Gaming + Workstation First Build

Rayzer_116 · Sep 4, 2015

Like it says this is my first build for gaming (GTAV and such) at 1080p with a possible upgrade to 1440p as well as CAD (Blender, AutoCAD and some Unity) just some rendering and animating, not intense processes though. I plan on keeping the rig for years and upgrading parts every now and then. Also not sure whether to go black and white setup or black, a bit of white and red setup.

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRICES IN AUD. (it's not a massive rip off)

The parts:
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/pdmjVn

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241v3 I chose because it's as good as an i7 and I don't plan on overclocking also it's probably the closest speed to an i7.

Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X chose because it's a good quality cooler and the Xeon won't get that hot anyways.

Mobo: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition I chose because it means I have heaps of upgrading potential in future.

RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX Fury Red good quality and means I can get another 16GB later on also I can get whatever matches the colour scheme (red/black/white or black/white).

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD fast, gonna put OS, programs and games on it. Also can change to m.2 as its the same price and I think it's faster? Also a Western Digital WD Green 2TB drive for mass storage but there's been bad review so I may switch to the Seagate 2TB drive.

GPU: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card I chose because I won't have any VRAM bottlenecks in future like the GTX 970 and because it performs like the 970 at 1080p. And will do well at 1440p.

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower because it has heaps of upgrading potential and has good cable management.

PSU: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold I chose because it's a decent power supply that can deal with my system power needs.

Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 24" I chose because it is a quality brand and I monitor that I like the look of. I am debating between this and the BenQ EW2440L though.

Other: Corsair SP140 fans with leds for the front of the case. Windows 8.1 for upgrade to 10. LEDs with remote for the case and desk maybe. A DVD writer for any DVD's I have. And I shit tonne for shipping because I wanted to pay PCCG $40 to protect my package.

Also I have the Logitech MK710 and M705 already for my keyboard/mouse.

Just looking for suggestions, comments, constructive criticism.

Thanks (sorry about long thread).

sna · Sep 4, 2015

Rayzer_116 :

Like it says this is my first build for gaming (GTAV and such) at 1080p with a possible upgrade to 1440p as well as CAD (Blender, AutoCAD and some Unity) just some rendering and animating, not intense processes though. I plan on keeping the rig for years and upgrading parts every now and then. Also not sure whether to go black and white setup or black, a bit of white and red setup.

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRICES IN AUD. (it's not a massive rip off)

The parts:
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/pdmjVn

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241v3 I chose because it's as good as an i7 and I don't plan on overclocking also it's probably the closest speed to an i7.

Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X chose because it's a good quality cooler and the Xeon won't get that hot anyways.

Mobo: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition I chose because it means I have heaps of upgrading potential in future.

RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX Fury Red good quality and means I can get another 16GB later on also I can get whatever matches the colour scheme (red/black/white or black/white).

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD fast, gonna put OS, programs and games on it. Also can change to m.2 as its the same price and I think it's faster? Also a Western Digital WD Green 2TB drive for mass storage but there's been bad review so I may switch to the Seagate 2TB drive.

GPU: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card I chose because I won't have any VRAM bottlenecks in future like the GTX 970 and because it performs like the 970 at 1080p. And will do well at 1440p.

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower because it has heaps of upgrading potential and has good cable management.

PSU: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold I chose because it's a decent power supply that can deal with my system power needs.

Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 24" I chose because it is a quality brand and I monitor that I like the look of. I am debating between this and the BenQ EW2440L though.

Other: Corsair SP140 fans with leds for the front of the case. Windows 8.1 for upgrade to 10. LEDs with remote for the case and desk maybe. A DVD writer for any DVD's I have. And I shit tonne for shipping because I wanted to pay PCCG $40 to protect my package.

Also I have the Logitech MK710 and M705 already for my keyboard/mouse.

Just looking for suggestions, comments, constructive criticism.

Thanks (sorry about long thread).

Go Z170 .... dont waste money on old technology .

you will get

1- True M2 PCIe 3.0 slot.
2- upto 64 GB of DDR4 possible (max 32G on old Z97 machines)
3- 20 lanes PCIE3.0 from the chipset VS PCIe 2.0 in Z97
4- no need to lose GPU lanes when adding PCIe 3.0 cards.

etc

and I would go for X99 chipset and Haswel - E cpu and 6 cores CPU if you want a decent workstation

fport · Sep 5, 2015

One extra step, the [bb] and copy paste into your post, saves typing too.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($409.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Red 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.00 @ Umart)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($529.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fans ($35.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.00)
Other: Deepcool RGB LED's with Remote ($25.00)
Other: ASUS DRW-24D3ST 24x DVD Writer ($20.00)
Other: Shipping ($150.00)
Other: Windows 8.1 ($129.00)
Total: $2461.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-05 13:27 AEST+1000

Modifications:

I'd throw in the 850 Pro 512GB model, it's supposed to be the most bang for the buck and is a very useful size.

M.2, next build, not quite ready yet. Sure it bangs but I'd wait on the next gen boards or go PCI-e in an upgrade when those prices drop.

All the other kids get a http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313&cm_re=Asus_VG248QE-_-24-236-313-_-Product
because that's where everything lives in front of your face. This build is going to last awhile. I have a 30" IPS and don't regret what I spent on that quality.

Rayzer_116 · Sep 5, 2015

sna :

Sorry I forgot to mention my budget because that's the reason I didn't go for X99 or Skylake its <$2450 but if you can find a build for either that's under $2450 it would be appreciated. (yes I know I went 10 dollars over but still.

Rayzer_116 · Sep 5, 2015

fport :

Again sorry I didn't put my budget in and I would have gone with the 512GB if I had the cash.

raisonjohn · Sep 5, 2015

I think you'll like this build. It's below your $2450 budget all at PCCaseGear. Btw, based on what I see in your initial selections, you are probably opting for the red-black interior theme (am I right?). Anyway, just to let you know that most of the parts I selected, I considered that factor.

Here is the build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($225.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: MSI 970 GAMING ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($149.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($179.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($369.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($529.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24D3ST DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.00)
Other: Deepcool RGB LED's with Remote ($25.00)
Other: Shipping ($150.00)
Total: $2442.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-05 19:09 AEST+1000

Major changes/upgrades:

CPU: Replaced your Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor with the AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor. Both CPU's have base clocks at 3.5GHz. I feel that with the CAD/animation works that you'll be doing, you'd take advantage of AMD's 8-core CPU than the Xeon's 4-core. Although the Intel has Hyper-Threading Technology making the 4-core perform with 8-threads, you can't pass up the huge price difference between the Intel vs the AMD, at $409 cs $229, respectively. So I saved you $180 with a downgraded CPU.

MOBO: Replaced your MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard with the MSI 970 GAMING ATX AM3+ Motherboard. Both have multi-GPU (SLI and CrossFire) supports. Although the Z97S have more memory speed supports (up to DDR3-3200MHz) compared with the 970 (up to DDR3-2133MHz), the price difference again becomes a deciding factor, at $209 vs $149, respectively. So I saved you $60 with an almost-equal MOBO.

RAM: I replaced your Kingston HyperX Fury Red 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory with the G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory. The 1600MHz speed of your initial selection did not take advantage of the initially-selected Z97S motherboard (up to 3200MHz). As I changed your motherboard to a 970 (up to 2133MHz), I was able to put in faster 16GB DDR3-2133 memory sticks (red colored of course, to match your red led fans and motherboard). With this upgrade, the Kingston 1600MHz ($139) vs G.Skill 2133MHz ($179), you took a hit of $40 (not bad as we have saved a lot earlier).

SSD: I threw in the SSD you wanted, replacing your initially-selected Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive to a Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive. That's more storage and faster read/write speeds for you.

FANS: I removed the Corsair Case Fans (temporarily) so the total amount will not go above $2450. Just add it back in if you feel you can go slightly above your budget. Since the case already includes a front fan, you can add the case fans later on.

OTHERS: Retained all your selection for the rest of the parts.

Hope this build helps!

Rayzer_116 · Sep 5, 2015

raisonjohn :

I think you'll like this build. It's below your $2450 budget all at PCCaseGear. Btw, based on what I see in your initial selections, you are probably opting for the red-black interior theme (am I right?). Anyway, just to let you know that most of the parts I selected, I considered that factor.

Here is the build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($225.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: MSI 970 GAMING ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($149.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($179.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($369.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($529.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24D3ST DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor: BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.00)
Other: Deepcool RGB LED's with Remote ($25.00)
Other: Shipping ($150.00)
Total: $2442.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-05 19:09 AEST+1000

Major changes/upgrades:

CPU: Replaced your Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor with the AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor. Both CPU's have base clocks at 3.5GHz. I feel that with the CAD/animation works that you'll be doing, you'd take advantage of AMD's 8-core CPU than the Xeon's 4-core. Although the Intel has Hyper-Threading Technology making the 4-core perform with 8-threads, you can't pass up the huge price difference between the Intel vs the AMD, at $409 cs $229, respectively. So I saved you $180 with a downgraded CPU.

MOBO: Replaced your MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard with the MSI 970 GAMING ATX AM3+ Motherboard. Both have multi-GPU (SLI and CrossFire) supports. Although the Z97S have more memory speed supports (up to DDR3-3200MHz) compared with the 970 (up to DDR3-2133MHz), the price difference again becomes a deciding factor, at $209 vs $149, respectively. So I saved you $60 with an almost-equal MOBO.

RAM: I replaced your Kingston HyperX Fury Red 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory with the G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory. The 1600MHz speed of your initial selection did not take advantage of the initially-selected Z97S motherboard (up to 3200MHz). As I changed your motherboard to a 970 (up to 2133MHz), I was able to put in faster 16GB DDR3-2133 memory sticks (red colored of course, to match your red led fans and motherboard). With this upgrade, the Kingston 1600MHz ($139) vs G.Skill 2133MHz ($179), you took a hit of $40 (not bad as we have saved a lot earlier).

SSD: I threw in the SSD you wanted, replacing your initially-selected Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive to a Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive. That's more storage and faster read/write speeds for you.

FANS: I removed the Corsair Case Fans (temporarily) so the total amount will not go above $2450. Just add it back in if you feel you can go slightly above your budget. Since the case already includes a front fan, you can add the case fans later on.

OTHERS: Retained all your selection for the rest of the parts.

Hope this build helps!

Yes Red and Black was the theme. The AMD cpu I'm not sure about, lots of people say that they get hot and use more power while being not as good as Intel CPU's, not trying to go back on the choice but just needing some reassuring.

And pcpartpicker says that some 970 chipset mobo's need a bios update before using vishera cpu's and I have no idea how to do that or what it is.

RAM I don't mind because I just got a cheap 16GB kit because some people said that you don't really notice RAM speeds.

And finally the SSD that's amazing but I looked and the 850 EVO has read/writes of 540 and 520MB/s while the PRO has read/writes of 550 and 520MB/s which isn't that much of a difference for $100. So I'll probably go with the EVO.

Thanks for all the help though

sna · Sep 5, 2015

Rayzer_116 :

raisonjohn :

Yes Red and Black was the theme. The AMD cpu I'm not sure about, lots of people say that they get hot and use more power while being not as good as Intel CPU's, not trying to go back on the choice but just needing some reassuring.

And pcpartpicker says that some 970 chipset mobo's need a bios update before using vishera cpu's and I have no idea how to do that or what it is.

RAM I don't mind because I just got a cheap 16GB kit because some people said that you don't really notice RAM speeds.

And finally the SSD that's amazing but I looked and the 850 EVO has read/writes of 540 and 520MB/s while the PRO has read/writes of 550 and 520MB/s which isn't that much of a difference for $100. So I'll probably go with the EVO.

Thanks for all the help though

M2 951 Samsung SSD speed is 2200MB/s READ and 1600MB/s Write and 300K IOPS ...

dont choose old SATA3 SSD technology.

I will try to choose good parts for you in a sec

Rayzer_116 · Sep 5, 2015

sna :

I don't really mind as long as it's fast but should I worry about going AMD over Intel like I said because I'm not sure because lot's of people say there not as good.

sna · Sep 5, 2015

Rayzer_116 :

dont go AMD , the are slower and their chipsets lack many things. stay with intel.

Rayzer_116 · Sep 6, 2015

sna :

Once again if you can design a build with an Intel processor and 500/512GB SSD without sacrificing GPU or other components then I will go with that. Otherwise I'll just go with a 250GB SSD an Intel Xeon E3-1231v3 and an R9 390.

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