Review and suggestions on $1200 gaming PC build

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Furrball

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Looking for review of this build and suggestions on changes.

Primary use will be gaming but no particular games yet as I've been out of the gaming loop due to my current boat anchor. I believe the specs should be adequate for Oculus. I have DVD, keyboard, mouse, monitor(will need to upgrade this soon though), 5.25" floppy(had to add some humor).

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/spLbXH

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming K4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($141.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung SM951 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($167.96 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($308.71 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($92.98 @ PCM)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1215.87

Some of my reasons:
CPU: I5 seems to be the preferred CPU in this range. The 6600 is only $15 more than the $6500 but I'm not stuck on this.
Motherboard: Was looking for M.2 support but not sure it's worth the extra $100 for the M.2 SSD drive and motherboard. Some input here would be nice.
Memory: Wanted 16GB so I don't need to upgrade anytime soon. The 3200 was only like $10 more than 2133.
SSD: Again, looking for M.2 plus it has 512MB cache.
Video Card: I'm actually thinking about spending an extra $100 on the GTX 1070
Case: This case has gone up $30 since I last looked so I will probably change it. Suggestions on basic case would be nice.

Thanks in advance!

 
Solution
logainofhades
There is nothing wrong with going with an M.2 drive, even at this budget. Less cables/less drives in drive bay = better case airflow. This build is overclock/sli capable. If you do not want to overclock, but want SLI, you can drop back down to an i5 6500, and disregard the aftermarket cooling.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($42.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:...
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($85.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB SOC Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1075.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 00:38 EDT-0400
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Jan 28, 2016
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M.2 drives are only useful for the high end SSDs like the Samsung 950 Pro, and on top of that, you don't need a Z170 board if you are not overclocking.
A H170 board offers all the features of the Z170 chipset without the ability to overclock.
RAM selection is good.
With the SSD, its not worth going for an SSD of that power unless you're doing some serious work and have the cash to blow.
Your case is very overpriced at the moment. Don't go for it. (as you stated)
Graphics card is a poor choice when there are many other options on the market that are better for the price (980ti for $50 more). It could well be worth spending the extra money on a 1070.
Parts list coming in 2 mins! :)

Power supply is good, but worth spending the extra 10 bucks to get a 750w and 1070 SLI it.
 
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N3rdR4ge

N3rdR4ge

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1) a standard SSD is what you should be buying. at this budget, you need to put your money into other parts that will give your games better functionality. a faster type of ssd will not make any difference at all in game.
2) that is way too much money for that case. should be around $60.
3) ram speed will make little to no difference in terms of gaming.
4) performance per dollar is bad for a $310 r9 390 since the 1070 is ~50% (best case scenario) faster for $380 msrp. $100 more is for higher end versions or founders edition.
You are getting 150% the performance for 23% more money with the gtx 1070. There's no point in purchasing an r9 390 at that price even if you are only getting a baseline blower style non reference 1070.



What I'd buy:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($43.53 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1253.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 00:53 EDT-0400
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Sorry, my internet just died for 30 minutes! :)
Here is my build.
I've opted to get the Be Quiet! Pure Rock, as the prices for the Cryorig coolers have been going up slowly over the past month, and is now a whole 33% more expensive than it used to be, and this has similar performance (1-2c higher at load) while being quieter and nearly half the price.
As you said the 6600 is a good choice because 15 bucks gets you a higher turbo clock speed which will prove to be useful especially given you are not OCing.
750w PSU is there for SLI potential in the future should you save up some money.
The build costs $1157, pretty close to your budget, but still room to add storage space, so let me know if you have any concerns or want to change anything.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mhbV6X
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mhbV6X/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! PURE ROCK 51.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.95 @ Directron)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1157.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 01:51 EDT-0400
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1269.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 12:49 EDT-0400
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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There is nothing wrong with going with an M.2 drive, even at this budget. Less cables/less drives in drive bay = better case airflow. This build is overclock/sli capable. If you do not want to overclock, but want SLI, you can drop back down to an i5 6500, and disregard the aftermarket cooling.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($42.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk X400 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Deepcool KENDOMEN Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1262.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 13:33 EDT-0400



If not interested in overclock, or SLI, then this would work.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper B7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk X400 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Deepcool KENDOMEN Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1121.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 13:37 EDT-0400
 
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Solution
Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Erm, any reason why you've put in a Z170 motherboard? o_O
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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The way I see it, 980tis ran in SLI with good room to spare on an 850w power supply.
Given that these draw 70w less each, I think its safe to assume on a high quality 750w PSU they'll run perfectly fine! :)
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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Erm, any reason why you've put in a Z170 motherboard? o_O
Click to expand...


When I put together the first build for him last night, that Asus Z170-E board was $85(see above) after the promotional code. I did not realize the price went back up today when I edited that same build to add the 1070.




EDIT: looks like it's back to $85 now.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($85.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($419.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1235.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-13 19:39 EDT-0400
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Aaaah right that makes more sense, yesterday was Amazon Prime day wasn't it? :)
Shame I don't live in the US, always look at PC part prices on sale, compare them to AUS and tear up. xD
*Freedoooom*
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah AUD prices are insane compared to the rest of the world. That definitely sucks.
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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GTX 1070, a quality 750w would be fine. The 1080, yea an 850w would be my pick. Not much different story than the 970 vs the 980.
 
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F

Furrball

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I think I really like this build. I was tweaking mine and found I had almost the exact same parts you chose. I'm not sure I'll OC or SLI but this gives me the option and I like the MOBO features anyway(Lots of USB, USB Type C, good audio, 3 video outputs, etc).

Should I splurge $20 extra to get the 850W PSU. And is there any real reason to spend more on a modular PSU?

Does anybody else see anything with this build they might be concerned over or would upgrade/downgrade?
 
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Chugalug_

Chugalug_

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Mmmmm, idk, I might upgrade to a better quality PSU like a Seasonic S12II or an XFX TS series.
A bit of money could also be saved going for a 250GB SSD, as anything above that is a waste imo unless you do editing/rendering work and need the extra SSD space.
Not worth the extra investment for the average user in my books.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah it's the exact same unit as the G2/P2/T2 Super Flower units. Not to be confused with the lower end B series PSUs.
 
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