Gaming PC Build, $2000 Budget, First Time Builder

OHoon

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Jan 28, 2015
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Hello, I've been currently doing some research on building a gaming desktop, and I'd like some advice, input, or assurance that my build is good, or what parts I should reconsider.

The purpose of this build is to run high-end games very well for at least a few years. I don't intend to push into 4K resolution as the monitor I have in mind is 1080p. Furthermore, I'd like to be able to achieve a 60FPS minimum with games. I'm not sure how important this is for you guys to know, but I thought it could help.

I'm looking to buy in the next few months.

The $2000 budget includes a peripherals, such as a monitor.

I've been looking on newegg.com for parts, and for the most part, that's where I'll be getting them. A few pieces are probably going to be bought from amazon since there are a few significant price drops on that site.

The list of components:
CPU: Intel i5-4460.
-I've heard that this is a great budget gaming CPU. However, I have some concerns about how long this CPU will be able to run games well. For example, I recently checked the PC requirements for The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (which is looking to be absolutely fantastic) and I saw that the i5-4460 served as their minimum requirement and the i7-3770 served as their recommended requirement. This leads me to question how long the i5-4460 will remain relevant.

GPU: I'm considering two models of the GTX 980. They are: Gigabyte GV-N980G1 and Gigabyte GV-N980WF3OC.
-Currently, the former is selling for $629.99 and the latter for $549.99, so there is a significant price difference (to me). One is more overclocked than the other, and I was wondering whether it would be smarter for me to overclock the cheaper model myself. I haven't been able to get much information on the cheaper model, other than its specifications. So in a nutshell, I'm wondering whether I can save $80 and still be able to safely overclock the cheaper GPU for similar or better performance.

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8-GB (2x4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
-Not much to comment here. I'm under the notion that RAM isn't too expensive and easy to replace or upgrade. I've been lead to believe that this is sufficient.

PSU: Rosewill Fortress-550 550W Continuous @50C
-I've had some difficulty trying to figure out how much wattage I should be having for my computer. I've been told that 550 will be sufficient. This PSU is rated at 80 Platinum. Do you think I should look for a PSU with a higher wattage at a lower efficiency (80 Gold?) to save money while increasing the wattage?

SSD: Samsung 850 EVO-Series MZ-75E500B/AM 2.5" 500GB SATA III
-I feel that 500GB should be good enough for me. I have another laptop and a few external hard drives.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H LGA 1150 Intel Z97
-I think that this motherboard will be fine. But does anyone have any guesses at how long this motherboard will be good for in terms of running well or being able to support new hardware?

Case: DIYPC Mirage-D1-Y Black/Yellow SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-To shave off some of the price tag, I tried looking for a budget case. This one runs for $39.99 and it seems to have all the essentials I need such as USB 3.0 and 3 fans already installed. I don't intend to add anymore fans, but I'm just having doubts on whether this case is good enough or whether I should be trying to cut corners monetarily with the case.

Monitor: Acer XB270H 27-inch G-SYNC 1ms 1080p 144HZ
-For the monitor, I wanted to shell out some more cash to get a G-Sync monitor. My reasoning for this is that, I believe a G-Sync Monitor will help keep my gaming rig relevant longer. To my understanding, G-Sync technology allows the monitor to have a variable refresh rate, allowing for significantly smoother motion. So, even if in a few years, my rig is starting to only be able to chug a few frames above 30FPS, it would still look reasonably smooth. Is this a smart way of looking at it?

I apologize for the incredibly long question, but I want to make sure I have a solid list of components for this computer. Thank you for all the help, and have a nice day!
 
Solution
Why is everyone talking about SLI? When OP said "I'm considering two models of the gtx980" he meant two separate models not two in SLI.

As for your build.

CPU: If you wish to overclock i5-4690k, if you're not overclocking i5-4590, although if you don't mind putting a few extra dollars towards a i5-4690 then grab that.

MB: Z97 chipset motherboards will be fine, even if you are not going to overclock get a Z97 chipset. These motherboards will be good for the next gen of intel CPU's as well (Broadwell). With that said you could stick to the i5-4460 and if need be in the future you need a more powerful cpu, upgrade to a broadwell chip, otherwise if you don't want to overclock get the better chip now.

GPU: The GTX980 is great, if you can...

MetalSparks

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Jan 24, 2015
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I'd recommend swapping:
. CPU with an i5-4690k (much better for emulators and processor-heavy games.)
. GPU with GTX 970 SLI (do you really need 980s if you're not going above 1080p?)
. RAM (any 8GB is fine, but make sure CAS latency is below 9-9-9-27 timing.)
. PSU (DEFINITELY higher Watts vs efficiency rating. 750W silver+ or better should be fine.)

That right there should save you $200 - $400, and you'll get the same performance.
 

OHoon

Reputable
Jan 28, 2015
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4,510




Thank you for your input!

For the GTX 980, I'm thinking of making this computer last longer. So in the future, if I need a better card, it might be cheaper than the just go SLI with the GTX 980. I'm not sure how smart this is, but I'm consistently looking to make sure this computer lasts a long time.

Also, do you have any comment on the specific question for the GPU between the two models?

Thanks again!
 

r3v3ng3

Honorable
Aug 21, 2012
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10,710
Why is everyone talking about SLI? When OP said "I'm considering two models of the gtx980" he meant two separate models not two in SLI.

As for your build.

CPU: If you wish to overclock i5-4690k, if you're not overclocking i5-4590, although if you don't mind putting a few extra dollars towards a i5-4690 then grab that.

MB: Z97 chipset motherboards will be fine, even if you are not going to overclock get a Z97 chipset. These motherboards will be good for the next gen of intel CPU's as well (Broadwell). With that said you could stick to the i5-4460 and if need be in the future you need a more powerful cpu, upgrade to a broadwell chip, otherwise if you don't want to overclock get the better chip now.

GPU: The GTX980 is great, if you can afford within the budget get it. If not, grab a gtx970. As for the two models, the g1 gaming is the way to go. Otherwise the MSI twin frozr model will save a few dollars again. The choice is made based on cooling and performance of the cards.

SSD: Get an 840 evo over the 850 evo, for gaming you will not notice any performance changes, and you will save money.

RAM: Use the money saved from the SSD to get a 16 (8x2) gb kit, no slower than cl10. Of course if you get a cl10 kit make sure its 1866 mhz and OC to that, If not grab a cl9 1600 kit.

Case and PSU are both fine for this build. Although one thing you have not mentioned is a HDD? you will include one yes? Also what country will you be purchasing in, so we can have a better idea of component prices for your budget.
 
Solution

ykki

Honorable
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($169.94 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.50 @ Directron)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($180.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.00 @ Directron)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.00 @ Directron)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer XB270H Abprz 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($474.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2006.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-28 08:21 EST-0500