Which configuration for a game tester?

[shortyhouse]

Hi everyone,

I'm actually working as a game tester and CSR for video-game industry, so I would like to buy a PC (I'm a Mac user at home). I'm not a huge gamer myself, but I would like to be able to play almost any heavier game (like Crysis or BF4, for example) for professional reasons. I might also be doing some video/photo editing, but nothing really heavy.
My budget is not so high, so I would like your opinion on best Motherboard/CPU/Graphic card configuration.
- P9X79 (Pro or not) or Z87 series? And if Z87, which one?
- 4820K or 4770k?
- ASUS GEFORCE GTX770 DIRECTCU II OC 2GB (or similar) or ASUS RADEON R9 280X DIRECTCU II TOP 3GB?

Basically I'm looking for the best reliable and stable configuration (for gaming and light video/photo editing) and that I can upgrade in the future if necessary.

All suggestions and advice are welcome.
Thanks
More a

 

[tim4tech]

Z87 is good because that way you can overclock if you find you have a lack of power.

The 4770K is perfect for gaming. You have to realize that the 4820K is still based off the Ivy Bridge chipset which is slower.

The GTX 770 will be faster but the R9 280X would be sufficient and have a lower price tag. I recommend going with the R9 and using the money saved for a SSD which will greatly boost performance. Even if you don't think you want an SSD for gaming you will after you play around for a while. A hybrid system would work great for gaming. However, if you already have an SSD you could drop the extra bucks on a GTX 770. Hope this helps.

Tim4tech

 

[shortyhouse]

Thanks for tips tim4tech!
Actually, no, I don't have any SSD yet. I usually work on Mac so I have a 1TB external LaCie Quadra.
In case of the R9, the retailer has several models: http://www.alientech.pt/advanced_search_result.php?manufacturers_id=&keywords=r9+280
Would you guys know the difference?
Also, about the SSD, do you mean, increasing the storage capacity or a better model than the Samsung 840 I was planning to buy (like the EVO or Pro models, for example)?

Thanks

 

[tim4tech]

There is not a whole lot of difference other then between the design. I personally would go with the ASUS because that is a more trusted and widespread brand. However, I will leave that up to you.

On the SSD, the only essential thing is that you get one. I myself have the Samsung 840 and it is speedier beyond compare. You could spend extra money for a little more performance but I don't see it being worth the extra dollars.

What I did with my setup is I ran 2 drives. My Samsung 840 with 120GB and a Western Digital Blue 1TB HDD because that way I got the best of both worlds. That is what I recommend you do since you are a gamer. Heaven knows all gamer need more drive space.

Tim4tech

 

[shortyhouse]

Thanks again.
But in the R9, is there any difference between DIRECTCU II TOP and MATRIX PLATINUM 3GB? They are both ASUS but with different prices. And in your opinion, does around €100 to the EVGA GEFORCE GTX770 DUAL BIOS ACX SUPERCLOCKED 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E worth the difference?

 

[tim4tech]

It looks like the only difference is a 30Mhz clock speed boost. I looked up some benchmarks and it appears that the R9 is actually faster than the GTX 770 at higher resolutions and minutely slower than the GTX 770 at 1080P so I would save your money and go for the cheapest ASUS on that website.

 

[shortyhouse]

OK, thanks for your opinion. Normally I use http://www.cpubenchmark.net but the R9 is brand new and is not yet in their charts.

 

[tim4tech]

Hope I helped.

 

[shortyhouse]

You helped for sure.
Could you just give me your opinion about these two builds? Main differences are the GPU and SSD capacity. Also about the PSU, I'm not sure of the needed power. And also if all components combine well together. If all this make sense. Thanks again!

ASUS Z87-A SKT 1150
INTEL I7 4770K 3.5GHZ 8MB SKT 1150 BOX
EVGA GEFORCE GTX770 DUAL BIOS ACX SUPERCLOCKED 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E
G.SKILL PC3-14900 1866MHZ SNIPER 16GB DDR3 16GB CL9 (2X8GB) DDR3
COOLER MASTER HYPER 412S
COOLER MASTER SILENCIO 550
CORSAIR RM 550W MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD
ASUS DRW-24B5ST SATA BLACK BULK
SAMSUNG SERIES 840 ULTRASLIM 120GB 2.5" SATA III
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR BLACK 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8 64BIT EN OEM


ASUS Z87-A SKT 1150
INTEL I7 4770K 3.5GHZ 8MB SKT 1150 BOX
ASUS RADEON R9 280X DIRECTCU II TOP 3GB GDDR5
G.SKILL PC3-14900 1866MHZ SNIPER 16GB DDR3 16GB CL9 (2X8GB) DDR3
COOLER MASTER HYPER 412S
COOLER MASTER SILENCIO 550
CORSAIR RM 650W MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD
ASUS DRW-24B5ST SATA BLACK BULK
SAMSUNG SERIES 840 ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR BLACK 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8 64BIT EN OEM

 

[tim4tech]

I would personally choose the second build. However, I would upgrade the PSU to 750 Watts at least. While you may barely scrape by using 650 right now, if you upgrade then you will need more power. One thing you could do to keep things at a low price point would be to use a 120 GB SSD instead of the 250. That would help pay for the bigger PSU and wouldn't be too much of a loss.

Tim4tech

 

[shortyhouse]

Thanks!
So here goes

ASUS Z87-A SKT 1150
INTEL I7 4770K 3.5GHZ 8MB SKT 1150 BOX
ASUS RADEON R9 280X DIRECTCU II TOP 3GB GDDR5
CORSAIR PC3-15000 1866MHZ 16GB VENGEANCE PRO BLUE CL9 (2X8GB) DDR3
COOLER MASTER HYPER 412S
COOLER MASTER SILENCIO 550
CORSAIR RM 750W MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD
ASUS DRW-24B5ST SATA BLACK BULK
SAMSUNG SERIES 840 ULTRASLIM 250GB 2.5" SATA III
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR BLACK 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA III 3.5
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 8 64BIT EN OEM

I changed the RAM from G.Skill to Corsair because there is a better price on this one.
I kept the SSD on 250GB since the difference between the PSU 650 and 750 is about €10. But if you go to the 850, difference is quite bigger (€50). Since I might be installing programs like CS a 120GB for OS and programs might be tight.
About the other components, do you think it's a good shot? How about the cooler and the case?
Any suggestion for keyboard and mouse? Razer? As I told before, I not a huge player, only for work. So I want something hybrid that will be OK for day-to-day for me and my wife (who is left-handed when using the mouse)

Thanks again for you help.

 

[shortyhouse]

BTW Tim4tech,

I forgot the UPS. APC or Phasak and mostly, which power?
A doubt I got. If I get a 120GB SSD as the OS disc. Can I install any program on the SATA disc? Will they work perfectly fine or is it just an HDD for my backups?

Thx