Choosing between 2 gaming builds

Buffeninc

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Hi guys!

I want to build a gaming computer for playing the new 2015 games in mid/high+ settings, edit some videos and stream to twitch. I have nearly no knowledge about building my own computer and therefore components like motherboard, amount of RAM and PSU confuses me. I have narrowed down my needs and found 2 possible builds. I can either choose my components completely by myself - or buy a set of components from a website (with no possibility to change stuff like motherboard, PSU, GPU and more).

I'm not a US citizen, so i pay more for components, keep that in mind when looking through the 2 builds:

Build 1: The build that i have made:
Case: Fractal Design R5
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790
PSU: Cooler Master G650W Bronze
RAM: HyperX Fury DDR3 1866Mhz 16gb
GPU: MSI Gtz 970 4gb PhysX
SSD: Samsung Evo 850 120 GB
HDD: Western Digital Green 2 tb
Motherboard: Asrock H97 Anniversery
Drive: ASUS DVD-Writer DRW-24F1ST/BLK/G/AS, SATA

Price: 1,515$

Build 2: Premade build
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Black Pearl
PSU: Cooler Master G750M, 80plus Bronze, 750W Modular PSU
CPU: Intel® LGA1150 Core i7-4790K
Motherboard: ASUS LGA1150 Z97-AR
RAM: HyperX Fury DDR3 1866MHz 16GB KIT Black
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX980 4GB GDDR5 PCI-E CUDA
SSD: Kingston SSDNow V300 240GB 2.5" 7mm OEM
Drive: ASUS DVD-Writer DRW-24F1ST/BLK/G/AS, SATA

(And then i need a HDD, going to buy the WD green 2 tb.)
Price: 1,800$

So we're down to a price difference looking at 285$. As I can see, the main difference is in the GPU and CPU, in favor of the premade build. Question is - is it worth the extra money? My budget were originally 1700$ for a pc with a monitor and keyboard (since I'm on a laptop now). I know there is a difference in performance, but I know nothing about overclocking and didn't intend on doing it (as you can see from my build).

I guess i like the fact that someone has fitted the pieces together because I'm nervous that the components that i picked will not fit each other :p

In summerary, I think i am going for the premade build if you guys think the performance difference is significant enough, but what do you guys think?
 
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JP7PlaysMC

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The components you picked will all fit indeed. As it is within the budget why not just upgrade your build a bit? You can stick a 980 in there and, since you won't OC, that 4970k is kind of a "waste" (though it leaves the option for the future).
 

Buffeninc

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If i put a 980 in my own build, will i need a bigger PSU? I'm unsure how big a PSU i need for the parts. Also how futureproof does my own build look? I know it's hard to tell but your guess i most likely better than mine, but I'm hoping for 2-4 years before i need to change my build too much.

Apart from the above, thanks for the quick answer. I didn't think about upgrading my GPU, lol! :D
 

JP7PlaysMC

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Yeah, the build is great. My system is pretty on pair with yours. I would've gone with the 980 too, if it wasn't for the somewhat stupid price/performance ratio at the time (stupid for the ones you can't afford it though :p). The PSU will be enough. I'd get a 2TB Barracuda though, faster and better overall, aswell as pretty equally priced (at least where I'm at). Other than that you're set :).
 

Buffeninc

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JP7PlaysMC - Oh just saw your build now, yeah it does seem almost the same! :) Can i ask you if you play any high end games and at what FPS? Just to see if i truly need the 980 over the 970, I would prefer spending the money on a monitor and keyboard instead, to save some bucks - still, it might be worth going for since benchmark sites say its somewhat better than the 970... Jesus, it's a tough choice! :p

Badboyrog2:
I'm from denmark, buying on a danish website (www.komplett.dk - but it's in danish :p)
My max budget is 1900 USD when i translate from my currency (100 USD = 665 DKK), but i pay somewhat more compared to US prices for all my components due to import taxes etc.
 

JP7PlaysMC

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Far Cry 4 Ultra preset at roughly 70fps. Watch Dogs Ultra preset at 80 fps. Currently those are the only games I own. I must add that I play on 1080p.
 

Buffeninc

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Okay so for the next 2-3 years the 970 is propaply gonna work on high+ settings in new games (just a guess) at 1080p. I'm also gonna game in 1080p for now. I know it's a stupid question, but what can I expect in future proofing? I know everyone says it's stupid to upgrade to futureproof but I know i wont be upgrading any of my pricy components for the next 3 years or so...

As our builds are almost the same - what are your thoughts on the lifetime of your computer? Are you thinking 2-3 years and then a GPU upgrade or?? If i can go for the 980 and have a decent build for 5 years (with decreasing performance in new games of cause) then I think I'm going for the 980, but if i need to go out and upgrade stuff like RAM, CPU, Motherboard etc. in 2-3 years then i might as well save the money now and spend it on opgrades later - or get a SLI ready Motherboard now and buy a second 970 later on.. What are your thoughts? :) Sorry about all the questions, I just want to make the right desicion, it's a lot of money for a uni student :p
 
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB PhysX CUDA 2.779,00
Intel Core i7-4790 2.442,00
Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 Midi Tower Sort 429,00
Seagate Barracuda® 1TB 449,00
Samsung 850 EVO 120GB SSD 619,00
XFX ProSeries Core Edition 750W PSU 899,00
Crucial DDR3 BallistiX Sport 16GB KIT 1.279,00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Køler 249,00
ASRock Z97 EXTREME4, Socket-1150 1.199,00

total : 10.344,00 dkk
1556.65 US
 

Buffeninc

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Well this opens a whole bunch of questions:
1. Is the case as quiet as the Fractal Design? I want a quiet build
2. Isn't the MSI version of the 970 better than EVGA in performance?
3. As i can see, the Asrock z97 gives me the ability to overclock, but wouldn't that be over kill since the CPU can't do that? (if im wrong, whats the difference between z97 and h97?)
4. Do i need the extra CPU cooler because of the case or just in general?
5. What are you thinking about upgrading to a 980 instead of the 970 badboyrog2? :)
 

JP7PlaysMC

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No problem at all :). I want to keep this machine as is for the next 4 years, and I'm very confident it'll do well. The GTX 980 obviously offers "future-proof" for at least 5 years (even if the last ones mean only high settings, boo hoo :'( ). I'm very satisfied about every single part I've picked, and as soon as you get your PC, no matter if it comes with the 970 or 980, you'll be damned if not very happy with it, trust me!
 
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Buffeninc

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All right - thank you both for the help. I'm going to work a bit more with the build, taking into account what badboy listed and then buy it - i think im going for the 970 just to save the money :)

Thanks again
 

JP7PlaysMC

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1. The Fractal is significantly quieter. Plus, IMO, the Carbide doesn't look as good.
2. It's quieter and a bit better of a overclocker if I'm not mistaken. Loving mine, I got a good OCer!
3. The Z97 suggestion is plain bad if you're not OCing (and if you are, scrap that CPU/put a "k" in front of it). I heard the Asus H97-Pro Gamer has a great audio solution (plus other nice features you'll be interested in as a gamer. Check: http://www.asus.com/pt/Motherboards/H97PRO_GAMER/ for more info).
4. The CPU Cooler means it'll run cooler, though the stock one suffices and saves a bit of money (the Hyper 212 Evo, though good, is now surpassed by many other options, like the Cryorig H5: http://www.cryorig.com/h5-universal.php)
5. I think we've already discussed this and, for 1080p 60Hz the GTX 970 will serve you for 4-5 years. The things change when you up the monitor resolution or the refresh rate.

Any other questions please do ask them :).

P.S. Haven't had this much fun/interest recently discussing a thread like this one.