Can anyone help a noobie with building a computer?

zurigeta

Commendable
May 24, 2016
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1,510
Hello:), I have been using a 8 year old PC and recently got a payrise! I am planning to save up around 2K to build a new computer. Definitely an entire noob when it comes to building a PC so I just looked at the top components on this site and wondered if it would work together?

Case: Fractal Design Define S Case $175
Mother Board: Gigabyte Motherboard ATX DDR4 LGA 1151 GA-H170-D3HP $189
Processor: Intel Core i5-6500 $203
Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 $101
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 PSU $139
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X DDR3-1866 F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL $115
GPU:Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 $699
SSD Storage: SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB $532
HDD Storage: Western Digital Blue 1TB, 7200RPM, 64mb (WD10EZEX) HDD $68

I am looking to use it for high end gaming; WiFi capability preferred if possible and very quiet. I was looking at other builds and think that I am maybe spending to much on storage when I can use it on the GPU instead?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Insight on why or why not to use those above would also help a lot of course. Thank you in advance!
 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
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couple of notes, what is your "needs", you say high end gaming, but how high, what resolution and such?

decent CPU, but room to be better
with the current CPU you dont need the cooling selected, if you chose a K chip to overclock you will need the cooling but other/better/cheaper is availble
Good PSU but a tad too pricy for the need, the SuperNova G2 650w is perfect
also, really should get better Ram, specially DDr4 not DDr3 for Skylake
Bad GPU, its a real poor card price/performance wise, and even more so now that the new cards are getting released, consider them instead
yes true, you pay a premium for the top of the line SSD, you could infact get like 2 decent SSD's for that price, separating OS and Game drives, but even just 1 SSD is fine,
regular HDD is always good for normal storage in addition to SSD

have you considered overclocking/do you plan to? keep in mind its not that terrifying, if so motherboard and CPU +cooling combo should reflect this
 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
967
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something like this maybe
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($319.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.09 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Other: GTX 1080 ($600.00)
Total: $2046.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 10:39 EDT-0400

Note. No optical drive in build/case, install OS via external or USB

Note. No wifi selected, due to me personally not using it so dont feel comfortable recommending a product

Note. OS is selected, if you have, remove it

Note, even more powerful CPU is possible, the I7 6700k

Note. selected K CPU to overclock, great for gaming, overclock is not hard/difficult anymore and pose very few low risk

Note. Cheaper motherboards are available, selected high quality to match you current 180$ range, and if no overclcoking needed cheaper CPU+Mobo is possible

Note. selected top end AIO watercooling, both silent and high performance, even more silent and cheaper air cooling Noctua NH-D14 is possible instead, but expect lower OC with lower noise on air cooling

Note. selected top quality extra fans to accompany case for quiet and silent cooling

Note. Selected 2ssd, 1 for OS and 1 for gaming drive, large 1tb ssd was possible to stay within your previous set price range
 
Solution

zurigeta

Commendable
May 24, 2016
5
0
1,510
Hi Gnuffi, Thank you so much for the detailed and informative response. I don't think I will be planning to overlook anytime soon but would seek it out in the future - so the option to do it is favourable. Nil Wi-Fi is okay too.

I am looking for a CPU capabale of gaming for the next few years at mid to high range performance. I could probably do without the 2ND SSD and save some money in that aspect to put it into the GPU.

720P resolution would be preferable. I have looked at reviews for the GTX 1070/1080 - would both work well with the system above if not overclocking? I also think the 750W PSU I chose previously was a little too much.

Do you have any further advice on the best way to install the cooler and 5x fans? Will a full tower help more instead of a mid-tower in terms of space and further cooling?
 
Rather than just throw money at it, you could have an excellent build with excellent upgradability. At 1080P I don't think you will be able to benefit from the GTX 1080. You can always upgrade the GPU if you move to 1440P or 4K one day. You don't need water cooling unless you just want the bling. 3 fans will be plently and the lack of top fans will keep your rig quiet. Nice MB with USB 3.1, M.2, upgraded sound, etc. There is nothing cheap in this build- all top quality components.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($82.93 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Fractal Design GP14-WT 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($11.99 @ NCIX US)
Other: GTX 1070 ($380.00)
Total: $1393.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-25 00:00 EDT-0400
 

zurigeta

Commendable
May 24, 2016
5
0
1,510


Hi Bearmann! The build you have suggested looks great to handle 1080P as required pluse Wi-Fi.

Thank you for all the helpful advice Gnuffi & Bearmann! Time to go shopping :)
 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
967
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11,360

True i just selected a 2k build because that was what OP said was willing to spend, while staying within he previous selections
if only gaming at 1080p there is no need for the gtx1080 at all, 1070 is perfect

however since he did ask for silence, i do feel it important to note that i dont like the fans that come standard with the Fractal case, and is why i swapped them for Noctua that i do like, which i still do recommend
and ofc if not overclcoking all that much the watercooling isnt needed, but replacing the standard fans i highly recommend
just like not using a windowed case would be better for silence on the Fractal, with the window you lose and entire side with padding + dont seem they did it right and it sorta increase vibrations
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($72.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($82.93 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 FLX 68.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($21.48 @ OutletPC)
Other: GTX 1070 ($380.00)
Total: $1495.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-25 08:19 EDT-0400

 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
967
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ofc depends on which of the builds you go for
i selected the fans, not in addition to the standard case fans but as replacement, as i dont like the fans coming along, specially since you mentioned "very quiet"
if you dont plan to overclock much, you wont need teh watercooling, and as mentioned an air cooler can cool fine and quiet even with modest overclcok
if you do plan on using the watercooling, mount the radiator in the top, as exhaust,
if using the NH-D14 air cooler, just have it mounted in a front to back facing direction (will be in instruction manual)
and use the noctua FLX fans to replace the case fans, 2 front intakes(the 2 lower slots on the front, not the top front slot), 1 back/rear exhaust
if using the 5 fans, you can have and additional intake in the bottom slot,
and use the last fan as either exhaust in the top/roof back slot, or as GPU cooler intake (mounted on the side panel) since some GPU's can run hot and could benefit from that fan (specially reference cards, and especially the 1080 which was selected in that build)

either CPU will do that, you wont have to upgrade CPU for many years, but as mentioned teh i7 6700k is stronger, but also much more expencive, and for gaming i5 6600k will do fine, and it overclocks great,
some chose the i7 6700k to have "the best" currently, and so they dont need to overclock as high/at all, but not overclocking it would technically be paying a premium for a feature you then dont use, and again overclocking is not that hard any more, and these CPU does it with ease

indeed, can easily do without the 2nd SSD, i only selected to show that as mentioned you could have higher storage space+2 separate disks for OS and game drive and still stay within the 500¤ premium ssd you had selected
a 250gb SSD is perfect to start with, more than enough room for OS, and then a couple of games

and as mentioned i only didnt select a Wi-Fi because i never use it so wouldnt feel comfortable recommending a product that would be worth it value/price, so glad Bearmann could

and i do feel teh need to mention, unless for some reason your monitor limits this atm, you really shouldnt be gaming at 720p on a PC and specially not with a good build, then you should really consider getting a nice 1080p monitor, as bare minimum, you could even hook up a 1080p tv instead if you only have a 720p monitor
the first build created will do 2k resolution (1440p), and the one Bearmann /my second will handle 1080p more than perfect, with high graphic settings and steady fps
 

zurigeta

Commendable
May 24, 2016
5
0
1,510


Hi Gnuffi, I cannot begin to say how helpful you have been! I will be looking to replace the original case fans for sure seeing as they are relatively cheap in comparison to the rest of the module. The advice in regards to installing the fans are extremely helpful - I hope that information can help anyone else who queries about extra fan installations as it has definitely given me a better understanding.

i7 6700k sounds great for my system and I intend to be using it for a while. I intend to overclock once performance starts to deteriote (hopefully not anytime soon).

I was actually considering upgrading my monitor anyway so I'll be checking my local stores for a good deal on a 1080p monitor.

Thanks again for all your help! Also to Bearmann for your input. You have both helped a noob massively! :pt1cable:
 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
967
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performance wont deteriorate in many many years so dont worry about that, and even if you do an overclock from day 1 it wont deteriorate either aslong as you do it "right"/ a modest, it would only deteriorate if you start to overclock it to blazing speed and temps
and even then, to make customers feel reassured, instead of the old days where overclocking voided the warranty, Intel now offers a special extended warranty for those that want to overclock but are nervous http://click.intel.com/tuningplan/purchase-a-plan
faq http://click.intel.com/tuningplan/faq
should you damage your CPU as result from teh overclocking, they will replace it 1 time, if you buy that "tuning plan",
ofc following guides and proper instructions, and doing just a modest overclock, would still be completely safe even without teh plan, but for some it can be reassuring
and even tho Intel officially dont condone overclocking(because of business practices), the fact they offer this warranty, shows how much confidence they have in their product that they are willing to replace a 200-400$ CPU, for only 20-30$
so feel safe and free to overclock from day 1 and add 15-20% speed and gain performance to your system

ofc you dont need to overclock, the i7 will blow any games away even on stock when paired with a good GPU, its just unlocked so you can, thus you pay a premium for teh feature and might as well, since it very low risk these days and made so much easier
 
I agree that a non-windowed case will be quieter. Most people like a window, so I included one. I have the Fractal R5 with the same GP-14 fans. The fans are quiet which is why Fractal chose them for this case. The Noctuas, of which I own the A14's are better, but not so much that I would get rid of the very good GP-14's. I would try out the included Fractals. You can always replace them later if you don't like them.
 

Gnuffi

Honorable
Sep 14, 2013
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true, trying out case fans self, before purchasing replacement, is a very valid and good idea
i might just very well just be too sensitive compared to others :D