New gaming build $1400 suggestions

[Raul Balda-1345953]

I'm probably going to build a new gaming PC in around two months and I have started to look for the best parts I could get for my budget. This budget also has to include a monitor, speakers and a keyboard (already have a mouse). I don't need an OS since I can get that for free from my university so that's $100 I can spend in other parts. I have a preliminary build already:

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 - $110
PSU: Corsair TX750W - $60
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H - $180
CPU: Intel Core i5 4570K - $240
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master 212 EVO - $30
RAM: 2x 4GB Corasir Vengeance 1600 MHz - $60
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 Vapor-X - $285
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 240 GB + WD Blue 500 GB - $170 + $55
Optical Drive: Lite-on DVD Multidrive - $18
Monitor: Asus VS229H 21.5" - $140
Keyboard: Logitech K120 - $10
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 - $42

Total: $1400

I want to have the chance to overclock so that is something to consider. I also prefer to buy the parts from either Amazon and Newegg. Is this list fine or should I change something?

 

[realchaos]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.88 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.19 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($405.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($16.20 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($42.85 @ Amazon)
Other: Team Vulcan 2x4gb RAM ($45.00)
Total: $1397.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 14:44 EDT-0400)

-Better quality motherboard. The i5-4670k + ASRock Z87 Extreme6 has a combo at newegg where you save $80! Make sure you take advantage of this awesome combo.
-Slightly smaller SSD, but double the HDD size.
-Much, much stronger gpu. The 770 should max any game on 1080p.
-Modular, 80+ gold 750w good quality psu.
-You don't need ips monitor for gaming. A faster response time would be better

 

[scragnoff]

I'm probably going to build a new gaming PC in around two months and I have started to look for the best parts I could get for my budget. This budget also has to include a monitor, speakers and a keyboard (already have a mouse). I don't need an OS since I can get that for free from my university so that's $100 I can spend in other parts. I have a preliminary build already:

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 - $110
PSU: Corsair TX750W - $60
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H - $180
CPU: Intel Core i5 4570K - $240
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master 212 EVO - $30
RAM: 2x 4GB Corasir Vengeance 1600 MHz - $60
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 Vapor-X - $285
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 240 GB + WD Blue 500 GB - $170 + $55
Optical Drive: Lite-on DVD Multidrive - $18
Monitor: Asus VS229H 21.5" - $140
Keyboard: Logitech K120 - $10
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 - $42

Total: $1400

I want to have the chance to overclock so that is something to consider. I also prefer to buy the parts from either Amazon and Newegg. Is this list fine or should I change something?

Hi Raul!

Should that be an i5 4670K instead of the i5 4570K for your cpu?

You could also go with a 600W psu. Your choice of Corsair is fine. Other good alternatives are SeaSonic, XFX, and Antec. Make sure you grab one that is Haswell compatible.

 

[Raul Balda-1345953]

I'm probably going to build a new gaming PC in around two months and I have started to look for the best parts I could get for my budget. This budget also has to include a monitor, speakers and a keyboard (already have a mouse). I don't need an OS since I can get that for free from my university so that's $100 I can spend in other parts. I have a preliminary build already:

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 - $110
PSU: Corsair TX750W - $60
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H - $180
CPU: Intel Core i5 4570K - $240
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master 212 EVO - $30
RAM: 2x 4GB Corasir Vengeance 1600 MHz - $60
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 Vapor-X - $285
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 240 GB + WD Blue 500 GB - $170 + $55
Optical Drive: Lite-on DVD Multidrive - $18
Monitor: Asus VS229H 21.5" - $140
Keyboard: Logitech K120 - $10
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 - $42

Total: $1400

I want to have the chance to overclock so that is something to consider. I also prefer to buy the parts from either Amazon and Newegg. Is this list fine or should I change something?

Hi Raul!

Should that be an i5 4670K instead of the i5 4570K for your cpu?

You could also go with a 600W psu. Your choice of Corsair is fine. Other good alternatives are SeaSonic, XFX, and Antec. Make sure you grab one that is Haswell compatible.

Yeah it's the 4670K. I know I could go for a 600W with this configuration but I also want to have the possibility to add another 7950 down the road

 

[Raul Balda-1345953]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.88 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.19 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($405.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($16.20 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($42.85 @ Amazon)
Other: Team Vulcan 2x4gb RAM ($45.00)
Total: $1397.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 14:44 EDT-0400)

-Better quality motherboard. The i5-4670k + ASRock Z87 Extreme6 has a combo at newegg where you save $80! Make sure you take advantage of this awesome combo.
-Slightly smaller SSD, but double the HDD size.
-Much, much stronger gpu. The 770 should max any game on 1080p.
-Modular, 80+ gold 750w good quality psu.
-You don't need ips monitor for gaming. A faster response time would be better

Thanks for the prompt response!! I think it's a good idea to spend less on the SSD and put that money on a better GPU. The Asrock was my other mobo choice but I just checked and both the asrock and the gigabyte have the $80 combo savings. What about the 7970 instead of the 770? The 770 is more current but I tend to lean towards AMD than Nvidia. That without mentioning the free game bundle that comes with the radeon

 

[realchaos]

The 770 does out-perform the 7970, but the 7970 is a bit cheaper and comes with free games. Both are a good idea, but I tend to dislike AMD a bit because their drivers are REALLY bad for a 2-way crossfire. That said, if you go with a 7970 then I would suggest only staying with one card because adding in another one will only give a bit more performance.

 

[g-unit1111]

The original build looks pretty good but I'd lose the tin can speakers (save your money and get a much better set) and get something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($284.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($56.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1086.41
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 15:53 EDT-0400)

- Same GPU and CPU
- Picked a less expensive case
- Better SSD
- Less expensive RAM

With the difference add whatever monitor and peripherals you want.

 

[Raul Balda-1345953]

The original build looks pretty good but I'd lose the tin can speakers (save your money and get a much better set) and get something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($284.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($56.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1086.41
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-22 15:53 EDT-0400)

- Same GPU and CPU
- Picked a less expensive case
- Better SSD
- Less expensive RAM

With the difference add whatever monitor and peripherals you want.

I like this build. I don't think I'll get anything other than the Fractal R4 w/ window. I really love that case!! The Extreme6 would be a better value because of the $80 combo savings at Newegg. I also just found a Sapphire 7970 at Newegg from $310!!! That's just $25 more than the 7950.

 

[Marcopolo123]

I would choose gigabyte z87 ud3h over asrock.

 

[Raul Balda-1345953]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($5.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($186.13 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($9.80 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($42.84 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Fractal Design Silent Series R2 FD-FAN-SSR2-140 140mm 140mm Fan ($17.99)
Total: $1425.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-24 23:33 EDT-0400)

I got this for now. Changed to a Seasonic PSU since I've read the Corsair TX has some noise problems. I also decided to get the 840 Pro instead of the non pro since I had some room in my budget (I increased it to $1450)

 

[realchaos]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($9.80 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($42.84 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Fractal Design Silent Series R2 FD-FAN-SSR2-140 140mm 140mm Fan ($17.99)
Total: $1429.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-25 01:59 EDT-0400)

-Cheaper board, but highly rated. Tomshardware did a review on this awhile back and approved of it.
-Better cpu cooler. This thing is a beast, literally so you'll have to get low-profile ram.
-You may want to consider a 1tb HDD because its only ~$10 more for double the storage.
-PC Power and Cooling MK III psu is made by Seasonic. It's relatively cheap for what you get, but it's only 80+bronze. Not a huge problem for the price you get.
-Dropped the thermal paste. You won't need aftermarket thermal paste with a high-end cpu cooler like this.