Noob needs advice on first PC build

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Mehring1917

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Sep 12, 2015
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Hi, I'm looking to build a PC for general use but some games will demand a lot of it. I don't follow hardware developments but want a PC that will hold its own for a few years to come. Compatibility looks like a minefield from where I'm standing, both getting stuff that works together and doesn't create bottle necks.

So far I found the ASRock X99 Extreme 4 looks like a good MB and uses DDR4 which looks like the future. The I7 4790k seems to be a good gaming CPU but is it compatible with this MB?

Any suggestions as to what RAM modules to install, good graphics card combinations, hard drives and power supply and cooling systems or anything actually, would be appreciated
 
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Suztera

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Mar 18, 2014
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No. X99 is for socket 2011-3 cpus which are more expensive than socket 1150 cpus such as i7 4790k.
You need a socket 1150 motherboard preferably a Z97 motherboard with the i7 4790k.
Z97 only support DDR3 ram. X99 platform requires you to use DDR4.
After an i5 4690k, you don't benefit much with gaming performance. You will get diminishing returns the higher you go and spend on a cpu.

You can use PcPartpicker to find and check compatibility. Note it is not always correct on pricing.
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

For the graphic card, it depends on what you want and what you can afford. The more you spend, the more you will get but there is a point where you get diminishing returns as well. For me the GTX 970 or R9 390X is the point where playing at ultra on 1080p.

For storage devices, if you can afford a SSD, I would advise you to get one to install the OS on so you benefit quicker boot times. You most likely also need another hard drive for mass storage for files, media files and games.

Power supply is important so you should not get a cheap unit. Stick with decent quality psu such as EVGA G2 or GS series. For how much it depends on the final build. For most single graphic card builds, a 650W is enough.

For the case, it pretty much subjectively. There are three main form factors of motherboards that the case can support: ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-iTX. You would need to check if the case support the motherboard that you chose.
 
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Mehring1917

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Thanks for that Suztera, PCPartpicker is a godsend and a separate SSD for quick boots sounds good too.

Unless anyone can convince me otherwise, I think I'll go for a DDR4 MB even though it looks like for gaming the 4790k beats most X99 CPUs at the moment. installing a good PSU is the current extent of my PC building experience to date and I saw what a difference it made.
 
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Suztera

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It's up to you if you still want the i7 5820k+X99 route.
Remember to get a cpu cooler for the i7 5820k or you won't be able to use your pc, you might to get a beefy air cooler or get a decent AIO water cpu cooler.
For the SSD, Samsung 850 EVO is a solid choice, other alternatives are Crucial MX200. If you want to have a couple of games on the SSD, take a look at 250/256GB or higher SSD. I got a couple large games on my system and including some minor applications and the OS, it totals to around 205GB. It might include some Window 10 installation files.
 
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Mehring1917

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Got this provisional build. I found the I7 6700k which looks like a gaming 4790k equivalent on the X99 board-

Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
MSI Z170A GAMING M7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
2 x Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive for 500GB total
2 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card (power consumption ruled out R9 for me)
Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (500W requirement according to PCPP)
Sony AD-7260S-01 DVD/CD Writer
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card

Any bad choices there?
 
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Suztera

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The i7 6700k is a Skylake cpu: socket 1151, Z170 platform. Not X99.
The difference between the i7 4790k and i7 6700k is negligible.

The build list is pretty good but ultimately its down to you if it is worth it to pay for the build.
 
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Mehring1917

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Mmm. Looks like skylake and X99 are much of a muchness and both have a developmental future. Only skylake has an equivalent to i7 4790k as far as I can see but it is currently very expensive for the benefit. I might just leave it a month or two and see if the price drops or whether a new CPU is launched that really makes a difference.

Thanks for your help.
 
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Suztera

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Skylake socket 1151 just recently launched so you would have to wait a year until the next generation.
 
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Mehring1917

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Searching around several prices were a bit cheaper than those quoted on PCpartpicker so I went for it. Final list-

Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor Alza
MSI Z170A GAMING M7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard Alza
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory Amazon
2 x Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Amazon
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Scan
Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case Amazon
EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX PSU Novatech
Asus - DRW-24F1ST 24X SATA DVD Recorder Drive Stuff-UK
Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer Water Cooling System Amazon
 
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Mehring1917

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That's reassuring! That list was £1300 and I found a Windows 7 Pro key for £20. If it works I'll go back for a slightly old Office Pro at the same price.


The memory arrived damaged unfortunately, and I can't figure from the "instructions" what I need for the hard drive installation, some kind of USB-SATA connector I've never seen before. It's just some pictures, like someone miming badly how to install it.
 
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