Gaming PC component opinions

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

Hey guys! I'm building my own gaming computer and I need some suggestions on how to maximize the performance with a budget similar to the build listed below. First of all, are all these parts compatible, I tried to check myself and found nothing wrong. Is there anything I should swap for something else? I'm slightly flexible with about $200. Thanks!

The build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QNcJTW
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QNcJTW/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($77.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.28 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Directron)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1113.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 19:35 EST-0500

I don't need anything else apart from the computer itself.

i7Baby · Nov 22, 2014

I'd go i5 4690k and ASRock Z97 Extreme 4 these days.
I'd get a CM Hyper 212 evo CPU cooler and change the ram to GSkill sniper or ares to fit under it.

The rest is fine.

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

i7Baby :

What's the price difference of those? Would I really need a cooler for that cpu?

synphul · Nov 22, 2014

ditto on the 4690k, it's only $10-20 more and I believe they improved the tim which caused a few issues with overclocking on the older haswell. Also for another $40 you can upgrade the samsung evo from 120gb to the 240gb version. $119 at amazon with prime according to pcpartpicker.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te250bw

synphul · Nov 22, 2014

The cm hyper 212 evo is a highly regarded cooler for the price (around $35). Just picked up one to go with an i5 4690k for a family member's new build for christmas. It's better than the stock fan for the cpu and you'll want something better than the stock fan for even mild overclocks.

i7Baby · Nov 22, 2014

You can get prices from PartPicker.

The assumption is if you got a k series CPU on a Z97 mobo then you're likely to overclcok the CPU. You don't want to try that on the stock cooler. It'd jsut get too hot too quick.

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

i7Baby :

Right. But the Ripjaws won't fit under the fan?

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

synphul :

I will look into that. Don't know if I need an SSD that large. What about the HDD, are there any better options there?

i7Baby · Nov 22, 2014

From memory, I'm pretty sure Ripjaws is too tall.

Tacoboy · Nov 22, 2014

I bought a WD Blue 1TB a few years ago, it worked fine as a storage drive.

Here is a WD 2TB RED drive on sale at Newegg, use the code "EMCWWHH22" for an extra discount ($89.99), discount expires on Sunday.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16822236343

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

i7Baby :

What series would you recommend on the Snipers? Sorryfor all these questions. I'm very rusty.

i7Baby · Nov 22, 2014

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460

synphul · Nov 22, 2014

On the storage hdd, it depends on what you define as better. The one you mentioned, wd caviar blue 1tb is on newegg for $54.99 but it's oem (bare drive, no cables). I use a similar drive, but I opted to pay a bit more for the wd re4 enterprise drive. 5yr warranty vs the 2yr warranty with the caviar blue and about twice the price. Made with different components for the purposes of 24/7 operation. For me that was a better choice.

eadlef · Nov 22, 2014

synphul :

I might get the 2TB one. Won't be doing 24/7 operation, though. I'm assuming I'll just need the regular one?

synphul · Nov 22, 2014

The standard blue version would probably be fine, especially if you're a light user and only use the pc an hour or two a day. Like anything else, it's always a tradeoff cost vs performance. It's not saying it's a bad drive, wd makes some pretty good drives. They seem to be essentially the same, both have 64mb cache. The difference is in expected longevity in higher use situations. The enterprise drives are a bit on the pricey side by comparison, I only opted for them because my machines see a lot of use and nothing I hate worse than a dead drive. You're right though, you don't need a construction grade pickup truck to make runs to the post office and grab a snack from the minimart.

synphul · Nov 22, 2014

Basically you have to keep an eye on the details, the cache sizes vary. As it breaks down, there's wd caviar blue, green, black and re (enterprise). I believe the blue's are standard consumer drives - the green are less performance but low power consumption - the black's are very similar to the re's, the only difference I believe is raid capability. re's raid (has 7sec time limit error recovery for use in raid setups) and black's have a 180sec deep recovery feature which is too long of a delay for a raid setup.

eadlef · Nov 23, 2014

synphul :

Alright, thanks a lot man. I was recommended the WD Blue for the "gaming" essence.

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