Need Advice on My First PC Build

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fzacek

fzacek

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Aug 1, 2014
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Hi everyone,
This is my first time building a PC. I would like a machine that will play games at 1080p at preferably Ultra settings for 2-3 years. I went on Newegg and compiled a cart of the components that I think would be good for my system (Here is a link to the list of components: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=9uxjxt&s=8#.VOV6YU338yh). I already have a spare 500GB 2.5" hard drive from my old laptop, an old DVD drive, and a copy of Windows 7, so I do not need to buy those things. I have several questions about the components I have chosen: Is my power supply enough/too much? Will my graphics card be able to handle most games at Ultra 1080p or is it overkill? Are there any components that will bottleneck each other? Will a laptop HDD even work with in a desktop? Any other advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Filip
 
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DarkSable
Your power supply is overkill - with that graphics card, a 600w of good make is plenty, and with a gtx 970, a 500w of good make is plenty.

The graphics card will do exactly what you're looking for: Handle MOST games at ultra at 1080p. (Which is a lot smarter buy than one that will handle every game out there at ultra period.) Also, do a little research on the myth of future proofing - the graphics card should last you satisfactorily for the time you want; just make sure you understand why that's a reasonable expectation and max settings for 2-3 years isn't. :)

The only other advise I might have is to get a z97 board and a "k" processor, so that you can overclock if you want to, down the road. Absolutely not mandatory.
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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Sep 27, 2012
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Your power supply is overkill - with that graphics card, a 600w of good make is plenty, and with a gtx 970, a 500w of good make is plenty.

The graphics card will do exactly what you're looking for: Handle MOST games at ultra at 1080p. (Which is a lot smarter buy than one that will handle every game out there at ultra period.) Also, do a little research on the myth of future proofing - the graphics card should last you satisfactorily for the time you want; just make sure you understand why that's a reasonable expectation and max settings for 2-3 years isn't. :)

The only other advise I might have is to get a z97 board and a "k" processor, so that you can overclock if you want to, down the road. Absolutely not mandatory.
 
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rockie_

rockie_

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Sep 20, 2014
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $791.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-19 01:07 EST-0500
 
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fzacek

fzacek

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Aug 1, 2014
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Thanks for the great advice. One more question: Are my CPU and GPU pretty balanced in terms of performance, or would I be better off spending less on my CPU and more on my GPU or vice versa? Also, is there any advantage to a Z97 board if I'm not going to overclock?
Thanks
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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Sep 27, 2012
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Of course. :)

Yep - an i5 will keep up with all but the most intense SLI / Crossfire arrays just fine. Usually the rule of thumb is to spend twice on your GPU what you do on your CPU, but with GPU Price/performance getting better and better nowadays, I think you've got it nailed.

There's little advantage to it if you don't want to overclock in the future, no.
 
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