First Gaming PC Build Need Advice (NO Overclocking)

Thorah

Reputable
Feb 14, 2015
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4,510
Edit: Changed the Case Fan.

Hi All,

I'm planning to build my first ever desktop since my laptop is already having problems and I think it's going to die soon...

I'm going to use the computer mainly for doing 2D digital artworks, editing videos as well as playing games, specifically MMORPGs and some like Alice Madness & Skyrim.
I'll be playing the heavier games on the console so no need to have a monster pc.
I just want something that would accommodate my main use and last me a while before I would have the need to upgrade again.

I also have a budget that I have to stick to. I live in the Philippines so it will be Php 50,000 - Php 55,000 , in USD I think it would be around $ 1000 - $ 1200.

As stated above, I won't be doing any overclocking whatsoever.

Here are the specifications of the build I was planning.

CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690 Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz)
Motherboard: Asus H97-PRO GAMER
VideoCard: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Superclocked
Memory: Vengeance® Low Profile — 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Kit (CML8GX3M2A1600C9)
Storage: Samsung 120 GB 840 EVO 2.5" SATA SSD
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Power Supply: Seasonic X650 650W 80+ Gold
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V Hybrid
Optical Drive: ASUS24D3ST BLACK 24X SATA
Case: Obsidian Series® 450D Mid-Tower PC Case
Case Fan: Scythe Kaze Jyuni 120mm, 1900rpm, 110CFM (x3)

Since this is a first, opinions are greatly appreciated. I'm open for suggestions if you think there are better parts that should replace the ones listed. It would also be very nice if it would be cheaper without losing the performance and quality.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
actually, the ASUS H97 boards have a BIOS update that allows them to change the multiplier on unlocked cpus. the stock vcore setting for the 4790k is 1.273 volts, and i currently have mine at 1.25 volts and it runs 4.7 GHz 100% stable. so technically, overclocking is still an option for you, the only restriction being the thermal headroom. i use a high performance air cooler that keeps my temps under 80 C at full load, otherwise the overclock wouldn't even be possible due to thermal throttling. so the option is still available if you wish. in my experience, there is much more difference between clock speeds up until 4 GHz; meaning the difference between 3.6 and 4.0 is greater than the difference between 4.0 and 4.4.

as for the gpu...

TofuLion

Admirable
well it is a decent build, and will most likely serve your purposes well enough, but it is a little unbalanced.

no need to buy a cpu cooler if you won't be overclocking, especially not a water cooler. the stock cooler is plenty for a stock cpu. if it is a concern to keep the temps really low, a small air cooler will do nicely such as cooler master 212 evo or even the tx3 would be more than enough. the high performance cpu coolers are meant for overclocking which can produce quite a bit of heat.

that being said, you could save the money you would be spending on the cooler to invest toward a better gpu. i would suggest bumping it up to a gtx 760 or r9 280x whichever is cheaper for you. the 280x is actually cheaper and will probably perform better, but much less efficient if heat is a concern. the 760 is usually more expensive, but uses less power therefore less heat and hence less noise from the fan.

since you did list gaming last while describing your intended use, however, perhaps you'd be better of with a better cpu. something like a xeon E3-1231v3 would be more suited to workstation tasks such as artwork and editing. it is also a quad core and runs slightly slower than the i5-4690, but it employs hyperthreading and a high L3 cache allowing it to handle heavy work loads more efficiently than the i5.

and lastly, the psu you selected is very nice, however might be a bit more than you need. if you were looking to save a little money there, something like a XFX 550 Watt or even Seasonic S12II 620 Watt would probably be cheaper and would work just as well.

i am judging by US prices and availability, and i am aware it is probably different in the philippines, but those are my suggestions.
 

Thorah

Reputable
Feb 14, 2015
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4,510


Thank you for the suggestions. I searched around and managed to find these...

For the CPU cooler. I found:
COOLER MASTER HYPER 212X CPU FAN - Php 1650
Scythe (SCASR 1000) Ashura - Php 1950
Scythe (SCKTN 4000) Katana 4 - Php 1230
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO - Php 1200

The Cooler Master Seidon 120V Hybrid is priced at Php 1999.
I don't understand why the pricing is like this here. There's not much of a difference. But please do recommend which would be best.

I forgot to mention that it gets quite hot here where I live, specially during the summer. Also, I don't have an airconditioned room.

The GPU you suggested, the 760 is very nice. Though it seems quite hard to find an EVGA one here and the one I saw is almost double the price compared to the 750Ti...
I think its fine if I stick to the 750Ti for the moment. I have an NVIDIA 525M on my laptop and that can handle the things I do so far.

The processor you suggested is really hard to find. I don't think it's available here. I've searched around the retails stores and they don't have Intel Xeon Processors...
I just noticed that the price difference for the Intel® Core™ i5-4690 Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz) and Intel® Core™ i7-4790 Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.00 GHz) is only around 3k. I can push my budget if that option would be a lot better. Do you think it would be better for me to upgrade it to that?

I found the Seasonic (S12II) 620watts PSU 80+ Bronze and is priced at Php 3300. There's also the Seasonic (S12II) 520watts PSU 80+ Bronze which is priced at Php 2700. It's a lot cheaper compared to what I listed which is around Php 5750.
 

TofuLion

Admirable
well, if thermals really are a concern and you must have an aftermarket cooler, you probably won't notice more than 1-4 C difference between the listed coolers available to you. especially not if you won't be overclocking, and none of them will have to work very hard, so noise shouldn't be an issue there either (you may have to manually adjust fan speeds if noise does become an issue, but this should have little effect on cooling performance). water coolers typically run louder than air coolers, as they have extra noise from the pump as well as being mounted on a fan slot which is directly exposed to the exterior and not contained within the case like an air cooler. but like i said, none of them should have to work hard, so the noise shouldn't be an issue at all. the water cooler will probably have a shorter life span since it has more moving parts, each of which could fail, but we're still talking a few years at the very least. it does add a certain "awe" factor of having a water cooled cpu, and the installation would be a bit simpler, however. either way, it's a personal choice here since the price and performance between the coolers aren't much different.

the 760 is significantly better than the 750ti, but not worth double the price. what about availability and pricing on a 960? they're pretty new, but the price is lower than the 760 in the US at least. also, you stated your last system was a laptop, so you'll be using a different dispaly. what resolution will you be using? what is your budget for a display? i'm guessing there is limited availability compared to the US, but an IPS monitor is beneficial for artwork.

the 4790 will be much better than the 4690, but only with tasks that actually use the added features of the cpu. for every day use and even moderate gaming, you'll see no difference, as both will be operating far below what they are actually capable of. you will see a nice bonus when encoding videos or compiling a project and other cpu intensive tasks. whether you actually need the added performance depends on your usage. the i7 would typically produce more heat than the i5, but at stock speeds this isn't an issue (even when you don't consider the added cooler).

finally, 520 watts from a seasonic will be more than enough for this build in any configuration. the 3k could be better utilized on a better display, cpu, or gpu.
 

Thorah

Reputable
Feb 14, 2015
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4,510


Thank you for the answers.
I guess I'll just test it out without an aftermarket cooler first. If it does heat up more than it should due to the room temp or other possible factors. Then, I'll be getting an air cooler.

Searched around for the EVGA 960, it's available here and was quite easy to find but are currently priced at 16 -18k. Much more expensive than expected and almost same with the harder to find 760. The 750Ti I'm getting is only around 8k. I'll just have to settle for that, for now.
It will be much easier to upgrade then since I won't be getting all the parts at once.

I have a separate budget for the monitor and I'm pretty much set on getting the Dell UltraSharp 24 Monitor - U2412M. It's an IPS panel with 1920x1200 resolution.

I'll be re-encoding and editing a lot of videos so the speed bonus comparing the price difference. Do you think it's reasonable?

Okay, I'll be going with the 520 watts. :)
 

TofuLion

Admirable
see the difference between gpus is much more significant than between cpus. but if the cpu intensive tasks are where you'll be stressing your machine the most, the i7 would benefit. in that case i even recommend the 4790K, even though you won't be overclocking. it basically comes factory overclocked to 4.0-4.4GHz and will prove to be substantially better than the locked version. you will, however, require an aftermarket cooler even to sustain the cpu at stock settings. the intel stock cooler is definitely not enough for the 4790K even at stock speed and voltage.

is there a reason it must be an EVGA graphics card?
 

Thorah

Reputable
Feb 14, 2015
7
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4,510


Thank you for the answers. It made me understand more about this.
After much pondering and weighing out factors that should be considered in my case, I'll just stick with the i5 - 4690. It wouldn't be that bad of a choice compared to the i7.
Also, if I would get the i7 - 4790K, I'd prefer to be able to use it's overclocking capability, but as of now, also considering the motherboard I'm getting. I wouldn't be doing any overclocking with this build. I'd better set it aside for another build.

Some friends recommended that brand to me. I've also done a little research and they are one of the best when it comes to quality and build. They also have good warranty on their products.

Right, I also found an EVGA GTX 960 SSC 2GB 128bit that's priced at 12k. 4k difference with the 750Ti.
 

TofuLion

Admirable
actually, the ASUS H97 boards have a BIOS update that allows them to change the multiplier on unlocked cpus. the stock vcore setting for the 4790k is 1.273 volts, and i currently have mine at 1.25 volts and it runs 4.7 GHz 100% stable. so technically, overclocking is still an option for you, the only restriction being the thermal headroom. i use a high performance air cooler that keeps my temps under 80 C at full load, otherwise the overclock wouldn't even be possible due to thermal throttling. so the option is still available if you wish. in my experience, there is much more difference between clock speeds up until 4 GHz; meaning the difference between 3.6 and 4.0 is greater than the difference between 4.0 and 4.4.

as for the gpu, evga is a very good brand. however if the price difference is substantial, gigabyte, msi, and asus all make high quality cards as well. and if it was me, i would buy the card that i know will be enough for my display the first time and not get the cheaper one that will be ok for now, but requires an upgrade in a year or so.
 
Solution