How Good Is This Gaming PC?

ThatZiast · Mar 23, 2016

I am building a gaming PC with a $2000 budget. After many changes to the original build, this is what I am left with. I want to be able to get well over 60fps in most games. I also plan to over clock the i5 to 4.2. Any improvements / suggestions? Thanks!

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rmgZgs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rmgZgs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($142.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($638.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($98.68 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($86.95 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($248.00 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair STRAFE Wired Gaming Keyboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Mionix Castor Wired Optical Mouse ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1988.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-23 08:46 EDT-0400

Onefurrybanana · Mar 23, 2016

Looks solid can't really complain well done.

Gingerbread · Mar 23, 2016

Great build but the monitor is a turnoff. You need at least 1440p 144hz monitor to make use of that GPU, else the gtx 980ti is a waste.

wakeboardnzx · Mar 23, 2016

ThatZiast :

This is a great build, and to my knowledge there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Believe me you'll be soaring well over 60fps in any game at 1080p. You'll probably be pushing double that even in some fairly demanding games like GTA V.

ComputerSecurityGuy · Mar 23, 2016

Agreed, at anything less than 1440p @144hz the 980 Ti is a huge waste of money.

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

@ComputerSecurityGuy

@Gingerbread

Where you do guys get your information from? I really dont understand how this total misnomer is being perpetuated all over these forums.

Joey2oo9 · Mar 23, 2016

Gallarian :

I believe their point is that in effect the OP is gonna buy a Ferrari but only use it for nipping down to the shop for some milk.....

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

ThatZiast :

The components you have selected in this build are all compatible and extremely solid.

The combination of the 6600k, 16GB RAM and a 980ti will be absolutely excellent for gaming - there's still no real justification to blow another $100 on an i7 if the system is for gaming.

The only thing I have to say is that it would be a shame to only go up to 4.2ghz on that CPU. The Skylake 'k' CPUs are brilliant overclockers, and you are almost guaranteed to be able to get at least 4.4ghz just by changing the multiplier to 44 and not touching anything else.

As for your monitor selection, there are many people who believe the 980ti is 'overkill' at 1080p - and they aren't wrong, if you only have a 1080p monitor capped at 60hz. However, with 144hz 1080p monitor, the 980ti will give a fantastic gaming experience with consistently high frame-rates that will allow you to really make the most of that high refresh rate.

Speaking from experience, there are STILL games that will dip you below 60fps at 1080p with a 980ti if you max out their settings; GTA:V, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, The Division, Total War: Attila - just to name a few, so there's really no weight to that argument if you are a person who wants to be able to play a game looking its absolute best at high framerates.

So unless you happen to have the spare cash to bump your monitor choice up to a good 1440p 144hz monitor, dont worry about it - the one you have chosen will be a great match for your system.

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

Joey2oo9 :

I know what their points meant, I just wanted to know why they - and seemingly you - think that is the case.

wildfire707 · Mar 23, 2016

Well, I don't know if I would go that far (Ferrari comparison). It is true that the monitor is a decent mid-range choice that is ideal for a GeForce GTX 970.

For that scale of high end build, I would go for the Acer XB271HU bmiprz instead. 1440p IPS at 165Hz with G-Sync. Other than the fact that its built in speakers are relatively poor, it is an awesome display:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-xb271hubmiprz

Of course, it does cost $772 at NewEgg - but you do get what you pay for.

As far as the comparisons with the faster refresh rates go, I think that is why you should stick with monitors that have G-Sync (for NVIDIA cards). I have had trouble with several games stuttering on GeForce GTX 970 builds trying to keep 144Hz steady. Even 980s (and to a lesser extent the 980 ti) can still stutter when trying to keep up on games like Fallout 4 at 144Hz. Consistency.

Gingerbread · Mar 23, 2016

Why is it an overkill? Let's see, because the gtx 970 which is twice cheaper can run everything on 1080p without a problem as well. That's why it's an overkill. If you were to buy a 6 core 12 thread CPU for just gaming then would you say it's an overkill?

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

Gingerbread :

'Without a problem' - Very true.

Can turn all graphics settings up to their highest in modern games and maintain 60fps? - Not true.

Can fully make use of 144hz (i.e. keep frames above 100 at high graphical settings) - Not true.

I own a very similar system to the one the OP has posted, and have used it to run both a 1080p monitor and a 1440p monitor. I know exactly what that system is capable of at both resolutions.

Trust me when I say this; a single 980ti is 'overkill' at 1080p@60hz, but far from it at 1080p@144hz.

As for the CPU analogy, then no - of course not - as there would be no tangible benefit in doing so. There's still not enough of a benefit to warrant even an equivalent i7 for gaming, let alone anything higher. However, there is a huge benefit in getting a 980ti over a 970 when running at 144hz, so your point falls flat.

Gingerbread · Mar 23, 2016

Yeah, that is true that it won't be able to handle everything on 144hz, but you don't need 144hz in the most demanding games frankly speaking. What use would you make of it in games like fallout? Sure it might feel slightly better, but almost no difference. 144hz is truly utilized in fast paced gaming where milliseconds matter and as much as it will hurt every singleplayer fan out there, SP games don't fall into that category.

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

What you 'need' is completely subjective. If the OP 'needs' to be able to game without ever worrying about recommended system requirements, without ever having to look at benchmarks to see if he can get 60fps+, to be able to turn everything up as far as it goes without caring, to be able to not have to test different settings to see what gives the best visuals vs performance, then look no further than the 980ti.

A single 970 is an excellent 1080p @ 60hz card just like the 980ti is an excellent 1440p @ 60hz card. But if you want to game at high frame rates with all the 'bells and whistles', then the 970 just wont cut it.

quilciri · Mar 23, 2016

Gingerbread :

Speak for yourself. 120hz+ brings a noticeable smoothness to every game for me. I was annoyed when I found Skyrim heavily bugs out if your monitor's refresh rate is above 100hz (I have to set it to 100 just to play skyrim).

I can think of half a dozen games off the top of my head that, when cranked, the 980ti won't even crack 100fps on @ 1080p.

Review sites tend to use 1440p and up when reviewing cards of this caliber partly to make the differences between video cards easier to see, partly because some use 60fps as a baseline, and partly because testing every game at 3+ resolutions can be time consuming.

Inferring from those sites that the 980ti should be used at 1440 or higher is a false conclulsion.

Gallarian · Mar 23, 2016

^ + 1 to this ^

People who dont own a 980ti or higher with a 100hz+ monitor need to stop commenting about how 'overkill' it is.

wildfire707 · Mar 23, 2016

Gallarian :

True enough. I am a big fan of 3 x 1080p gaming, but I have yet to find my ideal monitor - a 1080p IPS display that has G-Sync. Many sites are continuously pushing the 144Hz displays, but the high frequency makes game play worse to me if G-Sync or FreeSync is not used. I find any drops in frame rate below the monitor refresh rate very jarring when using a monitor that does not have a way to compensate.

How Good Is This Gaming PC?

Reputable

Reputable

Judicious

Honorable

Admirable

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Judicious

Distinguished

Judicious

Distinguished

Splendid

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page