Build 1440p Gaming / Recording / Audio

[laserrr]

Hello all, seeking advice and tips on my build. I'm trying to build an all in one machine capable of 1440p 120hz FPS gaming (planning on running one 24-27' gsync monitor for gaming/plus run my current older 22' monitor on the side), and lots of audio related things, currently using a presonus studiolive to record and demo my music. I plan on adding ROKIT 5 monitors and a pair of Sennheiser PC360 cans for my gaming/casual needs. I do plan on using this system to watch movies/stream to an eventual new TV as well.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (going to overclock)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX
Headphones: Sennheiser PC 360

Total: $2kish (trying to budget smart, I don't really have a cap but I also want to cut corners where possible without losing future proofing)

Couple things I'm curious about..

Audio - Is the soundcard worth it? I haven't used a soundcard in a system since 2005. I want to hook the studio monitors up to the PC through the studiolive or a USB amp, plus the headphones to soundcard/pc without having to switch what's plugged in. As much as I like music, I am not an extreme audiophile and not really picky about every tone I just want ease of use and make sure the soundcard is actually helping quality. I'm assuming the PC360 would run at full potential with a soundcard. I'm thinking I should go with a lower budget card if I even need one.

GFX/PSU - Having a hard time deciding if I want to go with a 780TI or regular 780. I know the VRAM should be fine (BF4 is running a little over 2 from what I've read on here) I don't really want to run SLI but I will if the right sale price comes around for another 780 in the future, I don't think the price to performance gains are all that impressive. So I guess that would mean a higher watt PSU possibly to consider. I've read the 780 vs 780TI threads so I guess it just boils down to my wants and what I want to spend.

Overall, I'm starting to wonder If I should ride my current system out till this winter and see what happens with gsync monitors and 800 series cards and other new hardware surprises, I know hardware is always advancing but does this seem like a good time to build a new machine for a 3-4 year future proof into 1440p?

 

[BigBadBeef]

What's that build you got on top? You wanna have a 1440p build with just an i5? If you're twitching on money, then go at least for a Xeon 1231, same speed but its discount hyperthreading. With that you can buy and H97 board instead of Z97 and consider buying Xeon 1241, which is the same as an i7. Hyperthreading is where the future is at.

The soundcard is not worth it, all dedicated sound cards are a turkey with nothing that makes them better than whatever is integrated, especially these days since they strap PCB shielding and OP-amps along with 600-ohm impedance into mobo's anyway.

Gsync is a fail. It won't last long, all you need is a high refresh rate monitor and you're set, no gsync and that kind of crap needed to throttle something the monitor can natively handle.

There we go, I've poked some holes into that build, see what you feel about it.

 

[laserrr]

I have considered a hyper threading CPU, It would be pretty stupid not to get one if I'm trying to future proof. I also work on CAD which is even more reason If I wanted the program on my system. I think for the audio situation I will simply just run the headphones into a mini usb amp or straight into the PC instead of a soundcard. I fully agree though, I will have to check out those CPU's, I honestly haven't even looked at the Xeon line. I've been completely out of the hardware loop for the last couple years, my current build is lasting a long time. I'm ready for some smooth frames!

 

[BigBadBeef]

Me too, my new PC should be coming in today from germany!

 

[realchaos]

If you plan on overclocking, go for an i7-4970k. If not, go for a Xeon E3-1230 V3. The hyper-threading will help not only in your audio development, but also in your CAD work.
I would also up the RAM to 16gb for the same reasons as getting hyper-threading.

If you're actually serious about your audio related work, then definitely get a sound card. The motherboard's onboard audio is enough for the casual, average user, but for people who are serious about their sound quality and music, a sound card is definitely required.

G-sync is not a failure. It can actually be the future for gaming. Keep V-sync off can cause tearing in games, but keep v-sync on can cause stuttering. G-sync fixes these problems and allow for a much smoother game play. It is still in fairly early stages and rather expensive though.

Keep in mind that if you do grab a 650w psu, then you have eliminated the choice of SLI unless you upgrade the psu as well in the future.

Getting 120fps in 1440p is pretty hard. I would seriously recommend getting a GTX 780 ti if you seriously want a 1440p 120hz g-sync monitor. You want to try and get as close to 120fps as possible to take advantage of the monitor. Otherwise, I would just go for a 1440p 60hz IPS G-Sync monitor.

 

[BigBadBeef]

No, go for the 1231, it has more bang for the watt, and the thermal regulation is better due to updated firware in the CPU itself.

 

[realchaos]

Ah yes I forgot about the Haswell Refresh Xeon processors. The 1230 is part of the Haswell family whereas the 1231 is a Haswell refresh, basically an upgrade to the regular Haswell. Even though it is a small upgrade, it runs cooler due to better TIM. Here is the link to the E3-1231 V3: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?p=E3-1231V3B&c=fr&pid=dae15e4bad4c06bca9bebaea2169f58dce5bd40ca25297b1c0c04898315ac60c&gclid=CMrUw8WMg78CFQiUfgodsK8Aew

 

[laserrr]

Price really isn't an issue I just want to budget smart. Aren't the Xeon chips locked? I do want to overclock, maybe not right away but as it's needed with going into the future. I think I'll roll with the i7-4770k.

As for the monitor situation you're probably right, realchaos. I don't think the performance gained from 1440p 60hz to 120hz is worth the 200+$ extra on just the graphics card. I've been playing on a 22' 60hz for almost 7 years now so I'm sure anything I get will look much better. (plus I currently don't even think it looks that bad.. lol) I've done a lot of reading on the whole millisecond 2-5mm battle and how it isn't that noticeable, I'm just slightly concerned since I do play a lot of FPS's. I'm sure a gsync IPS panel would be incredible, hopefully it's worth the price tags, seems like the DIY kits alone are like 200$

 

[realchaos]

Instead of the i7-4770k, go for the i7-4790k. It's basically an upgraded version of the 4770k that has better TIM so it runs cooler and overclocks better.
If you're sticking with 60hz, I would definitely go with IPS (well almost every 1440p 60hz monitor is IPS anyways).
Right now, I feel like G-sync is way too expensive since it's still in the early stages. I would just say to wait for the price to drop.