Building/ Buying my first PC? Read specifics please

[JackHoesterey]

Hello,

I am about to purchase my first gaming/ powerhouse PC. I say purchase because I'm not sure if i want to build or buy it. At first I was set on building it, but on cyberpower PC there are some really good deals going on and a free razer keyboard+mouse (Who doesn't love free stuff?) . In addition to this they also would set up a water cooling rig for me which means I wouldn't have to mess around with that myself when building it. I need your help on a few things... here's the cyberpower pc config code... 1G4VAK and here's the pcpartpicker link... http://pcpartpicker.com/p/w29cRB

1) Using this set up should I water cool? I will be using it for gaming, video editing, and everyday multitasking

2) The prices come out pretty close once water-cooling has been factored in and the cost of a keyboard+mouse... They would also professionally instal EVERYTHING. What should I do?

3) I'm concerned that if they build my water-cool rig then I won't know how to upgrade safely if need be

4) How doest the setup look as a whole?

Thanks,
Jack

 

[g-unit1111]

1. Closed liquid loops are getting better so you should definitely get one at least for the CPU. Some companies are using Swiftech radiators (much better than Asetek as seen on Corsair H100i, etc).

2. If "they" is Cyberpower, don't bother. Build your own - you can get a better system for less money if you build it yourself and you don't have to jump through the technical support hurdles you would going through Cyberpower. I have seen lots of horror stories about Cyberpower - they are known to cut corners and go cheap on crucial components.

3. I would say if you're that concerned, don't do it. Closed loops are a safe bet but open loops are a whole different ball game.

4. You don't want to trust a $2K rig to a Corsair CX. Also those Intel drives are not as great as advertised - the Crucial M550, Samsung 840 Evo/Pro, and OCZ Vertex 460 are the best you can get on the market.

For $2K this is what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($153.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M550 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($156.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($479.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($479.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout with Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($116.66 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($23.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2070.54
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-09 23:33 EDT-0400)

 

[RazerZ]

g-unit1111 posted a great build.


P. S If Cyberpower says they are giving you anything *free*, they most certainly are not. To make up for the "free" parts included they do cut corners on various parts as G-Unit said earlier, and after it's all said and done Cyberpower needs to make a profit. The best option would be to build it on your own, saving you the manual labor costs of having it built elsewhere, and use pcpartpicker to get you the best prices.

 

[g-unit1111]

g-unit1111 posted a great build.


P. S If Cyberpower says they are giving you anything *free*, they most certainly are not. To make up for the "free" parts included they do cut corners on various parts as G-Unit said earlier, and after it's all said and done Cyberpower needs to make a profit. The best option would be to build it on your own, saving you the manual labor costs of having it built elsewhere, and use pcpartpicker to get you the best prices.

Yeah I could definitely post some of the horror stories I've seen from various users throughout the time I've been on this board. :lol: