Budget Build Gaming Computer. NEED HELP! Cooling, Case, Power Supply, odds and ends

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
D

Dsellz

Honorable
Jun 5, 2015
7
0
10,510
Hello,

I've been working on a build for a budget gaming computer that will run Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and other upcoming games reasonably well. I'd like the build to come in around $7-$800. But, if the value is there I am willing to spend a little more to get my best value. I'm trying to squeeze the most performance out of my money as possible. I've done a good deal of research into the CPU and GPU, I will not be overclocking, and I am pretty comfortable with the choices I've made there. ($150 more for the GTX 970 just isn't in the cards for my budget).

I'd reallllllly like help on choosing a power supply, a case and cooling.

Also, I have 50/50 Mbps network through Verizon Fios. Do I need to worry about getting a special Network card to harness this?

Any tips, advice, pointers at all would be great. It's been about 8 years since I last built a rig.


So far I've put together the build below:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Y3Txr
 
Solution
RCFProd
Z97 = To overclock CPU and RAM.

H97 = No ability to overclock.

Your CPU is not the "K'' version like the i5-4690k for example. K means that the multipliers of a CPU are unlocked and that you can overclock it. The one you have is stock speed so whilst you are paying extra for the Z97 motherboard you won't see the benefit of it.

The i5 + GTX 960 are a good combination and any game is going to run well.

The Corsair Vengeance has a higher failure ratio than the G.Skill, who specializes in high quality RAM module productions. However even though the failure ratio is higher, it is still very rare (5%). Get the cheapest one and in this case that is the G.Skill Sniper RAM.

For the power supply you'd be fine with high quality 450...
Sort by date Sort by votes
RCFProd

RCFProd

Expert
Ambassador
Dec 8, 2013
12,606
29
56,990
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.45 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $797.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-05 12:49 EDT-0400

Chosen a silent power supply, GTX 970 and a microATX case and motherboard.

However we can change things up if you are satisfied with the performance of a GTX 960. I have the 960 myself and It's enough for me.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
madmatt30

madmatt30

Titan
Ambassador
Jan 1, 2013
24,574
650
91,240
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS Evo 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty H97 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($90.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.45 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 290 4GB IceQ X² Video Card ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Deepcool kendomen case ($49.99)
Total: $728.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-05 13:05 EDT-0400
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
D

Dsellz

Honorable
Jun 5, 2015
7
0
10,510



Well I already pulled the trigger on a GTX 960, an i5-4590, and an MSI Z97 PC MATE. I could always return these if anyone thinks theres a good argument for that, and replace with something else. But I think this will get me the performance level and price level I'm shooting for. Do you agree?

My biggest concerns are getting the right power supply, a big enough case, and proper cooling and getting the best performance/price point for those.

I see that both you and MadMatt like the G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory. Why should I go for this over the Corsair Vengence?

For the PSU I really have no idea what to look for. The one in my build I was leaning toward because of another Toms Forum post (http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2572013/4690k-gtx960-build-work-habve-tips.html). Why do you guys like the PSUs that you choose?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
madmatt30

madmatt30

Titan
Ambassador
Jan 1, 2013
24,574
650
91,240
The sniper ram simply offers the best performance to price ratio - vengeance is over rated IMO ,the massive heatsinks are a pita with aftermarket coolers if you ever want to run 4 sticks in the future.

PSU wise - both mine & rcfprod's are seasonics (apart from maybe superflower) - the best manufacturer around.
I went for the 620 antec simply because I put a 290 in there.

Seasonic/antec hcg/xfx - all seasonic & will all do a good job.

The 960 I honestly think will disappoint performance wise - its a midrange card & better suited to budget builds or upgrades on relatively small psu's.
Paired with a 4590 its a definite weak link IMO.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
C

ComputerEden

Reputable
Feb 19, 2015
75
0
4,660
If you really want the best for your moneys worth go with:

ASRock Z87 Extreme3 (~100€) sli and crossfire, 1600mhz ram should be good enough to support your hardware.
Xeon E3 or i7 (250-350 €) 4770k or 4790k can also be bought used on ebay.
gtx960 (choose one) (180-210€) will do for now, unless youre playing in 4k
8gb Crucial ballistix 1600 cl9 (50-60€) overclocks to atleast 1867mhz cl11 without a problem
600W PSU minimum (~50€) You will never need more then 600w unless you´re a nut
256 GB CRucial mx100 (80-90€) Samsung is better, but also more expensive, this one will work out fine.
DVD Drive (10-20€) if you need one ....

total = ~800 Euro without the case if you go with a boxed CPU


I have the GTX960 in my I7 rig, and id say if you go with this build it will be the weakest part in your system.
you will want to upgrade it at some point in the future. also the i7 is a bit faster than the Xeon e3s, so spending more for an i7 will increase you cpu performance, but e3 should be good enough.

if u start with one gtx 960 you will be able to play all recent games in 1080p, but have to set your details etc on medium in some games. cs go etc works on max settings with ~180-250 fps if that is what youre gaming.

a second gtx960 will get you near a single gtx 980s performance, but not quite as good and more power consumption.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
C

ComputerEden

Reputable
Feb 19, 2015
75
0
4,660
basically the i5 you picked is "good enough", but the performance you will get out of an i7 is definately worth the extra money. it adds hyperthreading and clocks way higher....

i only have a gtx 960 and 8gb ram, but im nearly always the first one on the gameserver. i want to play my game not the loadingscreen ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RCFProd

RCFProd

Expert
Ambassador
Dec 8, 2013
12,606
29
56,990



I think you've made 3 good decisions. Some will say the GTX 960 isn't good enough but I think it by far is. It probably differs to each person because one is more demanding than the other.

The GTX 960 is close to the performance of a GTX 770 which is great. It runs Battlefield 4 at ultra with HBAO on and FXAA on aswell with not a single drop below 60 fps.

It is just like that a perfect mid end GPU for 1080p. Gotta mention I also have a GTX 960 and had an R9 290 before this. I preferred efficiency and performance as a balance and the GTX 960 does that really well. You've made good choises and you won't be dissapointed with the result.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
D

Dsellz

Honorable
Jun 5, 2015
7
0
10,510





So RCF, going with the MSI Z97 the GTX 960 and the I5-4590 would you still the recommend the other components you recommended?
Would you keep the same case?
How would you cool the system on a budget while still maintaining efficiency, will fans be enough?
Would you keep the same PSU? What do I even look for when choosing a PSU?
Do you agree with madmatt about the g.skill ram being the best for the price?

Thanks for all the posts everyone! this has been really helpful!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RCFProd

RCFProd

Expert
Ambassador
Dec 8, 2013
12,606
29
56,990
Z97 = To overclock CPU and RAM.

H97 = No ability to overclock.

Your CPU is not the "K'' version like the i5-4690k for example. K means that the multipliers of a CPU are unlocked and that you can overclock it. The one you have is stock speed so whilst you are paying extra for the Z97 motherboard you won't see the benefit of it.

The i5 + GTX 960 are a good combination and any game is going to run well.

The Corsair Vengeance has a higher failure ratio than the G.Skill, who specializes in high quality RAM module productions. However even though the failure ratio is higher, it is still very rare (5%). Get the cheapest one and in this case that is the G.Skill Sniper RAM.

For the power supply you'd be fine with high quality 450 watts. The choice of power supply depends on the build quality and efficiency of it. You want high quality capacitors and you want your power supply to be durable. Most cheaper power supplies on the market go for cheap but only a selection of them are good power supplies and last longer than 3-4 years.

I'd say stay with the S12G-550w. It's a really good power supply.

You could invest in an aftermarket CPU cooler like the Cryorig H7 or Hyper 212 Evo to keep your CPU temperatures lower. Low temps can mean more durability on the CPU. Not to mention a lot less noise production compared to the stock Intel cooler.

Also, you will see much faster load speed and boot speed on Windows if you install it on an SSD. The majority has it nowadays and It's a game changer. Your Windows will boot in 5-10 seconds. 120GB is the starting point, 250GB is most recommended at 100 dollars.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $0.00)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.45 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $345.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-06 11:54 EDT-0400

 
Upvote 1 Downvote
Solution
madmatt30

madmatt30

Titan
Ambassador
Jan 1, 2013
24,574
650
91,240
^ all good advice & in all honesty the only things id change are the cooler to the themis

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA66Z28G4331&FM=1

Its cheaper ,it performs slightly better,its a lot easier to fit.

I'll stand by the kendomen case still - I personally don't rate the cheaper nzxt models - theyre fairly basic & the 340 is $20 overpriced IMO.
The kendomen is cheaper & has insanely good preinstalled cooling for under $50

Edit - the s340 is a reasonably decent buy at that price (I saw $83 for some reason) - bear in mind it has no optical drive bay & comes with a weird twin exhaust fan configuration - you will either have to swap one of these to a front intake or purchase a 120/140mm fan extra.

Psu no real argument just you can get a comparatively decent bronze model for $20 less if your budget is shrinking somewhat
You should never look at bronze & silver models as being inferior quality wise to gold models ,many of them match the golds up to that magic 80% load on efficiency ratings & if you're constantly going over 80% load you have in my eyes under rated the psu wattage wise in the first place.

 
Upvote 1 Downvote
D

Dsellz

Honorable
Jun 5, 2015
7
0
10,510



Wow thanks guys I think I've almost got this all put together (on paper).

I've been debating on the SSD as thats an added $50-100. Other than the initial boot being drastically shorter, is there another benefit? SSD is supposed to last longer? Will programs launch faster as well?

RCF do you have an opinion of the kendomen? It looks like a great deal to me (at a glance).

Do you guys foresee any issues with networking? I'm paranoid on this because my old laptop did this thing where I'd have it hardwire connected and it would get speedtest results around 10 times slower (download) than if I had it wirelessly connected.

Do you guys have opinions on optical drives?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RCFProd

RCFProd

Expert
Ambassador
Dec 8, 2013
12,606
29
56,990
Windows will just be snappier in general with an SSD, a lot more responsive. It is also useful for games that normally take a long time loading, same for heavy programs. However with 120GB you will be limited to a certain amount of games and apps you can install on it.

I don't know much about Deepcool cases but if madmatt says It's a good one you can trust him on that.

Don't forget that cases also depend a lot personal opinion. I personally dislike the design of the Kendomen, and I think design is important when you choose case.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
madmatt30

madmatt30

Titan
Ambassador
Jan 1, 2013
24,574
650
91,240
That board has gigabit Ethernet so you should have zero problems hardwired - it should max your connection easily.

Optical drives are a muchness - I have one in every build & though they are rarely used, every now & then I will rip a CD/movie or burn something in which case id be lost without one - for the sake of $15 id install one anyway personally.

Anything installed on a ssd will launch faster - you get a general snappiness when moving around windows & browsing that is just missing without one - its ultimately hard to describe but whenever I use a computer without one now it just seems incredibly sluggish.
Apart from the cheapest build I would always install one.

& to RCFProd - the themis is about on a par with the h7 - they're both slightly better than the evo.
The h7 is an absolute **** to fit IMO ,the themis is incredibly easy (the only hard thing is getting the fan clips fitted once the cooler is installed)- I've used both once - the themis id use again ,the h7 I wouldn't unless case height or ram clearance necessitated it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
madmatt30

madmatt30

Titan
Ambassador
Jan 1, 2013
24,574
650
91,240
Regarding the case as RCFProd states its a lot personal preference - I like clean square edges & nothing too fancy personally, the s340 is a nice looking & well designed case & good quality.
You won't get the same build quality on the kendomen but you get a lot more for your money (Nissan vs Toyota as I call it)
The kendomen may be overkill on the cooling front in all honesty ,it was originally based on my build with the r9 290 for that reason,with the 4590+gtx 960 is a relatively cool combination.

There are just too many cases to recommend - most of my builds are based on cheapish zalmans for the bang to buck factor.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
D

Dsellz

Honorable
Jun 5, 2015
7
0
10,510



When shopping for cases, is there a way to know if the psu, mobo and gpu will fit in the case?

Aside for design what should I look for in a case?

Do you guys recommend any place for quickly checking out different case designs that would work?
 
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