Advice/Feedback on my upcoming PC build?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
Frustrated with the poor performance in modern games on my current PC, I decided that I'm going to build a new one from scratch. My aim for this build is to be able to play modern and upcoming games at a constant 60 fps on high/max settings at 1600x900 resolution. I'll upgrade my monitor to 1080p later this year, but for now I'm saving cash by reusing the current one. I'll also be reusing my current mouse and keyboard.

Here's the PC I'm planning to build at the end of this month:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FbJpt6

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" SSD
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5"
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W


What's your opinion on my build? Do I need to change anything? Will this be able to run modern games like Fallout 4, The Witcher 3, GTA V, and the new Wolfenstein at 60 fps on high /max settings, with absolutely no framerate drops?

My budget is around the ballpark of $1,000, but no more than that.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I need a mobo that supports Windows 7, I have a Win 7 pro installation disk at the ready for this new build.
 
Solution
why_wolf
don't really need that Z170 board since you CPU isn't a K series, could save a little bit there. Or you could do this instead.

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kPxKYJ) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kPxKYJ/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k) | $329.99 @ SuperBiiz
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $24.99 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97pro4) | $99.99 @ Micro...
Sort by date Sort by votes
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


Seeing bad reviews on the board, Intel had to patch Skylake because of crashes, you only need 8gb of ram(unless you want 16) everything else is fine.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
why_wolf

why_wolf

Splendid
Aug 28, 2015
3,532
26
26,940
don't really need that Z170 board since you CPU isn't a K series, could save a little bit there. Or you could do this instead.

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kPxKYJ) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kPxKYJ/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k) | $329.99 @ SuperBiiz
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $24.99 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97pro4) | $99.99 @ Micro Center
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d16gar) | $64.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $84.89 @ OutletPC
**Storage** | [Western Digital WD Blue 1TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10jpvx) | $59.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43967kr) | $209.99 @ NCIX US
**Case** | [Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-200r) | $44.99 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss650km3) | $111.99 @ SuperBiiz
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1076.81
| Mail-in rebates | -$45.00
| **Total** | **$1031.81**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-02-03 14:27 EST-0500 |
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
I forgot to mention that I need a mobo that supports Windows 7, I have a Win 7 pro installation disk at the ready for this new build. The mobo in the OP had reviews that said it worked with it out of the box, so that's why I initially picked it.

@why_wolf
That seems like a good mobo, I'll try to find out if it supports win 7.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
why_wolf

why_wolf

Splendid
Aug 28, 2015
3,532
26
26,940


It should its a Haswell generation, would be amazing if it didn't.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
badboyrog2

badboyrog2

Distinguished
Mar 5, 2014
6,953
0
18,960
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qtsFzy
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qtsFzy/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($116.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $957.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-03 14:49 EST-0500

you can overclock your non k cpu with skylake
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
why_wolf

why_wolf

Splendid
Aug 28, 2015
3,532
26
26,940


Yes that's the i5 devil's canyon, the little brother to the i7 I recommended. They're both the final high end CPUs from the Haswell LGA 1150 lineup.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
Okay, that's good to hear. The list is now practically perfect thank to the suggestions in this thread. I'm not sure if anyone still cares but here is the revised list anyway:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7pkKYJ

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W

Still, anyone is welcome to share their opinion on the build. If any of you think I need to change a part or two, let me know.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
badboyrog2

badboyrog2

Distinguished
Mar 5, 2014
6,953
0
18,960
``Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W``
this psu not really good

did you red my post???


if you prefer this one instead ...more futur proof
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QpnBwP
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QpnBwP/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($116.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1012.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-03 21:03 EST-0500
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


Flaw in this build, you need need to give him an i7, i5 + 970 is better.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


Dont get the SuperNOVA NEX, get a seasonic or XFX PSU.

Seasonic 620W m12ii

http://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-M12II-620-BRONZE-SS-620GM2/dp/B003HE260I/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1454614951&sr=1-8&keywords=Seasonic
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
@badboyrog2

I'll consider getting that, but 750w for that price just seems too good to be true.


@Newbbuilder11

The reviews I've read for the R9 390 say it tends to consume a lot of power, so I was thinking of getting a PSU with a higher wattage. 650w is the minimum for me though.

This is the one I'm considering:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA07235W6662&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

It's a little pricey, but I don't mind spending extra for one that will last.
Still, keep the suggestions coming, my list is constantly changing.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
I was also thinking of changing the choice of motherboard. The one that was recommended before seems good:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97pro4

But apparently it has pretty poor onboard sound (which was a very annoying issue I had to deal with using my current GIGABYTE mobo). I did find a relatively better mobo that was the same brand though.

What do you think of this?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-fatal1tyz97xkiller

It seems really good. It's said to have good onboard sound, and apparently supports Win7 according to some reviews. Not 100% sure though, how about it?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
badboyrog2

badboyrog2

Distinguished
Mar 5, 2014
6,953
0
18,960
``What do you think of this?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-fatal1t...

It seems really good. It's said to have good onboard sound, and apparently supports Win7 according to some reviews. Not 100% sure though, how about it?``

THATS THE BEST CHOICE BY FAR!!! GO FOR IT
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


You system doesnt require the whole power provided by the 620 watt, you'd be fine even with a 500 watt PSU. This gives you headroom to operate.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


All Z87, Z97 MOBO'S support Windows 7. Heck my old Core2Duo supported windows 7 lol. Heck they even support win 8 and 10.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530


I'm not sure what you mean by the last sentence. Could going too high with the wattage cause issues? Just to clarify though, the reason I wanted a higher wattage is because the R9 390 apparently draws a relatively large amount of power. Also, I kind of wanted to 'future-proof' that part of the build a bit, since I'm able to pay a little extra for that (but not much else).

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
badboyrog2

badboyrog2

Distinguished
Mar 5, 2014
6,953
0
18,960
``the R9 390 apparently draws a relatively large amount of power. Also, I kind of wanted to 'future-proof' that part of the build a bit, since I'm able to pay a little extra for that (but not much else).``

yes, the r9 390 need more power then gtx 970 , but nothing dangerous here ...it just need average 30W to 50W more thats it , do not paranoid with that
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


Im saying this PSU gives you headroom to operate so your PSU isnt under constant load. However if you want Crossfire then you would need something like a 800 watt PSU.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Twario

Twario

Honorable
Feb 24, 2013
44
0
10,530
UPDATE: I finally got to build this PC a couple weeks ago, and wanted to post some feedback about how it turned out.

First of all though, here are the parts of this build:

OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
CPU: Intel Core i5 4690K 3.5GHz
RAM: 8GB Dual-Channel DDR3
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer
Graphics: ATI AMD Radeon R9 390 Series (MSI)
Storage (SSD): 232GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO
Storage (HDD): 931GB Seagate ST1000DM
PSU: EVGA 80 PLUS GOLD 650W

So far it has gone okay. GTA V was the first game I played on it, but it initially showed some odd stuttering and other performance issues. However, strangely enough this was remedied by plugging the VGA cable into the other slot on the GPU. Now it runs pretty well with mostly high/max settings. I also tried Fallout 4 and it has mostly good performance, provided I turn down some taxing settings like god rays and shadow distance. Also, I don't know if it's normal due to how much of a mess the creation engine is, but the FPS goes downhill whenever I enter certain parts of Boston.

The thing I'm most paranoid about right now is that my CPU is bottlenecking my rig. Both the fps drops in Fallout 4 and the fact that system requirements for games I want to play say to have an i7 CPU has me on edge.

Should I overclock my current one? Because I'm not sure I'm equipped for it. I have a hyper 212 evo CPU fan and a standard case (Fractal Arc Midi 2) with no liquid cooling or anything like that. Advice?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
why_wolf

why_wolf

Splendid
Aug 28, 2015
3,532
26
26,940
you can overclock if you want. The EVO 212 will allow for some mild overclocking. A bigger heat sink or a dual fan water cooler setup would allow for a more extreme overclock.

My understanding is GTA V is kind of a mess performance wise so it acting all wonky really isn't surprising. I might not sure if it has a setting for it but you might check to see if it has a controller for how much AI or NPC action it allows as that will hit the CPU.

In general though no you don't need an i7 unless you want to play on Ultra settings. And even then you'll still run into these problems as it isn't an issue of not enough power but an issue of sloppy open world coding slamming then CPU/GPU all at once. The two games you picked will randomly break everyones rig because of their open world nature. Only reliable thing you can do is turn down some settings and even then not always. Sometimes it's just a bug.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Newbbuilder11

Newbbuilder11

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
1,563
0
12,460


Even at stock you shouldnt be getting bottleneck.
 
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