[Advice Needed] My Gaming Rig Under $1200

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Majojesu

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Hey guys!

I've been trying to do some research before I started buying parts for my new computer but I seem to stumble upon this site a lot so I figured I'd ask for the community's opinion directly!

Current parts picked: here

My concerns/doubts at the moment:

1. Motherboard:
- How does my current Asus Z97-A compare to MSI Z97-G45/5 Gaming?

2. GPU
- Should I stick with MSI for GTX970? I browsed a lot searching for pros and cons of each brand and gave up and decided MSI.

3. PSU
- Is the Corsair CX 750W optimal? If I SLI the GPU, it'll only go up to 492W so not sure if the extra wattage is necessary for the price?

4. Case Fans
- Should I invest extra money into 1 or 2 case fans? Not sure how much they'd help.

I included the case just in case but I got it for free from a friend so not including it in the $1200.
I also plan on OCing the CPU/GPU most likely.

Thank you guys in advance! Anything helps!
 
Solution
jimthenagual
1. There is some debate lately on this forum about whether or not Asus is still at the top of the food chain for Z97 boards. MSI has really come on as of late and is making some fantastic products. That said, I'm not sold yet. I'm still on the Asus boat and believe the Z97-A is an amazing board. If it wasn't gold colored, I'd have it in my current build.

2. You'll get varied opinions on which brand to go for. Any of the major makers are fine, and MSI is one of them. They make a great product as does EVGA, Asus, Gigabyte.

3. I'd say 750W is optimal for 970 SLI. That's the wattage I went for in my setup now. However, the CX lineup is not typically recommended on this forum, as it is known to have some cheaper capacitors in it, which...
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jimthenagual

jimthenagual

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1. There is some debate lately on this forum about whether or not Asus is still at the top of the food chain for Z97 boards. MSI has really come on as of late and is making some fantastic products. That said, I'm not sold yet. I'm still on the Asus boat and believe the Z97-A is an amazing board. If it wasn't gold colored, I'd have it in my current build.

2. You'll get varied opinions on which brand to go for. Any of the major makers are fine, and MSI is one of them. They make a great product as does EVGA, Asus, Gigabyte.

3. I'd say 750W is optimal for 970 SLI. That's the wattage I went for in my setup now. However, the CX lineup is not typically recommended on this forum, as it is known to have some cheaper capacitors in it, which especially for overclocking can cause some system instability. Take a look at the XFX selections, they are great quality.

There is an amazing deal on a great quality PSU right now, if you can get it before it sells out, I'd recommend it
EVGA SuperNOVA 750 B2 $39.99
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20750vr

4. I'm not seeing a case in your list to really answer this question, however, as long as it has intake up front and outtake in the back, you can probably just go with that until you decide to SLI, then you'll want the extra case fans most likely. I have a 200mm up front, then three 120mm pushing out the top/back for airflow, and that keeps my GPUs temperatures nice and cool.
 
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flaminburger12

flaminburger12

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I would say hold on to your current motherboard, doesn't look like their is a huge difference between the two motherboards, so just save your money and hang onto the asus. The msi looks like one of the best versions of the gtx 970 so I would stick with that. You could probably get away with a 600w psu, but if I were you I would hold onto the cx 750w even though it costs a little more because it gives you a little bit of upgrade/overclock headroom. The extra case fans depend on your situation, if you have an exhaust and an intake you'll probably be fine, but a second intake it would definitely benefit in case temperatures, or you could always get a couple of better fans for a radiator if you want to.
 
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Majojesu

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1. I was just debating on whether the Asus's 5-Way Optimization or the MSI's Sound Booster made a difference in choosing.

2. I guess I'll stick with the MSI since my build is sorta Red/Black.

3. You linked the PSU as $40 but it's around $90 on Newegg. Is it worth it? If it wouldn't bother you too much, could you suggest me one to buy?

4. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/aerocool-case-en56823
My apologies. I thought I linked the one where I added the case.

 
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jimthenagual

jimthenagual

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If you don't mind shopping from somewhere other than newegg, that PSU price is still good at NCIX, $54.99. Great deal on a solid PSU. Does it have to be newegg? If so, let me know and I'll see what I can find.
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=97531&vpn=110-B2-0750-VR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1315

That case comes with one 120mm fan in the front and one in the back. That is usually fine for a single GPU setup. It's the minimum, but I'd stick with that and check temps. You can always add more fans later. But if you know you are going to SLI soon, you might want to add some more now.
 
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M

Majojesu

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I've only bought from newegg and Amazon so that's why I'm a little hesitant. If that site is reliable, I don't see why not.
Could you find me a good fan just in case I decide to buy 1 or 2 or for future uses? I'd be greatly appreciated.
 
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