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Mr Evasive

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Dec 6, 2014
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Hello everyone. I’m just about ready to start the process of ordering parts but I have a few questions/concerns on a few things that I would love some feedback on.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qsYyD8

1. Storage - Should I opt for a 1TB SSD primary drive only instead of an SSD/HDD combo?

2. GPU - Am I making the best possible choice in regards to 1080ti selection? (I see a lot of preference to the Asus ROG Strix OC and MSI Gaming X models)

3. Case - I understand this is purely subjective but I would really appreciate any/all advice nonetheless. I’ve read that the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv and NZXT H700i are the best of the best. Is this true? I’m heavily considering the latter but am wondering if there is a better option that I’m unaware of.

Thank you so much guys/gals for taking the time to read and answer my thread. It means a lot!
 
Solution
Barty1884
1. Unless your workload benefits heavily from all-SSD storage, the SSD + HDD combo is more economical, and more than enough for most people. ~500GB or so in an SSD would give you the best of both; almost every application could be housed on the SSD, with the HDD strictly being for 'bulk' data (opposed to bulk + infrequently used programs etc).

Given the money you'd save vs 1TB SSD, you could RAID 2TB WD Blacks and still come out way ahead..... but would be pretty pointless.

2. "Best possible choice" on a $1,200? No, not at all. While yes, the Strix and others are better binned, they're not worth the $200+ markup they're currently listed for. Sure, you'll see slightly lesser OCs on perceived "lower end" models...
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Eximo

Eximo

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May 27, 2010
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You probably don't need an 850W Platinum supply. A 650W Gold would be more cost effective.

At a minimum I would say go for a 512GB drive. Though I myself am I fan of pure SSD storage and went with the 1TB.

Nothing wrong with the iCX board from EVGA, you do get all those extra temperature sensors. I think the cooler is fairly unique at the moment as well.

Opinion:

I do think overspending on the case can lock you into using it for a very long time. I do appreciate you've stuck to a fairly plain case, though.

I'm not huge a fan of that wiring shroud NZXT likes to put in their cases, I've always thought it looked tacky. Give your mostly white/black/silver build it should work well.

Phanteks Evolv is okay, I prefer the Enthoo Pro M since it has the same rough capabilities and has a mesh front instead of a solid panel. This appeals to me for an airflow design. However I bounce between going for airflow and silence (My current build is airflow, last build was more or less silent)
 
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Barty1884

Barty1884

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Apr 16, 2015
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1. Unless your workload benefits heavily from all-SSD storage, the SSD + HDD combo is more economical, and more than enough for most people. ~500GB or so in an SSD would give you the best of both; almost every application could be housed on the SSD, with the HDD strictly being for 'bulk' data (opposed to bulk + infrequently used programs etc).

Given the money you'd save vs 1TB SSD, you could RAID 2TB WD Blacks and still come out way ahead..... but would be pretty pointless.

2. "Best possible choice" on a $1,200? No, not at all. While yes, the Strix and others are better binned, they're not worth the $200+ markup they're currently listed for. Sure, you'll see slightly lesser OCs on perceived "lower end" models..... but the performance difference between something like a GamingX 1080TI for ~$750 vs a Strix or others for $1,000 or more is going to be in the (relatively) minimal % range, whilst costing >30% more.

If you were going extreme, attempted record-breaking OCing etc, something like the K|NGP|N *could* be deemed worth it, but a card like that is more for bragging rights than anything else.

3. Cases are 1% compatibility, 99% personal preference IMO (although some % should be attributed to airflow and the like).


Without making too many changes to your build, I'd do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($388.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($147.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill - Flare X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($229.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.09 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GAMING X Video Card ($759.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - H700i ATX Mid Tower Case ($179.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2414.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-01-08 18:06 EST-0500

Saves you ~$400 (from the original pricing of your build.....but I sincerely hope you weren't contemplating a $1,200 1080TI!) and double the SSD space.
 
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Solution
Major_Trouble

Major_Trouble

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Jun 25, 2007
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Lovely build. I am sure you'd be happy with it without any input.

1. Storage - Should I opt for a 1TB SSD primary drive only instead of an SSD/HDD combo?
NVMe doesn't offer much gains over a Sata SSD performance wise but they're there none the less. Will you notice? Probably not as both are sooo much faster than HDD. Will you care? Knowing you have the fastest drive you could reasonably get does make you feel good. Financially it doesn't make sense though. It's your money. I'd personally go for at least a 500Gb SSD these days though. With money that'd be the NVMe but working to a budget definitely Sata.

2. GPU - Am I making the best possible choice in regards to 1080ti selection? (I see a lot of preference to the Asus ROG Strix OC and MSI Gaming X models)
EVGA are a very good brand. One of the best. Don't sweat it that others are going Asus, MSI or Gigabyte there isn't much to pick out from all the top cards apart from looks.

3. Case - I understand this is purely subjective but I would really appreciate any/all advice nonetheless. I’ve read that the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv and NZXT H700i are the best of the best. Is this true? I’m heavily considering the latter but am wondering if there is a better option that I’m unaware of.
Cases I find are very subjective. One persons beauty is another's dogs dinner. If you're again picking from the top brands you can't really go wrong. Just make sure it can hold your hardware of choice. Where you would like your cooler. Front or top. Do you want dust filters? Window? etc etc. Read a few reviews of your choice so you know any pitfalls that might lay in wait.
 
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aquielisunari

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Mar 31, 2011
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Don't buy that FTW3 for that amount. Pricing is already odd with the mining situation. I'm not sure what the price was at release and if it was already inflated at that point. I bought it for $850 yesterday which is absolutely ridiculous already. My Vive should be here tomorrow but the card won't be in stock until the 18TH:pfff: At $1200 The Strix goes over to a clear No thank you. What moved me away from the Strix was its cooling. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-rog-strix-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-oc,5225-5.html shows the Strix maxing out at 73F which isn't bad at all. The Hybrid maxed at at an impressive 46C https://overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/evga_gtx_1080_ti_ftw3_hybrid_review/7. I don't water cool my CPU so I can easily mount the radiator in my Vivo Titan.

The combo is a good idea. Putting all your eggs in one basket isn't recommended.

I haven't heard of those cases so I wouldn't be able to offer anything worthwhile.
 
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Mr Evasive

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Dec 6, 2014
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Wow! Thank you all so much for your helpful/informative responses. :) I appreciate it greatly! :D @Eximo I took a look at that Phanteks Enthoo Pro M and I definitely like the look of it. @Barty1884 I would use the 1TB SSD mainly for the benefits of storing my games on it haha. Oh no, don’t worry. I ordered that GPU on Amazon for $799.99 when it was in stock briefly a week ago. @Major_Trouble Thanks a lot for the kind words friend. You really think I should go with 500GB SSD/1TB HDD for my storage? I would opt for a 1TB SSD only but I’m concerned that it will not be enough in the long run.
 
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Major_Trouble

Major_Trouble

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Memory prices are a bit expensive at the moment. Hopefully once you've got to a stage where you need more than 500GB they might be more reasonable. It's easy to add another SSD then. If you're happy paying for a 1tb now go for it. The new Crucial mx500 looks good value.
 
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