First gaming rig, is this too much for what I need?

[CorneliusW]

I am in the market for a new computer. My first solution was sticking with a laptop and getting the Dell XPS 15 Touch (I currently have 15z) and the model would be $1949.99. That seemed way too high for a Dell laptop and I don't need the touch capabilities.

I then looked at the Alienware X51 and the model with the upgrades would be $1578 (including $279 monitor). After researching the specs it seem like they were weak considering the price of the computer.

I decided to build my own desktop from ibuypower. Keep in mind I will use the PC for daily use (email, photos, music, work) and occasionally gaming. The games that interest me are NBA 2K, GTA V (had it for PS3 but sold it, so will get it for PC), stealth games, and driving games. I am able to run all these games (not GTA V of course) on my XPS 15Z. I plug the laptop into my HDTV and the games run smooth, though not at max settings of course. If I am going to get a new computer I want to upgrade my current gaming experience. Playing games for the first time on MAX would be great. Strategy games may be thrown in such as Civilization and FPS (call of duty or battlefield) but remember I don't play games a lot because my work schedule doesn't allow me to (even though I work from home lol). I also only play games that I can use a PS3 controller on as I'm a joystick type of guy.

Here are the specs and the price including a monitor comes to $1605 (ignore the monitor as I will most likely unbundle it).


Intel X99 Core i7 Configurator

• 
  Case: 1 x Raidmax Horus Gaming Case - Black
  Case Lighting: X
  iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction: X
  iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion: X
  Processor: 1 x Intel® Core™ i7 5820K Processor (6x 3.30GHz/15MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core™ i7 5820K
  iBUYPOWER PowerDrive: X
  Processor Cooling: 1 x AVC Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-2011] - Free Upgrade to Asetek 510LC (Standard 120mm Fan)
  Memory: 1 x 16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR4-2400 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand
  Video Card: 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 - 2GB - Single Card
  Free Stuff: 1 x [FREE] - 10 ft. Braided HDMI to HDMI Cable (Shielded Cable for maximum interference rejection; 4K resolution ready) - FREE with any System
  NVIDIA GTX GTX 770, 780, 780 Ti and TITAN Black Video Cards
  Motherboard: 1 x Gigabyte GA-X99-UD4 -- 4x PCIe x16, 6x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0
  Power Supply: 1 x 500 Watt - Standard - *Free Upgrade to 600 Watt Standard*(Save $30)
  Primary Hard Drive: 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
  Data Hard Drive: X
  Optical Drive: 1 x LG 24x Dual Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
  2nd Optical Drive: X
  Media Card Reader / Writer: X
  Meter Display: X
  Sound Card: 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
  Network Card: 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
  USB Expansion Card: X
  Operating System: 1 x None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only
  Monitor: 1 x 22" 1920x1080 ViewSonic VA2251M-LED -- FHD Monitor
  Warranty: 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service

Are these specs too much for what I will be doing? I can pay the $1605 but that does sound pretty high also. This is my first time building so I want to make sure I have it right. Would love to hear experienced users thoughts on what I intend on purchasing. If there's adjustments I should make.

One concern I do have is the adjustment that will have to be made. With my laptop (XPS 15Z) I plug it up constantly to my HDTV so I can play tv shows, movies, games. The adjustment is the hassle it will be to power off the computer, disconnect it from the wall, and restart it each time I want to move it to the living room so I can enjoy my entertainment.

And with what is supplied (even if people recommend me to lower some of the specs) do I need to purchase something not listed? Any help would be appreciated as this is a good size purchase!

 

[Col Da Red]

That is way overkill. The x99 platform is good to go with since it will be up to date for a extended period of time, but that is also overpriced. You should be able to do that for about $1300-1500 with the monitor

 

[Teemi]

Do not get any of their standard parts for ram, psu, hdd etc. They're cheap and can damage your system. Get brand name parts not "major brand" or "standard." Your system is way too overkill. You only need an i5 and you don't need a sound card. That motherboard also isn't necessary unless you really care about upgrading to ddr4 later.

 

[CorneliusW]

Looking forward to more feedback but based on the first time I'm assuming the rest will say the same. Thanks for you input guys.

So I should just do the default x99 and that will be able to run games at MAX for me? Default is $1069 without monitor.

@Teemi the sound card is included in the price so there is no option to remove it.

I will search this forum to review some of the recommended builds here as two of you have said this is overkill for what I will be doing. So perhaps there is a cheaper option that meets my needs.

 

[Teemi]

No don't get the default. It has a crappy gpu. Have you checked out cyberpower to see if there are better deals?

 

[Teemi]

Case 1 x NZXT Phantom 410 Gaming Case - White
Case Lighting X
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction X
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion X
Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i7 5820K Processor (6x 3.30GHz/15MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core™ i7 5820K
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive X
Processor Cooling 1 x AVC Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-2011] - Free Upgrade to Asetek 510LC (Standard 120mm Fan)
Memory 1 x 8 GB [4 GB x2] DDR4-2400 Memory Module - G.SKILL Ripjaws 4
Video Card 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 - 2GB - Single Card
Free Stuff 1 x [FREE] - 10 ft. Braided HDMI to HDMI Cable (Shielded Cable for maximum interference rejection; 4K resolution ready) - FREE with any System
Free Stuff 1 x [FREE] - Turtle Beach Z1 Headset - FREE with ALL iBUYPOWER Systems ($29 Value)
Free Stuff 1 x [FREE] - McAfee Antivirus PLUS 2014 - FREE with any System ($49 Value)
Free Stuff 1 x [FREE Game Coupon] - Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! - Free with purchase of NVIDIA GTX GTX 770, 780, 780 Ti and TITAN Black Video Cards
Motherboard 1 x Gigabyte GA-X99-UD4 -- 4x PCIe x16, 6x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0
Power Supply 1 x 750 Watt - Corsair CX750M - 80 PLUS Bronze, Full Modular
Primary Hard Drive 1 x 128GB Apotop S3C SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HARD DRIVE
Data Hard Drive X
Optical Drive 1 x LG 24x Dual Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
2nd Optical Drive X
Media Card Reader / Writer X
Meter Display X
Sound Card 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Network Card 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
USB Expansion Card X
Operating System 1 x Windows 8.1 + Office 365 Trial [Free 30-Day !!!] 64-bit
Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Keyboard
Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Mouse
Monitor X
2nd Monitor X
Speaker System X
Webcam X
Advanced Build Options 1 x iBUYPOWER Specialized Advanced Packaging System - Protect your investment during transportation!
Case Engraving Service X
Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service
Rush Service 1 x No Rush Service (Usually Ships in 5-10 business Days)

Edit: Total is $1617

This is what I would do, but it's really overkill for your needs. If you want to save money you should just give up on the x99 motherboards. It's not like you use your pc really intensively.

 

[CorneliusW]

@Teemi you price is the same as mines. I think I'm going to take the advice and downgrade it. 16GB ram is definitely not needed and I can max out on games using 8GB.

Here is the new spec sheet for $1343:

• 
  Gamer Paladin E810
  
  Case: 1 x Raidmax Horus Gaming Case - Black
  Case Lighting: X
  iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction: X
  iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion: X
  Processor: 1 x Intel® Core™ i7-4790K Processor (4x 4.0GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - Intel® Core™ i7-4790K
  iBUYPOWER PowerDrive: X
  Processor Cooling: 1 x AVC Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1150] - Free Upgrade to Asetek 510LC (Standard 120mm Fan)
  Memory: 1 x 8 GB [4 GB x2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand **FREE Upgrade to DDR3-1866 ADATA XPG V2**
  Video Card: 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 - 2GB - Single Card
  Free Stuff: 1 x [FREE] - 10 ft. Braided HDMI to HDMI Cable (Shielded Cable for maximum interference rejection; 4K resolution ready) - FREE with any System
  Free Stuff: 1 x [FREE] - Turtle Beach Z1 Headset - FREE with ALL iBUYPOWER Systems ($29 Value)
  Free Stuff: 1 x [FREE] - McAfee Antivirus PLUS 2014 - FREE with any System ($49 Value)
  Free Stuff: 1 x [FREE Game Coupon] - Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! - Free with purchase of NVIDIA GTX GTX 770, 780, 780 Ti and TITAN Black Video Cards
  Motherboard: 1 x ASUS Z97-P -- 2x PCIe x16, 4x USB 3.0, 2X USB 2.0
  Intel Smart Response Technology: X
  Power Supply: 1 x 500 Watt - Standard - *Free Upgrade to 600 Watt Standard*(Save $30)
  Primary Hard Drive: 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
  Data Hard Drive: X
  Optical Drive: 1 x LG 24x Dual Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
  2nd Optical Drive: X
  Media Card Reader / Writer: X
  Meter Display: X
  Sound Card: 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
  Network Card: 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
  USB Expansion Card: X
  Operating System: 1 x Windows 8.1 + Office 365 Trial [Free 30-Day !!!] 64-bit
  Monitor: 1 x 22" 1920x1080 ViewSonic VA2251M-LED -- FHD Monitor
  2nd Monitor: X
  Speaker System: X
  Webcam: X
  Case Engraving Service: X
  Warranty: 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service
  Rush Service: 1 x No Rush Service (Usually Ships in 5-10 business Days)

Does that look ok? I don't know much about Motherboards so I don't know if I should change that or not. Everything else I am aware of.

I am going to look at buying all the parts myself and probably finding someone to install it for me IF it comes out to be cheaper than $1300 and I can get the same quality or higher.

 

[Teemi]

I would pay extra for the nzxt 240 or 410 cases. The raidmax just looks bad to me and if you ever need to open the case to fix something, it's better to get a case that's easy to work with. Also like I said before, don't get the standard psu. It's baddd. Get one of the corsair 750 watt psu. The motherboard is fine for your purposes. If you want to add an extra gpu later, I would get one of the sli boards for just several dollars more.

 

[Teemi]

Oh and don't get the monitor from them. You can probably get better deals on Amazon or newegg.

 

[Teemi]

I don't really know why you are sticking with ibuypower. They just don't have as many options as cyberpower. Here is a build I made from cyberpower with a better gpu, case, and power supply. You also get an ssd for the total of $1,399.30 after you use SPRING0410 coupon.

*BASE_PRICE: [+1169]
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CARE1: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
CAS: Corsair Carbide 300R w/ USB 3.0 [+7]
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [-25] (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4790K 4.0 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified)
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Asetek 510LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Enhance Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_CU: Intel Back-to-School Ultimate System Giveaway Coupon
FREEBIE_VC1: FREE! NVIDIA Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel Game Coupon [+0]
FREEBIE_VC2: NVIDIA FREE TO PLAY - Warface, Path of Exile, and Heroes of Newerth [+0]
GLASSES: None
HDD: 128GB SanDisk SSD + 1TB SATA III Hard Drive Combo [-22] (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
HEADSET: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1866MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance)
MIR_VCSSD: NONE
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE Z97X-SLI ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 1 x M.2, 1 x SATA Express, or 6x SATA 6Gb/s (Extreme OC Certified) [+10]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 8.1 (64-bit Edition) + Office 365 FREE 30 Days Trial
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Corsair CX600M CX Series Modular 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply [+28]
RUSH: Standard processing time: ship within 5 to 10 Business Days
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOFT1: McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2014 [+0]
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: EVGA Superclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB GDDR5 w/ ACX Cooling PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card [+208] (Single Card)

 

[Teemi]

You also don't need an i7 jfyi.

 

[CorneliusW]

I will look at CyberPowerPC, though 1300 without monitor puts in the same range as my original and makes it more expensive than the last one I posted Gamer Paladin E810 as that one included a monitor for 1343. That's 200 more for wanting a Superclocked of the same version with no monitor. And if the others are overkill, then $200 extra for a Superclocked a card will only add to that overkill.

I have CyberPowerPC up earlier but I only had time to do one website. You are being helpful though with opening my eyes as I have never had a custom PC before. Though looking at how much I've spent on laptops I should've been doing this a long time ago lol.

I'm really not hip to what's the best out there. If a i5 would give me max graphics for games then I will do that. I just want to buy a computer that will give me some great graphics. But again I don't know much of the difference between the i7 and what's below (I'm assuming i5). Like what I would be missing out on. As I don't want to replace this computer in 3-4 years. I plan on keeping this for quite some time.

 

[Teemi]

The 200 extra isn't just for the card. it's for an ssd and a better psu as well

Edit: And a better case and motherboard. I did small upgrades across the board. i5 is more than enough to play modern games at ultra and it won't even bottleneck a gtx 780.

 

[Teemi]

But to be honest with you, I think buying from cyberpower and ibuypower is only good if you are comfortable with working with hardware in the first place and just don't have the time or whatever to build your own. If something goes wrong, it's a pain in the butt to ship your pc over to them and you have to pay for the shipping yourself. You also have to wait like 3 weeks to get it back. Their customer service isn't the best and they will replace your broken parts with used or refurbished parts. If you care about customer service, it's better to buy from alienware or digital storm. If you have the time, just build your own. It took me one whole day the first time (because I didn't know simple things like which way to pop in the i/o board haha), but now I think it will only take me 2 hours max.

 

[CorneliusW]

I never put one together before, but I may do it as a fun project if it's not too difficult. I should read on that beforehand as the last thing I want to do is mess up the hardware. How much money do you think I would be saving if I bought your specs by themselves? Would have to see if the time is worth saving the extra cash.

Now I notice the PSU, I didn't see it before thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Teemi]

Well to give you an idea here's a build I made a couple of weeks ago:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.66 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($113.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN781ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Mwave)
Total: $1058.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-12 20:45 EDT-0400

It can run any game at ultra for this year and at least high for the next few years after imo. It has an ssd and everything else you need. I would drop the wifi card, it turned out to be useless. And it's only a bit more than $1000. You may find better deals and combinations for similar parts now than when I build it.

Edit: I'm not going to lie. Cyberpower has good deals and a similar build on their site will probably be about $100 extra which isn't a lot of money. I was originally going to go with them, but decided that I really didn't want to go through the hassle of shipping back my pc if something breaks. I also didn't have enough money to be comfortable buying from alienware or digital storm, so the best option was to build my own.

 

[Teemi]

You also can't really mess up the hardware as long as you buy quality parts that are compatible. Also make sure to ground yourself repeatedly with a static wristwrap or just by repeatedly touching the case. Watch some videos, read some guides and you should be fine (especially the ones about common building mistakes). It's not that hard to make it.

 

[CorneliusW]

Thanks for all the advice.

Quick question, what's your preference to the monitor? Do you prefer hooking up to a HDTV (I have a Plasma, won't be upgrading until next year) or PC Monitor? Is there a loss of quality (or additional lag) by hooking up to the TV or are gaming pc monitors the ultimate preference to get the most out of your gaming rig?

I'm asking because this will help me decide if I should be trying to get a good monitor in the 200-400 range (if it exists) or just stick with something cheap since I can play most of my gaming on the HDTV.

 

[Teemi]

I have heard that TV's are not good for gaming because of low response speed. You might want to double check that. I would get a good monitor anyway. It's just good to have because the pc will probably be used for other things than gaming.