(Semi) Newb Looking to Buy a Gaming Rig That Can Support 2560x1600 Res

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CaptainGG

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Hi there guys,

I am looking to buy/build a gaming rig.

Here is what I am HOPING to get out of it and what I am dealing with now:

The only game I really play is Dota 2 but I would like to have the option to be able to run more graphically demanding games on steam.

Here is where things get a bit tricky: I have a 30 inch monitor running a desktop resolution of 2560x1600 but when I currently play Dota 2 I have to scale down the in-game resolution to 1280x1024 because my computer just can't run it at max (I still do, however, run the game on high/very high graphics).

With my new rig I'd like to be able to run Dota 2 at a much maximum resolution with very high graphics quality. Additionally, I'd like to be able to run something like battlefield on high graphics at high resolution (not necessarily at maximum, that would be a bonus).

Hoping you guys might be able to suggest a build out of the many that are already listed on these forums that will satisfy my requirements.

Budget: <$1000

Thanks in advance for your help, I'm doing my best to learn about system-building but it's a steep learning curve!
 
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RowTheBoss

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I apologize for such a painfully unenlightening solution, however, is it an option to just upgrade a single component? Such as a graphics card or a processor maybe? Because that resolution is 1.5x more dense than 1080p you are looking at a very small budget to push out that many frames at that demanding of a resolution.
 
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CaptainGG

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Will need to scrap my current build as it was never meant to do serious gaming on. It is a pre-built Gateway desktop computer that I only meant to be playing poker on and be zippy when multitasking applications.

I bought it in 2010... I'll leave it at that lol.
 
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RowTheBoss

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I haven't been able to find a more recent benchmark for dota 2 specifically, however could you compare it to an equally intensive game, such as 4k League of legends or Heroes of the storm Or Smite even?

I can put a build together on Pcpartpicker if you want, just tell me what currency to use.
 
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Grimwinder

Grimwinder

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You can look at the Best Builds stickies at the top of the forum, they are by price range. At the resolutions you are talking I would suggest an R9 390 8gb video card and build around that (a 980ti would be even better, but would take too big a bite of your budget, IMHO).
 
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CaptainGG

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That's a good idea, I'll look at benchmarks for Heroes of the Storm (if I can find them).

I am using Canadian Dollars (which are in the toilet compared to USD right now but am hopeful of some Black Friday deals!). As Grimwinder suggested, do you think it would be best to build around an R9 390 or 980ti?

I looked through the Best builds stickies but I wasn't able to determine if those took into consideration HIGH resolution requirements so I made my own thread.

Thanks for your help!!
 
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CaptainGG

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The other thing I was wondering about those "Best Builds Stickies" is whether or not those are designed to be gaming rigs or just generally good PCs...

In your honest opinion, is it worth spending the extra money on a build that uses the 980ti over the R9390?
 
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Grimwinder

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I own the 980ti, after a great deal of research and looking at both Nvidia and AMD cards (I'm not wedded to either, my last 3 cards were AMD). For 2k gaming, there's not a better price/performance balance card out there, IMHO. That said, I don't think you'd hate the 390 by any means, its a very good card, especially at the price.
 
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CaptainGG

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Thanks! Would you mind linking me to a "Great" build that uses the 980ti? I found a couple builds that use the 390 in the best builds under 1k thread.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah for 1440P most will argue that the R9-390 is a better card because it puts up 980 numbers at 970 prices (but really only by a couple of FPS) but on that kind of budget I think a 980TI would be out of the question for the most part.

This is a little over budget but should have everything you need:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($294.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1039.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-24 12:06 EST-0500
 
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Grimwinder

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Yeah your cheapest 980ti that I see listed for Canadian is about 820.00, so with the budget you're talking something like what's shown above would be your best bet. If you wanted to spend the extra on the 980ti, then something like this-

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/6FgdLk

Edit: Honestly, I don't suggest spending twice as much on the 980ti over the 390, I really think you'd be happy with the 390.
 
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CaptainGG

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This is excellent!! Thanks so much :D

One question though: would you (or anyone else here) recommend the above build over the poll-leader for the best build under $1k (below)? If so, why? What are the differences here that are relevant to my requirements? Thanks for your help everyone, I'm still trying to learn here!!


SR-71 Blackbird's "Screaming Skylake Build"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($56.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Raidmax Vortex ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($92.35 @ Amazon)
Total: $999.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-10 17:32 EST-0500

 
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Grimwinder

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The main differences are the CPU/motherboard on G-unit's build can be overclocked and are thus a bit more money, and on SR-71's the GPU is a bit better and thus more there. If you aren't going to overclock I'd suggest SR-71's for the better GPU.
 
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g-unit1111

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But then you're stuck with a junk Raidmax case though. I wouldn't touch Raidmax with a 10 foot pole. Good choice of PSU on that build, but still... that Raidmax case leaves a lot to be desired.
 
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CaptainGG

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Thanks guys! So if I don't plan on overclocking, go with SR-71's, can I get a consensus on that lol? Three additional things:

a) I don't plan on overclocking... mostly because I have NO experience in overclocking and don't know what it offers, how to do it etc. I want something more plug-n-play.

b) what is wrong with the Raidmax case? If it's an issue, could you perhaps suggest a case that would work with the setup that SR-71 made (even if it puts us a little over the $1k budget).

c) I've heard of this GPU running very hot. Do both of these builds deal with this issue and provide sufficient cooling?

Thanks again!
 
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Grimwinder

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If you don't overclock and want to save a few dollars then yes go with SR-71's CPU/motherboard pairing, most people wouldn't know the difference performance wise unless you were running benchmarks.

You can just swap the cases from the builds, I'm not much of a case geek, but both are ATX mid-towers so all your parts would fit in either.

AMD's current line of cards tend to use more power and run hotter than Nvidia's current crop, but not so much that it would make a real difference in your overall cooling scheme. The case fans on the NZXT are a bit better (there is an extra one) but either should serve you fine as long as you don't have your PC sitting somewhere unusually hot (like next to a window where the sun shines on it or next to a house heating vent).
 
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g-unit1111

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Pretty much everything I've ever seen come from Raidmax is of extremely sub par build quality and I've seen tons of their cases fall apart after a year or so.

If you want another case go with something like a Corsair 200R or NZXT Source 220. If you want to pay a bit more then an NZXT S340 or a Phanteks Enthoo Pro would be better choices that aren't too much more expensive.
 
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CaptainGG

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After commiserating over the fact that I would be looking at paying $1300 Canadian plus tax and shipping I don't know if I can reasonably afford SR-71's setup. I was looking over the benchmarks for Dota 2 and if it is the ONLY game I plan on playing, can you help me save some money on building this rig that will EASILY and FLUIDLY handle max graphics and 2560x1600 resolution?

Here are some benchmarks I've found. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks for being patient with me!

http://www.techspot.com/review/785-free-to-play-games-benchmarks/page3.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dota-2-performance-benchmark,3481-7.html
 
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CaptainGG

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Like, would something like these be able to do what I'm looking for? (Pulled from last year's Best Configs Poll)

AMD Radeon's FULL AMD R9 290 Budget Build

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer

AMD Radeon's Black-Red R9 290 Budget Build

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer
 
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Grimwinder

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I would suggest an i5-4690 (non-K or K whichever is cheaper, the K's have been running cheaper in the US lately) over the FX-8350. For gaming it's a better chip and running the same price point as the 8350, at least here.

Edit: You edited while I was posting, the Intel CPU will serve you better.
 
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