Gaming system build help

scotty1690 · Dec 18, 2014

Hello Tom's Hardware community

It has been 6 years since I've done a build so I am a bit out of touch.

Here is a link to my build. Can you have a bit of a look and see if there is anything I should look at changing value for money wise.

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/bHdCqs

Ideally I want to be able to have 1 screen with a browser / movie / youtube or whatever and the other with a game of sorts, doesn't have to be ultra settings or anything, just running nicely without any framerate latency or anything.

Cheers in advance

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

Do you have your heart set on that keyboard and mouse? You can get a much cheaper gaming keyboard and mouse combo kit and shave quite a bit off. I'm going to tweak the build but feel free to change back anything you feel needs to remain the way you have it.

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

And unless you're planning to add a second GPU, that PSU is way overkill in capacity, plus, it's not a solid choice and has some concerns as discussed here at jonnyGURU.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?p=98880

I'd suggest going with the EVGA G2 model, which is still bigger than needed but that's ok. It's about the most capable and reliable unit available at anywhere near it's price range. If you wanted to overclock or add a second GPU, it would be no problem with this unit. If not, the benefit is that the PSU is likely never going to see loads near capacity and so it will tend to run very cool and efficient.

gkay09 · Dec 18, 2014

Any reason for a mSATA drive ??

PSU - I would suggest this -
EVGA 750W 80+ Gold
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr
Cheaper, highly rated.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=380

CASE - It is pretty good, but a good Mid Tower can very well handle those components, as for that matter they are pretty good handling even SLI/ Crossfire configurations.

RAM Options -
Cheaper, but equally good or better speed/timings
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2k4g3d169ds3
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d8gao
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31866c9d8gab
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c11d8gao
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c9d8gab

Rest are fine...

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

There really wasn't much to change about that build. Component selection was pretty good. CPU and motherboard are both good choices.

I changed the RAM to a faster frequency with a lower CAS latency.

Changed the case to the Rosewill Thor V2 that has a strong case for better features and airflow not to mention the build quality is exceptional for the price, plus, it comes with all the necessary fans which exceeds what the Thermaltake comes with. The Thor has 230mm and 140mm fan selections. Very good cooling with very low noise due to the large fan selection. This also saves you money as you would have needed to add some additional case fans to the Thermaltake if you wanted to have decent case airflow which is penultimate for good CPU, VRM and GPU cooling.

Changed the keyboard and mouse to the Cooler Master Devastator gaming bundle. These are decent but not really high end. You could go with these if you're not terribly picky or go back to the ones you had chosen although I'm not sure the extra money for them really nets you much in the way of a gaming advantage.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($198.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($104.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($145.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($98.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($395.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: Rosewill THOR V2-W ATX Full Tower Case ($135.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($145.00 @ CPL Online)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($21.90 @ Mwave Australia)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($178.00 @ Centre Com)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($178.00 @ Centre Com)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($45.00 @ CPL Online)
Total: $1931.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-18 18:52 EST+1100

Not a huge difference in price but there is a somewhat better component selection. Especially concerning the PSU.

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

Overlooked the mSATA drive. Changed it to a SATA SSD.

scotty1690 · Dec 18, 2014

Not attached to the keyboard/mouse, do like a backlight keyboard is all. I've got to be honest, didn't even notice it was mSata and have never heard of it.
The PSU was the shaky point for me, I love the suggestions this is exactly why I came here.
Thank you for the suggestions. I may play with over-clocking later on, would it be advisable to invest in water-cooling for the CPU if I do?
Would the motherboard support crossfire if I choose to later?
Thanks again in advance

scotty1690 · Dec 18, 2014

Also with the Thor should I purchase any extra fans just to play it safe?

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

No, the Thor comes with them, which is part of why it's a better choice. Two or three decent fans adds a significant price to the total considering they run 15-30 bucks US each. More where you are.

Advanced Cooling System:
-Front 1 x 230mm Red LED Fan (pre-installed)
-Rear 1 x 140mm Fan (pre-installed)
-Top 1 x 230mm Fan (pre-installed) or 2 x 120 / 140mm Fan (option)
-Side 1 x 230mm Fan (pre-installed) or 4 x 120mm Fan (option)
-Bottom 1 x 120/140mm Fan (option)

And let me tell you, as I recently used this case for a friend who is also a client, it moves some air. At idle or lower loads it's really quiet as the 230mm fans don't need to turn very fast to move air. At full loads it was moving air at a very high volume but was not that loud at all compared to cases with 120mm or 140mm only fans.

Darkbreeze · Dec 18, 2014

The CPU cooling is up to you, but personally, I prefer air and with the airflow through that case, a good CPU air cooler would be fine. With the right air cooler you can cool just as well and with the same or lower noise levels than all but the highest end liquid coolers. Consider that on liquid coolers you have fans that not only have to draw air through the case vents, but through the radiator fins too.

Air moving isn't what makes noise. Air moving past and through restrictions is what makes noise. And the fans inside the case are never as noticeable as fans near the entry and exit points of the case. Big fans with lower RPMs will cool just as well but with lower sound levels than smaller fans that have to turn at higher RPMs to move the same amount of air.

I like the Noctua coolers. They perform well, are high quality and are one of, if not the, quietest coolers on the market. For all but the most extreme overclocks I like the NH-U14S, which is what I use to cool my FX-8320@4.5Ghz and I almost never hear it unless I've been under severe load for a long time. The NH-D14 and D15 are even better, but they are bigger and more expensive.

The Hyper 212 EVO is ok, but it's a budget choice for entry level builders that want to overclock but can't afford a really decent cooler.

Phanteks, Cryorig, Scythe and Thermalright (Not Thermaltake) also all make very good coolers of varying performance and price levels.

Liquid cooling AIO coolers are an option too though. For clean looking interiors they rule and for extreme overclocks, if you use the right cooler, they rule. Not all liquid coolers are better than air and in fact some very popular ones are not even good.

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