something small, quite, and not crazy looking.

SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Semi-modular ATX PS

Win 8.1 64bit

I'm also wondering if the stock cooler on the CPU is going to be okay, or if I should be looking for something after market. I've been seeing a bunch of closed loop CPU coolers, like the Corsair H55, but not sure which ones are good and quiet.

I'm also looking for some advice on quite fans. I want this computer to be as quite as possible. I get really tired of hearing my wife complain about how noisy my previous builds are (I really don't think they are noisy at all). Not really looking to go full water cooled though.

Last question is on optical media drives. I'm thinking it would be nice to have one for installing windows and burning the occasional DVD or CD. What's a well accepted tried and true optical drive? I don't need anything fancy, but something that is going to be quick would be nice.

Thanks for any advice that you have to offer!!

Update - O yeah, a sanity check would be great too. Something like, "You're crazy, only an idiot would get that part" :) Thanks!
 

coops1

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On the whole looks liek a good build. I couldn't comment on the case as I haven't owned either, however I would deffinately be tempted by an AMD 280x over the 760. Same price as 760 & performance roughly on par with a 770.

As far as the CPU cooler goes, if you buy a non-k i5 then you won't need anything past the stock cooler as it will keep it in safe limits. If you buy a k version i5 and want to overclock it, pick up a cheap CPU cooler such as a CM Hyper 212 EVO for around $30, it's really awesome. If you did want a closed loop system, I'm running a H80 which I picked up for £35, keeps my processor cool & is super quiet in doing so (although you can REALLY hear it if you put fans to 100%).
 

SuperDaveA

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Yeah, I was thinking of a closed loop cooler more for sound abaitment than cooling reasons.

I'm kind of partial to nvidia over AMD. Just kind of a personal brand choice. I'm once had a bad experience with an AMD card.
 

coops1

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Fair enough, two warnings about closed loop coolers:

first, most people say air coolers are quiter due to pump noise and the such. I can't comment as I've only owned closed loop & its never bothered me.

Second, some of the older corsair models (like my h80) have fans which plug into the pump which is situated on the CPU, the only way of changing fan speed is to click a button which is also situated on the CPU. This is super annoying. I didn't have enough case fan headers to plug them into my board so had to use a knitting needle threaded through the case side to press the button when I wanted higher speed for gaming.

Fair enough on the GPU - if you're set on Nvidia I'd definitely try and save for a 770, you may find one on a decent deal now the 970s are out & theyre a lot better than 760s.
 

SuperDaveA

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Thanks for all the info Coops1.
Interesting info on the closed loop coolers. Nice fix on your side, hahaha.
Yeah, I'm thinking of going for the 770 more and more every day.
 
It's not bad, but there are changes I'd make:
1, If you are near a Micro Center, i'd go with the 4690K for ONLY 179.99 (before, it was 199.99)
2, I would get the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H for 129.99 after rebate, it's a better board
3, You're getting ripped off on that RAM, even if it looks cool, a set of G.SKILL Ripjaws X 2133/CL9 can be found for the same price
4, The case is overpriced for what it is, IMO. A good ATX case goes for ~40$
5, the PSU is also overpriced for what it is. A quality XFX 550 watt unit will do the job just fine.

I myself would avoid CLC kits because, honestly, do you want to run the risk of having coolant spill over your stuff and shorting your components? Liquid cooling parts are also hard to replace whereas a fan only costs 10$.

All in all, this is what I'd do:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ Directron)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $996.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-19 10:55 EST-0500
IMO, sacrificing the SSD for a WAY better GPU is worth it.
 

SuperDaveA

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Thanks for the input zeyuanfu.

Yeah, agreed on the 4690K. There is a micro center right by me so I'll go for that one.

I chose the Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 because it was a micro-ATX board and therefore would fit in a smaller case (which I would like).

Roger that on the RAM. I don't think I really need OC'd RAM though. Do you have a better choice for std speed 1600 RAM?

Yeah, I actually went and looked at the case at Micro Center yesterday. I don't like it. The handles are kind of sharp and they make the case unstable. Any suggestions on a nice micro-ATX case? Nothing crazy looking.

I had read somewhere that the SeaSonic SSR-650RM was a good quality PSU that was quiet. That is why I had chose it. Is the XFX a good quality and quite PSU?

Thanks!
 
If you absolutely want a mATX board (nothing wrong with that), then this would be the best one (in its price range) you can get: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97mocformula

If you absolutely want 1600 RAM, then here are two sets that you can take a look at: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tzrd38g1600hc9dc01 or https://pcpartpicker.com/part/patriot-memory-pvl38g160c9kb
But honestly, I would pay 6-10$ more to get faster RAM with the same timings. gaming, editing, rendering and other stuff all take advantage of faster RAM. If I were you, I'd stick with the 2133/CL9 kit.

For mATX cases, these would be my choices:
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc9011028ww
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc9011070ww
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfcphm300kkxkknv
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcaarcminir2blw
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/deepcool-case-steamcastleblack
https://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefminibl
IMO, the Phenom M nVidia Edition is cool, especially if you're buying an nVidia GPU.

ALL XFX PSUs, no matter the model, are quality units, but the one I suggested is an 80+ Bronze unit. If you want 80+ Gold efficiency, then this would be the PSU to get: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone750m
For 59.99$ after rebate, that 750 watt PSU is unbeatable for its value. If you're looking to SLI GTX 970s later on, I'd recommend that one. If you're not, then I would still stick with the Capstone 750 watt as 550 watt Gold units are more expensive.
 

SuperDaveA

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Newly updated build list. Lots of the same stuff but taking into account suggestions from others (thanks zeyuanfu & coops1). Please give me one last sanity check, suggestions, gasps of disbelief :)

Thanks!

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SuperDaveA/saved/MnCMnQ

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.92 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($117.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: BitFenix Phenom M Nvidia Edition: Black MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($92.79 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1116.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 13:56 EST-0500
 
Not bad, but there are a few things I'd change:
1, The Z97M OC Formula's price has jumped to around 140, I'd get either a Gigabyte UD5H for 129.99$ after rebate or an Asus Z97-AR for 99.99$ after bundle discounts at Micro Center
2, The PSU is (REALLY) overpriced for what it is, if you're looking to SLI, then get the EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 for 89.99$, if not, I'd get the Corsair HX650 at 59.99$.
3, I'd spend a few bucks more on the OS for a non-OEM version so that (if I'm correct), you can transfer it between systems: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700578
Otherwise, great build!
 

SuperDaveA

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Ugh, freaking price moves. What a pain. I'll have a look at the new suggestions.

The reason I had stuck with the SeaSonic PSU was because I had read it was nice and quiet. I'm concerned about moving to other PSUs because of this. Not sure about the Corsair HX PSUs.
I was actually thinking of picking up a student copy of win 8.1 pro for $65 ish. I still have an active student account from grad school. Supposedly they are the same as the real deal pro version.