Gaming & Graphic Designer Computer Build

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 25, 2015

Hello all,

I am trying to build my first computer and like many others, I am a novice and could use advice on the hardware.

Considerations: I am a graphic and multi-media artist & gamer. I was recently laid off. The computer I used belong to my company. I'm looking to build a long term computer with power but that is affordable.

As a novice I tried to pick powerful but somewhat affordable parts but the total came out to over $1600 (with 2 monitors). I don't know if some of what I picked is overkill. Also, I don't know if this setup will work with Windows 10, so I opted for W7Pro because it comes with a free Windows 10 upgrade for life.

Please help me find a way to make this affordable and powerful. Should I start over? What should I change out?

Thanks so much for all of your help!!

Parts List.
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Items List on NewEgg
Motherboard
ASUS Z97-E/USB3.1 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132512
128.99

Processor
Intel Core i5-4690K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core 3.5GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372
239.99

CPU Cooling
Corsair Hydro Series™ H100i GTX Extreme Performance Water/Liquid CPU Cooler. 240mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181090
111.99

Power Supply
CORSAIR CX series CX500M 500W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC CP-9020059-NA Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050
54.99

Video Card
XFX Double D R9-280A-TDFD Radeon R9 280 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150706
174.99
OR
ASUS STRIX-R7370-DC2OC-4GD5-GAMING Radeon R7 370 4GB 256-Bit DDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121967&cm_re=Asus_Radeon_R7_370_4GB_Video_Card-_-14-121-967-_-Product
179.99

Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-2133C11D-16GXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231757&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
91.99

Case
CM Storm Scout 2 Advanced - Gaming Mid Tower Computer Case with Carrying Handle and Windowed Side Panel - Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119263&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
99.99

OS
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416804
139.99

Monitor x2
ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D Monitor Height&pivot adjustable 350 cd/m2 80,000,000:1 Built-in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313
259.99

Harddrive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148844
89.99

Total Cost 1652.89

CTurbo · Jul 25, 2015

Does it have to all be from newegg? You can certainly do much better by ordering from different retailers. There are also several things I would change.

IntelTurtleFan · Jul 25, 2015

Much nicer without OS and monitor.

Xeon 1231 v3 is a i7 without the ability to overclock for 80 dollars cheaper. Since you are doing graphic design an overclock really is not needed.
Changed to a cheaper mobo that will support SLI.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Advanced ATX Mid Tower Case ($83.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $824.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-25 23:26 EDT-0400

The Xeon will be your best friend in graphic design. Also no cooler is needed.

Take a read of this:

CTurbo · Jul 25, 2015

I don't think USB 3.1 is worth an extra $35

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.95 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1581.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-25 23:28 EDT-0400

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 25, 2015

@ CTurbo - It doesn't have to be from NewEgg. I just used that to help me pick parts along with the PCPartPicker site.

Thank you to those who have reviewed the list and provided feedback. I'll take a look at it and think it over. I just wanted to say thank you right away.

iam2thecrowe · Jul 25, 2015

would suggest VA or IPS panel monitor for graphic arts type stuff. TN panels are fast but they look like sh!t. You can get 4 and 5 ms VA/IPS panels that are just fine for gaming. No point in 144hz monitor with that vid card anyway, it will never get there for most games. I just recently went from a tn panel to a VA panel and the difference is astonishing. I also looked at IPS panels but didnt see the benefit vs cost for me. The VA panel also has blacker blacks, compared to other monitors i looked at.

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

iam2thecrowe :

Could you suggest a good monitor that is VA or IPS (I actually don't know what VA , IPS or TN means. I'll have to Google that). Also, do you think the video card is good, decent, amazing or bad? Would you recommend another (that is compatible with the motherboard).

Thanks for you input! I appreciate it.

**Update**
I found this monitor and for the price it seems like an amazing find.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014371&cm_re=monitor_VA-_-24-014-371-_-Product

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

IntelTurtleFan :

Thank you for your solution. I am looking over the part list and it seems like a pretty good alternative. I'm guessing the processor is still going to run great with heavy multi-media software v. the other one on my original list? Also, I have an extra, unused & unopened processor that is a few years old. It's an FX 4100 AMD FX 4-Core 5.8 GHz, 1121 MB Total Cache. I wondered if I could/should consider using the processor I have & what that means to the build I am trying to setup. I wonder if you have any advice for me on that.

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

IntelTurtleFan :

I reviewed the motherboard you suggested and at first glance it looked great but the I read the reviews and a few people said it died on the, wasn't long lasting, and seemed to have low quality construction. The Asus one in my original list seemd to have much better reviews. I also found it to be one whole dollar cheaper than the one you recommended. If I was to keep the Asus MoBo, could I still use all the hardware you suggested?

Just wondering... I won't need the cooler with the Xeon because of it not being overclocked therefore is cooler? Are hydro coolers only used when CPUs are overclocked?

Thanks again for all of your help. Sorry if I am asking too many questions. I want to get this right!

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

After taking and consider the advice given to me in this thread, I came up with this list. What do you guys think? Do I have every thing right? Is it all compatible? It's not much cheaper than the original list but it seems like I need to spend about this much for what I need.... unless there is more I can adjust.

My only concern is does the XEON process work with this same motherboard? I didn't change out the MB because reviews of the the first recommendation, Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard, seemed to report that it was flimsy and cheap and crashed. The second recommendation to remove the 3.1 USB, well it was only $10 cheaper on NewEgg and was only slightly cheaper, I guess I can still change this.

Anyhow.. here's the modified list. What do you guys think?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WRt4TW

Thank you so much for all of your help and input. I feel much more confident about my selections!!

nikoli707 · Jul 26, 2015

not really sure why you picked some of your items. tl:dr above. those benq monitors seem way overpriced for what they do. no need for a cryorig on a xeon. and that case in my opinion is just absurd compared to an elegant fractal. otherwise with your budget there is no reason to not go below a gtx970/r9-290. otherwise i would research carefully your choice on 2tb or larger hard drives as they are nowhere nearly as reliable as 1tb units. if you really need large storage needs off the bat i would consider other options or wait until you actually need the space.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.95 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($306.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($131.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($131.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1438.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-26 02:14 EDT-0400

CTurbo · Jul 26, 2015

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.95 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($306.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($131.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($131.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1438.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-26 02:14 EDT-0400

Get this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

Thank you again @CTurbo and thank you nikoli707 - I have a couple of final questions

Memory: There are two sets of chips listed and I wondered which one was best, in the end. They is only about $10 difference in price. See NewEgg links for specs.
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series - has faster speed but a slower latency
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231757

G.SKILL TridentX Series - has slower speed but faster latency
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231628
Video Card
You recommended a different video card. It was more money so I am assuming it is faster and better? I compared specs and that seemed to be the case. Just checking.

Hard drive
I decided against the SSD, while I would love an SSD it's just too costly and the 3T was just an over indulgence. I opted for the 1T Seagate Barracuda. I'm assuming that this is ok, or do I need something smaller that 1T in order to properly run the OS and other programs? Is there a reason for me to get a second hard drive (such as the SSD) as my boot drive and use a second drive, other than speed and space combo?

Motherboard
I'm assuming the change in this MoBo was done because the memory changed from DDR3-2933 (trident) to DDR3-1600 (ripjaw). Is this the reason the MoBo should be changed to the ASRock? If so, see the question memory. Are there other reasons to change the Asus to the ASRock?

I feel like I'm so close to nailing this down. Thank you all for your help. You guys have been amazing!!

P.S. @nikoli707 - in case you were wondering why I wanted the BenQ - For graphic design
http://www.tech-critter.com/2014/03/benq-ew2440l-24-full-hd-led-monitor.html
http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/monitors-and-projectors/monitors/benq-ew2440-1297052/review

This is the current build - depending on the answer to my questions above, this is close to what I will be getting.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2933 Memory ($109.99)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($306.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ EW2440L 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ EW2440L 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1515.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-26 07:34 EDT-0400

IntelTurtleFan · Jul 26, 2015

2933 RAM is pure uselessness on the Xeon as the highest clock that will theoretically work is 1600. You are better off getting the above parts with this RAM:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($306.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ EW2440L 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ EW2440L 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1515.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-26 11:59 EDT-0400

Sugar_Magnolia · Jul 26, 2015

Thank you all! I am now in the process of ordering my parts. I really appreciate the input from every single one of you. You gave me things to think about and I got to learn along the way!!!!

I can't wait to get the parts and start building it!

IntelTurtleFan · Jul 26, 2015

Your welcome

best of luck with the new build!

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