Is this Gaming PC Build Worth It?

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It would be a noticeable drop in performance. The 970 is a sweet spot for high end gaming at the moment (maxes out anything at 1080p and 1440p resolutions).

The 960 is good for 1080p gaming but will not necessarily max out your games. Still a good pick if you are happy with high/ultra at 60fps and not max quality 60fps :)

Matt Dobe

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Jan 20, 2015
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It would be a noticeable drop in performance. The 970 is a sweet spot for high end gaming at the moment (maxes out anything at 1080p and 1440p resolutions).

The 960 is good for 1080p gaming but will not necessarily max out your games. Still a good pick if you are happy with high/ultra at 60fps and not max quality 60fps :)
 
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Gamer2886

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Jul 23, 2014
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This would be a good build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($326.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $889.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-23 12:19 EDT-0400

PSU and Mobo are SLI-Ready, incase if you want to upgrade in the future.
 


There are games the 970 won't max at 1080p, let alone 1440p. Saying it will max anything at those resolutions is a bit exaggerated. It is a great card, yes and I highly recommend it, but let's keep the facts as facts.
 


Skip the cooler. Get a 212 EVO instead. 2/3 the price but the same performance, and MUCH quieter operation.