First build in 7 years, need help.

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

swang30

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2011
2
0
18,510
Quick history.
I program and play games on my computer.

I usually build a machine that's pretty-good for the time, 1-2 years later, I'd SLI/Crossfire them, and that'd be pretty good for another 2 years. The past 3 years, I switched to a Laptop for programming and didn't get very good gaming performance. This year, I've had enough, I want a better performance machine for gaming.

Usage: Programming, Gaming

Budget: Dunno, 1500-1800? I'm looking for good value and longevity

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KqXj7P
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KqXj7P/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Cooling MX4 4g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($146.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB M.2-2260 Solid State Drive ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB 100 Million Edition Video Card ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($176.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Fractal Design GP14-BK 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: AOC G2460PQU 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1660.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-29 13:47 EDT-0400

Lots of questions:
1) 4790k vs 5820k? My programming needs aren't THAT intensive, and I may do some livestreams and such. 5820K and the X99 platform doesn't seem to be worth it?
2) NH-D15 vs Evo 212 vs Cooler Master Water 3.0? I value quiet over ultra-OC. I'll probably OC when I SLI my machine in 2 years. For now, unless necessary (I doubt it) I won't be OCing. (or get the Evo 212 now, and upgrade to a AIO cooler when I OC?)
3) M.2 or not? I'm tempted to get the Crucial 960GB SATA6 for $300. Alternatively, do a split with a 256GB M.2 and a 1 TB 7200 Western Digital?
4) PSU overkill? PC Parts Picker says I only need 350W, but I'll probably OC eventually, and probably SLI eventually. Should I downgrade?
5) GTX 970 vs GTX 980? is $200 worth it? and in 2 years, when I SLI, the difference won't be that high?
6) Win 8.1 vs Win 7? My wife's company offers $10 for Win 7 and $10 for MS Office for their employees. But Win 8.1 is only ~$80, should I just get the 8.1?

thanks for the help!
 
Solution
B
1.) for your programming and current gaming the 4790k is more than enough, gaming is only just starting to use its hyperthreading capability and in some cases the 5 th gen i7's such as the 5820k can even show a slight performnce dip in gaming, would only recommend one if you needed to do some very heavy cpu tasks like lots of HD rendering etc.

2.) for cooling the 4790k, I would recommend and actually use a 212 EVO, very good even for minor overclocking, I have mine at 4.6 Ghz and I have only ever seen it reach 70 degrees once in Prime 95 on a warm day. It also makes very little noise.

3.) for storage, get a large enough SSD so you can store everything you want to load quickly on there and your OS, put anything else like games on a...
Sort by date Sort by votes
B

Benab3

Reputable
Jan 12, 2015
1,351
0
5,960
1.) for your programming and current gaming the 4790k is more than enough, gaming is only just starting to use its hyperthreading capability and in some cases the 5 th gen i7's such as the 5820k can even show a slight performnce dip in gaming, would only recommend one if you needed to do some very heavy cpu tasks like lots of HD rendering etc.

2.) for cooling the 4790k, I would recommend and actually use a 212 EVO, very good even for minor overclocking, I have mine at 4.6 Ghz and I have only ever seen it reach 70 degrees once in Prime 95 on a warm day. It also makes very little noise.

3.) for storage, get a large enough SSD so you can store everything you want to load quickly on there and your OS, put anything else like games on a decent HDD as it will have little/no effect on FPS, only effect will be on loading times.

4.) The Pc Part Picker Wattage counter seems to always give a much lower count than actually needed, if overclocking a little and using SLI in the future I would go for a power supply similar to something you have ( especially if you go for 980's)

5.) The upgrade, price per dollar is not worth it. The 970 is a good card, also good for Sli, but it depends how badly you want your games to run well, for some modern games at very high settings 144 FPS may be hard to reach on a 970 but 60 FPS will be fine.

6.) Get windows 7, even if you did prefer 8, windows 10 is only a few months away and a free upgrade to all Windows 7 and Windows 8 users.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
HiggsPrime

HiggsPrime

Honorable
Apr 19, 2014
131
0
10,710
Hello Sawng,

Your decision to pick PC part is great. It will do the job you require for 3yrs max or more. I agree with all the answers to Benab3, BUT:

2. Have you considered liquid cooling? Your case can fit a a 120mm x2 liquid cooling. YOu mentioned that you will Ultra OC, then LC is the way to keep your CPU temp cooler than an airflow cooler.

If you have any more question ask us again. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Q

qwerty987123

Reputable
Nov 9, 2014
465
0
4,860
1) Stick with z97 over x99 as x99 isn't worth the cost

2) D15 is what i would recommend as there's little point getting a 212 now just to upgrade to a D15

3) The HDD, SSD combination is better value than a single large SSD

4) For sli and an oc you only need a 750w or 850w psu. I'd suggest the EVGA G2.

5) I personally am happy with a 970 as it gives me a solid 60fps but i'm also not too fussed about getting that constant 120+fps so it depends if you are or not.

6) Windows 7 since it's so cheap so there's no point paying extra when you'll just upgrade soon

Some other things I'd recommend:
1) You've chosen the define s which is aimed at people who want to use custom loops which I doubt you are in which case go with the define r5 instead.

2) You won't need thermal paste as the D15 comes with its own which is very good.

3) I always recommend noctua fans as they offer outstanding quality and performance however the fractal fans are also good.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

swang30

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2011
2
0
18,510
Thanks everyone.

1) Goodbye X99.
2) Going to go with Evo 212 over the NH-D15 - I won't OC too much for now, and when I do (and move to water cooling), I'll feel less bad throwing a $30 part away than a $85 one.
3) HDD + SSD wins. I might get the 256GB Crucial MX200 anyways, but not the larger ones.
4) Hmm, looking at it some more, the EVGA SuperNOVA is actually pretty good bang-for-the-buck. Thinking about (but probably won't) dropping it to an Antec HCP-750W Platinum, for $99. A Several reasons:
a) I'd like to stick with Japanese capacitors, which seem to have much better quality
b) the SuperNOVA is only $175, dropping $25 to drop 250W doesn't seem to be worth it
c) I'd like 80+ Platnum, better efficiency = less heat = less noise from fans.
5) Goodbye GTX 980
6) Goodbye Win 8.1, hellooo free upgrade to 10!

To answer qwerty
1) I went with the Design S because a) it's cheaper than the R5, and b) it doesn't have the HDD cages, which cause restrictions on the airflow.
3) At least on the spec level, the Fractal Design fans seem to have more CFM and are quieter. I'm not sure how it compares in real life?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom