Gaming PC From The Ground Up [Middle Budget]

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MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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Hello!

I have spent much of my day off browsing these forums, and have decided to build my own PC [which is amusing because I joined these forums for advice on a prebuilt purchase] - I am wary and uncertain, but I feel like if I don't try now, I may never do so.

Approximate Purchase Date: 09/10/14

Budget Range: $800-$1k CAD including shipping. Rebates are a nonpoint unless they're noticable - I'm unlikely to remember to mail a $5 mail in rebate.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching Movies/Television DVD's, Internet, Office Work (writing).

Are you buying a monitor: Yes. I actually need all peripherals for the rig.

Parts to Upgrade: Ground Up Build

Do you need to buy OS: Yes.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.ca - Ideally I'd like to buy all my parts from one place, even though I'm aware it may cost me more in the long run.

Location: Alberta, Canada

Parts Preferences: Cost > Brand Loyalty.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: No preference.

Additional Comments: I am going from laptop back to pc. I want a main / auxiliary monitor setup, with a smaller (likely portrait) monitor to keep websites/chat/forums open while I play games on the main monitor. I've stated that I don't really have a resolution preference - and I don't, exactly. I have a corner desk, though - my bedroom is small. I'm aware that I might need to sacrifice size / resolution to be able to run a dual monitor setup on the corner desk, but I'd also like to run my games on high (or better) settings on the main screen.

I currently play Smite, and would like to get into MMORPG gaming (With dual box capability) again, as my laptop can't do that. I'd like to come out of this with a computer that can handle anything I'd throw at it without my having to carefully scrutinize system requirements.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My laptop was an off the shelf purchase some years back and it's getting a little long in the tooth.

To close, I'll say thanks for those who take the time to respond. I know I'm being a bit of a jerk by not giving a starter build for you all to work from, but I'm really quite clueless - I read the 'best of' poll topics - I was thinking of using one of the leading builds from the budget topics, if all else fails.

Regards,

Mental

Edit to add - There is wiggle room with the budget, but only a couple hundred dollars tops.
 
B

BossManFromTheHood

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Aug 2, 2014
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Hey Canadian bro,
Built you an awesome PC for your budget in CAD! :).

PC $1042 dollars at multiple retailers or $1085 at Newegg only.

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/RQCbyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/RQCbyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.79 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($95.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($89.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.63 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($94.79 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor: Asus VS207D-P 19.5" Monitor ($109.95 @ Vuugo)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($29.99 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1042.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-06 23:58 EDT-0400

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/RQCbyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/RQCbyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($256.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($133.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($189.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($114.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.63 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
Monitor: Asus VS207D-P 19.5" Monitor ($109.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse
Total: $1085.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-07 00:00 EDT-0400
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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@BossManFromTheHood -

Thanks for your efforts! I don't know enough to ask smart questions, so please excuse the broad scope of my inquiries!

1 - I have a small bedroom, so my tower is going to sit under my desk. The dimensions on the casing you've selected seem great for my space, but I should ask - do you feel ventilation is going to be an issue if I'm keeping the tower under my desk? There's space between the tower and the wall, but not a whole lot.

2 - I feel like I'm asking the obvious, but - side windows are just a personal preference, right? Since no one will see my tower where I'm putting it, such a thing is pointless for me.

3 - Will this build support my desired dual monitor setup? If so, is there a specific connection type I'll need to get my hands on for that secondary monitor? I won't want to spend much on the second screen since it's not likely to be used to play games, but a lot of the lower cost monitors seem to be lacking in versatility.

4 - How long do you think I will be able to use this computer? This is a bit of splurge for me, and I'm used to holding onto my computers rather long after they've become outdated - I'm going to try and keep on top of upgrades in a general sense, but ideally I want something that'll keep on trucking for at least a couple of years.

5 - I've noticed in some topics that it's mentioned that a SSD drive helps with loading times for various games. I do intend to broaden my game library with a more powerful machine to do so with. Do you feel that it's worth expanding my budget to add one to your build?

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Mental
 
plywrlw

plywrlw

Admirable
Jul 5, 2014
2,811
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This is a powerful build for the price. I didn't go for an overclockable cpu and motherboard as I felt the money would be better spend on a (much) better graphics card and power supply.

It has an Ssd to install Windows and a few games onto plus a larger mechanical drive

The case being mATX works well in small spaces. If it's going on the floor put it on a piece of wood or something if you have carpet

There are a multitude of connections available for dual monitors. The most likely combo would be one monitor on HDMI and the other on dvi

It shouldn't need upgrading for a few years especially if you don't have games running on ultra

Windows are indeed optional and the most important areas for airflow are the front and rear of the case so try and keep those clear

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.00 @ Canada Computers)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($83.16 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.45 @ NCIX)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($194.98 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ NCIX)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: LG 22M35D 60Hz 22.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ NCIX)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($29.99 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1047.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-07 01:01 EDT-0400
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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@plywrlw

There's a shelf built into the side of my desk so the tower won't need to sit on the floor. I've got the subwoofer of my [very old] speaker set sitting on it now, but I can sit that on the floor beside the desk easily enough. The desk is against the wall, but there's a gap between the wall and the desk because of the baseboard - it's not the most ideal situation perhaps, but the tower won't be snug against the wall in any event.

I've used - and am comfortable with - windows seven for quite some time. Do you feel that there's a notable upside in choosing windows 8 for this rig?

Thanks for your help,

Mental
 
plywrlw

plywrlw

Admirable
Jul 5, 2014
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Sorry I forgot about the preference for Newegg! I've newegged for you here

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($75.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($211.27 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: ViewSonic VA2246M-LED 60Hz 22.0" Monitor ($149.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1142.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-07 01:23 EDT-0400

I would go with 8.1 to be honest. It has many interface flaws but the kernel is rock solid and works much better in my experience with newer features like ssd's. If you install a free program like classic shell you can make 8.1 appear almost identical to 7
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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@plywrlw

Thanks for 'Newegging' for me. I've never ordered this many items online before - and since ordering items is already going to be a pain in my neck because I live in an apartment building and don't have a car, so I sense myself having to go pick up various packages over a number of days - and I'd really rather have everything in one spot so that if something doesn't go the way I need it to, I've only got one customer service center to deal with.

Thanks also for the insight on Win 8 - I tend to stick with my preferred OS until Microsoft stops supporting it, or even beyond, hah. Might be a good time to turn over a new leaf.

I noticed between the first build and the 'newegged' one that some items changed - I've come to see that in many cases, one thing is very similar to another where some hardware is concerned. Do you feel that I'm losing out on quality / capability by limiting myself to a single merchant, discounting the obvious cost variance?

Thanks again,

Mental
 
plywrlw

plywrlw

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Jul 5, 2014
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No I just swapped out one quality part for another so no worries there. The main issue is the price has crept up a bit. I know what you mean though, I try to buy from only 2 or 3 places when building a PC because it can become such a hassle.

Some of the NCIX stuff was a good deal so if you were to branch out to an extra merchant I'd look there. Unfortunately the CoolerMaster keyboard and mouse weren't available on Newegg either so I left them off as they mainly come down to personal preference anyway.

The main reason I prefer 8.1 is from my own experience. My newest PC has 8.1 and the SSD and motherboard/processor features are much better supported than on my dad's similar PC with Win 7. It also boots up in about half the time (though some of that time is down to the motherboard)
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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@plywrlw

I'm not entirely against paying more cash to make this experience as painless as possible. This will be my first build ever - though I'm sure the OP gave that away in spades - so being able to get all my items from the same vendor is just one concession I'm willing to make in the name of convenience.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129030

They've got the bundle there. I was reading reviews on it earlier, so that's good.

I noticed that between both your build and BossManFromTheHood's build you use a case from the same manufacturer - I'm not sure I love the mesh front on the mATX, but so long as I keep to a mid tower casing, I should be okay to browse around, yes?

Thanks again,

Mental
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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@plywrlw

Thanks a lot for your swift responses.

I'm going to fiddle with the parts picker and see if anyone else throws a hat into this ring, but I should have a 'final choice' post in a day or so that I'd welcome last opinions on.

More likely than not, it'll be mostly the suggested build with a few personal preference tweaks that'll tend towards aesthetics, because I frankly have no clue how to nitpick between one component and another.

Final question for now - how do you feel about tool-less cases? My previous PC was built using one, and I found it very convenient when I went to upgrade the video card. I have no idea if it's still so convenient with a plethora of decent components in the mix, though.

Thanks,

Mental
 
plywrlw

plywrlw

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Jul 5, 2014
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Most cases are tooless to some extent these days and they are nice to build in

On the other hand I don't really mind screwing components in either as once a part it installed it should not need removing for some time hopefully!

I do really like Corsair cases, the 200 or 300r are good for budget builds :)
 
M

MentalThinking

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Sep 6, 2014
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Hello!

Based on the input in this topic, I'm leaning towards this build. I've included a wireless adapter because my room is not the same room as the router - I -could- theoretically run an ethernet cable from my tower to the modem, through the wall.

I welcome both opinions on the wireless adapter I've selected and the option of trying to hardline it instead.

The build has come out as more expensive than I wanted, but that's largely in part because of my unwillingness to branch out to other merchants. I could get a cheaper case and drop the wireless adapter - though I'd need to buy ethernet cable, so it's not a total savings if I did that - but the reviews for the casing I've chosen say that it's very quiet without sacrificing airflow, which is important to me. Plus, it's pretty.

There are some pieces of the build that aren't generally included in the builds I've read here - OS, monitor, etc - so I feel that despite being a little pricey for my budget that it's a fair build for the range I was going for, but I'm entirely open to opinions on where I might save money without sacrificing the overall performance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($75.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($211.27 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: ViewSonic VA2246M-LED 60Hz 22.0" Monitor ($149.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($35.48 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1268.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-07 12:25 EDT-0400

Thanks,

Mental
 
M

MentalThinking

Reputable
Sep 6, 2014
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@plywrlw

I've been using wifi for years - because I've been playing on a laptop - and it works quite well for what I've been doing. I was really uncertain when I first transitioned from pc to laptop, having heard - and experienced - some very terrible things with wireless internet.

From what I've read, so long as your wireless adapter is quality, and you're not trying to connect to the net from your underground bunker, you should be alright.

That said, I've obviously never purchased one before, so I don't know that it's good - I'm going entirely off the ratings on partspicker - well, that and the price.

Regards,

Mental
 
plywrlw

plywrlw

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Jul 5, 2014
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Same here, I don't think my reflexes are quick enough to see a difference anyway. Besides I mostly play strategy games! You could have a look over on the networking forum threads for inspiration but if the adapter has good reviews and lots of them it's probably fine :)
 
M

MentalThinking

Reputable
Sep 6, 2014
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Hello!

Having browsed around the forums for opinions and reviews on wireless network cards, I've decided to go with this one over the one I'd previously listed.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/tp-link-wireless-network-card-tlwn881nd

It's cheaper, the reviews are all around more positive - which I find odd, but hey. I'll get this one and try it out, and if I don't like it, I can always go wired - I'll just pick up some cable somewhere nearby.

This leaves me with the build of:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($75.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($211.27 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: ViewSonic VA2246M-LED 60Hz 22.0" Monitor ($149.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
Total: $1233.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-07 13:41 EDT-0400

Opinions, input, tweaks and anything else welcome. I think it's gonna be great, so far. If anyone sees any compatibility issues that partspicker doesn't, please, please tell me. I'd hate to buy all this stuff and find out something blocks something else that I needed.

Regards,

Mental

Edit - Partspicker switched to the US. Changed back to Canada. Hah, was confused at the lower price.

Edit2 - The wireless card is totally on partspicker, but they don't have newegg canada prices for it. The card costs $27.33 including shipping, bringing my cost for this rig to somewhere around $1260.4
 
M

MentalThinking

Reputable
Sep 6, 2014
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4,530


Better because..?

I largely ended up going with plywrlw's build - with tweaks, obv - because it included the SSD and there didn't -seem- to be a whole lot of difference between the two builds, given what I understand of the parts - which, being fair, isn't a whole lot.

I did like the price point of your build, don't get me wrong. I'm reasonably sure I could toss a SSD into it and come away pretty happy. But then, removing the SSD from my builds brings our price points a lot closer too.

Thanks,

Mental
 
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