Gaming Build - Please review!

epoon317 · Oct 3, 2016

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to replace my current build with a new one and would love everyone's thoughts. I put more time into my old build so I would appreciate any criticism on the new one. Looking to play Witcher 3 max settings at a locked 60 fps minimum on 2k res.

Thank you for your time!

Current: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/cWJcxY (not all prices are displayed)

New: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Nfjdbj

New (alternative recommendation): http://pcpartpicker.com/list/bjPZcc

Also, any thoughts on how much I could sell my old rig for?

UPDATE:

Thanks for the feedback guys, really appreciate it!

So I did some more research and thought about waiting for the Kaby Lake i7-7700K which is rumored to be released around the same time as the GTX 1080 Ti. Not sure if I want to hold out on waiting for both... I can sell my current setup to my roommate for $700, but he needs it ASAP. Also, the 200-chip mobo series will be able to house the Cannonlake 10nm chips too so that's a plus for my future upgrade options vs the 100-chip mobos for the Skylake chips. Appreciate your thoughts on this...

At the least, I'm definitely swapping the i5-6600K with the i7-6700K, as recommended. Alternatively, maybe I should just get the Titan X (Pascal), but I heard the CPU will be a bottle neck? I'm not sure how to interpret the answers provided in this thread: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/960766/titan-x...

Will a NVMe SSD be overkill? Learned about the Samsung 950 Pro and I keep getting pulled in. A 256gb non-NVMe SSD seems good enough for my boot drive, though, with a few select games which I can always transfer to my HDD, right? Basically, I'm not sure if the NVMe is worth it.

I've yet to do more through research on monitors so I'll get back to you guys on that. As you can tell by my current setup, I've never appreciated / enjoyed a good gaming monitor so I'm keen on having a good one this time around. I'm running 1080p right now, but would really like to upgrade to 1440p. I'm not overly enthused by 4K because a) current hardware can't get me to max settings with minimum 60 FPS (feel free to disagree) and b) doesn't feel like it's fully optimized (I'm the kind of guy who would wait for Vibe/Rift v2, Apple Watch v2, etc.). Happy to read your thoughts here...

I'm reading the Witcher books before I play Witchers 1-3 so I've got some time (except for my roommate looking to buy my computer). I want the BEST gaming experience for Witcher 3, i.e., max settings with hairworks on for Geralt (ideally for everyone, but just for Geralt at the least), at a minimum 60 FPS in big battles / cities. Will the i7-6700K and GTX 1080 be enough for that? The link below suggests I'd only get 30-45 FPS at the "Enthusiast" level rig.

http://www.logicalincrements.com/games/witcher3

Thank you so much guys!

Eximo · Oct 3, 2016

You could probably get $500 or so out of the old rig if you find the right buyer. A lot of that is still pretty decent kit.

I see you are after a general increase in gaming performance, storage, and display.

I would say go for the largest SSD you feel comfortable buying, unless you only want Windows on there, in which case, go smaller. You can always add hard drives later.

32GB of memory is probably more then you need, unless you can think of something that uses that much.

GTX1080 is a decent pairing with a 2560x1440 144hz monitor (the 165Hz overclocking isn't exactly great by all the reviews of that panel) Not really achievable in something like the Witcher 3 at max settings anyway (and not really necessary)

epoon317 · Oct 3, 2016

Eximo :

Only $500? I was hoping for $700-900 including the monitor...

GTX 1080 is only a "decent" pairing? What would be optimal then?

I don't need to overclock the monitor, right? I can keep it at 144Hz?

Should I just wait another year?

Thanks for the feedback!

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

The SSD is way overkill, and your HDD can be a Seagate Barracuda 2TB instead, performs the same for less and has no issues with quality control.

I'll post a build back in a sec.
I have settings on ultra with hairworks for Geralt on, and I see 58-70 fps most of the time with an i7 6700k OC'd to 4.8GHz, so a single 1080 will be fine, RAM is overkill though.
I also have the same monitor, the XB271HU is a great model.

Never get a full tower, they're obnoxiously large, and very hard to work with.
Had the original phantom, and lets just say i've used mid towers ever since, and you should only get a full tower if you're going for enterprise storage really.

epoon317 · Oct 3, 2016

Chugalug_ :

So a 128gb SSD should be fine just to house the OS?

Do you ever dip below 58 fps, maybe in cities or large fights with magic effects? Your CPU is better than the one in my new build by a long shot, no? I don't plan on overclocking the CPU so I don't think I'd be able to get 58-70 fps if that's the case... Also, how's the fps when you have hairworks for everyone?

Thank you for your insights!

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

Here you go, gets you a much lower price and better performance with an i7.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.39 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($679.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 165Hz Monitor ($748.09 @ Amazon)
Total: $2561.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-03 18:11 EDT-0400

Eximo · Oct 3, 2016

Haven't actually fired up Witcher 3 since I installed my 1080, ran it with a pair of 980 and it was fine at 2560x1440, but I wasn't really checking the FPS. (I have a ROG Swift PG279Q)

At 1080 isn't going to max out all titles at 2560x1440 at 144hz, just doesn't quite have the oomph is all I am saying. A pair of 1070 or a Titan X would be better, or even a pair of 1080. But my whole idea was to get rid of SLI since it seems to be on its way out. Going to deal with the slightly worse performance for now, might grab a 1080Ti if the rumors pan out, though I think I will have missed the EVGA step up by that point.

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

Next to nothing is going to get you 144fps at 1440p in those demanding titles, even Titan XP SLI.
But my 1080 gets around 120-135 on epic settings in overwatch, and G-Sync is very good so it is definitely worth the investment.....

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

epoon317 :

120GB is plenty for the OS, and you can turn down AA to hit constant 60fps if G-Sync isn't enough, but i've included a 6700k in the build anyway, refer below.

Should perform exactly the same as me.
Don't enable hairworks for everyone, it puts too much workload on the graphics card and doesn't give that much of a visual improvement overall, just do it for your character.

g-unit1111 · Oct 3, 2016

Eximo :

You are not getting $500 for that rig as a whole. Maybe if you strip and sell the parts you will get approximately $500 but because of depreciation there's no way I would say that fetches $500.

120GB is plenty for the OS, and you can turn down AA to hit constant 60fps if G-Sync isn't enough, but i've included a 6700k in the build anyway, refer below.

It is, but remember we live in the day and age of constant OS updates and those can take a lot of HD space that is unaccounted for.

Here you go, gets you a much lower price and better performance with an i7.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.39 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($679.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XB271HU bmiprz 27.0" 165Hz Monitor ($748.09 @ Amazon)
Total: $2561.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-03 18:11 EDT-0400

Why do you need a BD-R burner? That's one of those things that's becoming less and less of a necessity every day. I'd skip it. This is what I would suggest for that budget not including monitor:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($679.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($85.70 @ My Choice Software)
Total: $1745.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-03 21:00 EDT-0400

I don't think you need to spend $900 on a monitor either, Freesync and Gsync are overrated. I spent $500 on a 28" 4K monitor and that's about all you need really.

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

I meant for the OS exclusively, Windows 10 takes up surprisingly less space than Windows 7, takes about 25GB on initial install and mine has grown to about 70GB over the past year roughly.
While a 250GB is obviously optimal, 120GB is fine if it is just the OS and not additional software, although it is the bare minimum I would recommend.

I agree, G-Sync is overrated, but it is still very good.

A 1440p 144hz monitor without G-Sync like the XF270HU or the MG279Q is a good choice as it still sports an IPS panel while retaining a high refresh rate and good response times.

In regards to 4k, I don't think a single 1080 is quite there though, most people like to hit a solid 60fps at least in graphically intensive titles, myself included.
If you're willing to trade either settings or frame rate though, 4k is a good choice, but I wouldn't recommend it personally unless you're going SLI, i'll post an example below.

Chugalug_ · Oct 3, 2016

Here's the 4k SLI build, feel free to sub in the FTWs if you want.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.39 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($644.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($644.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: LG 27MC67-B 27.0" 60Hz Monitor ($478.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $2868.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-03 23:41 EDT-0400

Eximo · Oct 4, 2016

$500 is best case scenario I agree, very difficult to sell something that was roughly the same price as a contemporary equivalent. That said, that system is perfectly capable now, just adding the 1080 and the monitor and you would be fine for another year or two.

Most of my old systems end up with family members and is likely the plan for my current system. It is an expensive hobby.

Chugalug_ · Oct 4, 2016

Haha, ditto!

To be honest though, when i'm upgrading CPUs in rigs, I just keep stuff together rather than straight up scrapping it to either A. sell as an entirely separate system, or B. offload it to a relative for cash or for free. My old 2600k system with a 680 for example is being used by my cousin at current for video work and rendering, always good to have a backup system too in case something goes wrong or you can't boot your other one! (Or maybe i'm just a hoarder.....)

g-unit1111 · Oct 4, 2016

Chugalug_ :

But is it worth spending $800 for? You need to think about that one. I think the idea of recommending very overpriced monitors just for what amounts to maybe a couple of extra FPS is a trend around here that is getting very worrysome to me.

In regards to 4k, I don't think a single 1080 is quite there though, most people like to hit a solid 60fps at least in graphically intensive titles, myself included.
If you're willing to trade either settings or frame rate though, 4k is a good choice, but I wouldn't recommend it personally unless you're going SLI, i'll post an example below.

I've been getting around 55 FPS on a single card on 4K and that's playing GTA V.

While a 250GB is obviously optimal, 120GB is fine if it is just the OS and not additional software, although it is the bare minimum I would recommend.

But then when you start installing software (and I'm talking non gaming apps) you run out of space very quickly. I think storage is one of those things that should be bought out of necessity, but 120GB is stretching it these days. Especially when you can get a 250 - 500GB drive for an extra $30 - $40.

mightmo · Oct 4, 2016

epoon317 :

You wouldn't need that much ram unless you work with CAD. 16GB is plenty, if your dont plan to overclock much you can get a heat-sink fan assembly instead of an AIO and put all the saving towards an i7-6700k for future proof bottleneck with regards to CPU.

Monitor, no way not worth that cash! if its a TN panel, stay away as color accuracy at angles is horribly yellowish!

Other than that solid build.

g-unit1111 · Oct 4, 2016

mightmo :

Future proof bottleneck? No such thing. And what about the monitor? I have not heard of such a complaint.

Eximo · Oct 4, 2016

TN panels when viewed off angle can indeed distort colors to Purple, Green, or Yellow, or wash out in Gray/White. The color is oddly dependent on heavy metals that are incorporated in the IR and UV filters in the film. Similar in concept to sunglasses, the mirrored ones are the most obvious.

Really obvious if you get above or below a TN panel's viewing angle.

There are some great TN panels out there, but usually if you are spending a lot on a monitor, you should go ahead with the IPS/PLS/AVHA etc...

Chugalug_ · Oct 4, 2016

It isn't really a noticeable thing with TN monitors unless you either get a really low quality one....
I haven't encountered the issue myself on most monitors, with the exception being the Acer GN24HL ( I think that's the model), the cheap 144hz one. The BenQ XL2411Z is actually quite good for colors, as is the VG248QE, and they're both quite cheap TNs.

IPS is very much a big difference in terms of vibrancy compared to other TNs though, but I didn't notice the jump in color that much with my personal rig since I was using a Samsung SA950 27" beforehand, which was one of the best TN monitors i've ever used.

mightmo · Oct 5, 2016

g-unit1111 :

I mean if he gets a i7-6700k he would not bottleneck GPU performance in the near future. AND YES TN panels do have horrible colors accuracy at angles!

epoon317 · Oct 6, 2016

Thanks for the feedback guys, really appreciate it!

So I did some more research and thought about waiting for the Kaby Lake i7-7700K which is rumored to be released around the same time as the GTX 1080 Ti. Not sure if I want to hold out on waiting for both... I can sell my current setup to my roommate for $700, but he needs it ASAP. Also, the 200-chip mobo series will be able to house the Cannonlake 10nm chips too so that's a plus for my future upgrade options vs the 100-chip mobos for the Skylake chips. Appreciate your thoughts on this...

At the least, I'm definitely swapping the i5-6600K with the i7-6700K, as recommended. Alternatively, maybe I should just get the Titan X (Pascal), but I heard the CPU will be a bottle neck? I'm not sure how to interpret the answers provided in this thread: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/960766/titan-x-pascal-now-or-hold-out-for-1080ti-/

Will a NVMe SSD be overkill? Learned about the Samsung 950 Pro and I keep getting pulled in. A 256gb non-NVMe SSD seems good enough for my boot drive, though, with a few select games which I can always transfer to my HDD, right? Basically, I'm not sure if the NVMe is worth it.

I've yet to do more through research on monitors so I'll get back to you guys on that. As you can tell by my current setup, I've never appreciated / enjoyed a good gaming monitor so I'm keen on having a good one this time around. I'm running 1080p right now, but would really like to upgrade to 1440p. I'm not overly enthused by 4K because a) current hardware can't get me to max settings with minimum 60 FPS (feel free to disagree) and b) doesn't feel like it's fully optimized (I'm the kind of guy who would wait for Vibe/Rift v2, Apple Watch v2, etc.). Happy to read your thoughts here...

I'm reading the Witcher books before I play Witchers 1-3 so I've got some time (except for my roommate looking to buy my computer). I want the BEST gaming experience for Witcher 3, i.e., max settings with hairworks on for Geralt (ideally for everyone, but just for Geralt at the least), at a minimum 60 FPS in big battles / cities. Will the i7-6700K and GTX 1080 be enough for that? The link below suggests I'd only get 30-45 FPS at the "Enthusiast" level rig.

http://www.logicalincrements.com/games/witcher3

Thank you so much guys!

Chugalug_ · Oct 6, 2016

This rumor about a bottleneck is false, an i5 6600k can even handle a single Titan XP.

I'd wait for Kaby Lake if you're not in a hurry to build, should give some nice improvements over Skylake for performance.

epoon317 · Oct 7, 2016

Chugalug_ :

Thanks for the response. Any thoughts on Titan X vs 1080 Ti?

Chugalug_ · Oct 8, 2016

No point buying the titan XP unless you're rich, OR waiting for the 1080ti, we simply don't know what the performance will be like, don't assume it'll be like the 980ti.
An M.2 SSD like the 950 Pro is way overkill.
Unless you're doing video work you don't need anything more than 850 Evo performance.
For monitors I included one in my budget for both.

I still think that 4k is significantly better than 1440p, but if you play competitive FPSes go with this.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($137.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.54 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Dell Small Business)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($619.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($619.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($53.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XF270HU 27.0" 144Hz Monitor ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2801.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-08 01:32 EDT-0400

Gaming Build - Please review!

Honorable

Titan

Honorable

Titan

Honorable

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Titan

Commendable

Titan

Titan

Titan

Commendable

Honorable

Titan

Honorable

Titan

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