Building a Gaming Rig 2,500-2,950

[Dylan Dunn]

Hello, so i've been working on this Rig for a few months now, in preparation of buying it here in hopefully a month or two, I want some opinions on whether it's good or not, I feel all the research I did on these parts was well worth it but i'd like someone else to critique it.

Here's the List: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zsgzCJ

I've also had another thread about this computer, obviously it's changed since I posted it there but i'll give the link either way: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2306919/building-high-end-gaming-computer.html

Thank you for the assistance in advance.

 

[majic2]

This will handle all gaming needs, for video rendering would conside going for a 6 core processor but thats just me. Otherwise it looks extremply powerful and would definetly go with it

 

[zeyuanfu]

Not bad, but there's a lot of wasted money:
1, I would stay with air cooling as pumps could fail and coolant could leak.
2, ROG motherboards are ripoffs. For 60$ less, you can get the Z97-A with the same features.
3, You can get the same capacity for 40-50$ less with the Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD.
4, The 970 is a bit over half of the 980's price but only ~10% weaker.
Otherwise, the build looks good.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Not bad, but there's a lot of wasted money:
1, I would stay with air cooling as pumps could fail and coolant could leak.
2, ROG motherboards are ripoffs. For 60$ less, you can get the Z97-A with the same features.
3, You can get the same capacity for 40-50$ less with the Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD.
4, The 970 is a bit over half of the 980's price but only ~10% weaker.
Otherwise, the build looks good.

The motherboard might be a rip off, but i'm also getting the front base which only works with the ROG motherboard.

 

[zeyuanfu]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

I updated the List abit http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YT7GVn

 

[iamlegend]

Here you go brother.


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

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP610 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($147.26 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.89 @ Amazon)
Fan Controller: NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller ($26.13 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Other: NZXT Sleeved LED Kit ($9.99)
Other: Twisted Gamer - Insidious MMO / FPS Gaming Mouse Pad, Soft Cloth with Rubber Grip (Purchased For $6.99)
Other: Redragon Perdition 16400 DPI High Precision Programmable Laser Gaming Mouse for PC, MMO, 18 Programmable Buttons, Weight Tuning Cartridge, 12 Side Buttons, 5 programmable user profiles, Omron Micro Switches ($36.99)
Other: Modern Office L-Shape Desk (Mahogany) (36"H x 67"W x 57"D) ($209.00)
Other: High Back Executive PU Leather Ergonomic Office Desk Computer Chair O10 ($92.99)
Other: A40 HEADSET ASTRO EDITION ($150.00)
Total: $2916.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-09 21:15 EST-0500

 

[Farapon]

i7 4790k maximum hero vii corsair 760T gigabyte gtx 980 g1 Samsung evo 1TB 16GB ram gskill trident optical drive AX 860 w platinum.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Here you go brother.


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

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP610 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($147.26 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.89 @ Amazon)
Fan Controller: NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller ($26.13 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Other: NZXT Sleeved LED Kit ($9.99)
Other: Twisted Gamer - Insidious MMO / FPS Gaming Mouse Pad, Soft Cloth with Rubber Grip (Purchased For $6.99)
Other: Redragon Perdition 16400 DPI High Precision Programmable Laser Gaming Mouse for PC, MMO, 18 Programmable Buttons, Weight Tuning Cartridge, 12 Side Buttons, 5 programmable user profiles, Omron Micro Switches ($36.99)
Other: Modern Office L-Shape Desk (Mahogany) (36"H x 67"W x 57"D) ($209.00)
Other: High Back Executive PU Leather Ergonomic Office Desk Computer Chair O10 ($92.99)
Other: A40 HEADSET ASTRO EDITION ($150.00)
Total: $2916.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-09 21:15 EST-0500

Isn't the 970 a HUGE step down for the 980?

 

[iamlegend]

It is a SLI configuration brother.
You will see better results with your monitor.
However, either way is good, if you are planning to get another 980 in the future.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

It is a SLI configuration brother.
You will see better results with your monitor.
However, either way is good, if you are planning to get another 980 in the future.

I do plan to add to this computer over time, these are just the initials parts I wanna get.

Thank you for taking the time to get a list ready man, appreciate it.

 

[iamlegend]

Then you are good to go in there, just change the GPU into a single 980.
I have came up with that rig to lower the cost.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Then you are good to go in there, just change the GPU into a single 980.
I have came up with that rig to lower the cost.

Alrighty then, thanks bro, i'll see if there's a few better prices here and there, but i'm pretty satisfied with this.

 

[zeyuanfu]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

I updated the List abit http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YT7GVn

I would:
1, Get a z97 board: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a
2, Get this SSD: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct256mx100ssd1
3, Maybe downgrade the HDD. 4 TB?
4, Get this 980: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42983kr
5, Get this PSU: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20850xr

Otherwise, you`re good to go!

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

I updated the List abit http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YT7GVn

I would:
1, Get a z97 board: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a
2, Get this SSD: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct256mx100ssd1
3, Maybe downgrade the HDD. 4 TB?
4, Get this 980: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42983kr
5, Get this PSU: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20850xr

Otherwise, you`re good to go!

I changed the PSU kept the same 980 since it's the strongest one i've seen and it's like 100 dollars less than the other strong 980s, i'm on the fence about the SSD and z97 board, the motherboard seems to be the same as my current one with it only being made by Asus, and i've heard the SSD you picked can run into some nasty bugs.

 

[aks_1337]

If it's purely for gaming and just general stuff, an i7 has no benefits to the i5. This is also the same with 16GB RAM, 8GB is fine.
So made a couple of changes to your most up-to-date build:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.94 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($185.56 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($327.85 @ B&H)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($327.85 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC G2460PQU 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($227.58 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.89 @ Amazon)
Fan Controller: NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller ($26.13 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Other: NZXT Sleeved LED Kit ($9.99)
Other: Twisted Gamer - Insidious MMO / FPS Gaming Mouse Pad, Soft Cloth with Rubber Grip (Purchased For $6.99)
Other: Redragon Perdition 16400 DPI High Precision Programmable Laser Gaming Mouse for PC, MMO, 18 Programmable Buttons, Weight Tuning Cartridge, 12 Side Buttons, 5 programmable user profiles, Omron Micro Switches ($36.99)
Other: Modern Office L-Shape Desk (Mahogany) (36"H x 67"W x 57"D) ($209.99)
Other: High Back Executive PU Leather Ergonomic Office Desk Computer Chair O10 ($92.99)
Other: A40 HEADSET ASTRO EDITION ($150.00)
Total: $2941.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-10 09:53 EST-0500

 

[zeyuanfu]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

I updated the List abit http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YT7GVn

I would:
1, Get a z97 board: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a
2, Get this SSD: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct256mx100ssd1
3, Maybe downgrade the HDD. 4 TB?
4, Get this 980: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42983kr
5, Get this PSU: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20850xr

Otherwise, you`re good to go!

I changed the PSU kept the same 980 since it's the strongest one i've seen and it's like 100 dollars less than the other strong 980s, i'm on the fence about the SSD and z97 board, the motherboard seems to be the same as my current one with it only being made by Asus, and i've heard the SSD you picked can run into some nasty bugs.

You can save ~60-80$ by going with the EVGA ACX 2.0 SC 980. The Zotac card isn't too different, you can overclock the card yourself and add some LEDs for 10-20$.
Your current board is a Z87 board and the Z97-A is a VERY good motherboard.
IIMO, 40$ more for an SSD isn't worth it for a ~5 MB/s difference, but that's just me.

 

[Littlesackninja]

Dont get the EVga 980, get the Asus, Gigabyte or Zotac Omega or Extreme. get the i5-4690k or a 4670k depending on the price (practically the same, 90k is slightly cooler), get the Z97-A lie the above said, or a gigabyte or Msi one, (i recommend the Msi Gaming 5) Get a Samsung 840 Evo, it outperforms the Crucial one, For the Cooler get the NH-D15 so you can overclock plenty (4.6ghz +) Also get a couple of AF-140/120 fans for more intake (might want to buy/make so fan filters) Also you only need 750w maximum with a 980, so get the Supernova G2 as the above said (from Evga). Also do you need 4Tb? Its your choice but it seems alot, anyway get 2xWD Caviar black 2Tb or Seagate barracuda 2tb instead of one drive (Safer and faster) Also that case does not have that good airflow, so if you can try and consider a different case (it is also got alot of plastic on the outside, which wont look as good as metal cases)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/f6DnjX
This is what i suggest: ^^^^^^
It has $150 spare, which i would use to get a large ssd, or another ssd and put them in raid 0, or/and a "better" case.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Front base? You mean like the monitoring stuff?
If you can find the VII Ranger, that's cheaper.

I updated the List abit http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YT7GVn

I would:
1, Get a z97 board: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a
2, Get this SSD: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct256mx100ssd1
3, Maybe downgrade the HDD. 4 TB?
4, Get this 980: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42983kr
5, Get this PSU: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20850xr

Otherwise, you`re good to go!

I changed the PSU kept the same 980 since it's the strongest one i've seen and it's like 100 dollars less than the other strong 980s, i'm on the fence about the SSD and z97 board, the motherboard seems to be the same as my current one with it only being made by Asus, and i've heard the SSD you picked can run into some nasty bugs.

You can save ~60-80$ by going with the EVGA ACX 2.0 SC 980. The Zotac card isn't too different, you can overclock the card yourself and add some LEDs for 10-20$.
Your current board is a Z87 board and the Z97-A is a VERY good motherboard.
IIMO, 40$ more for an SSD isn't worth it for a ~5 MB/s difference, but that's just me.

I heard alot of people say the Z97-A was a DOA when they got it, and also; what's the difference between what I chose and that Motherboard? They seem about the same with one motherboard having better reviews

 

[zeyuanfu]

Look on Amazon for the Z97-A.
The MSI board is Z87, which is older, will not work with Broadwell, and may need a BIOS update prior to installing a Haswell Refresh CPU. I would strongly suggest you get the Z97-A.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Look on Amazon for the Z97-A.
The MSI board is Z87, which is older, will not work with Broadwell, and may need a BIOS update prior to installing a Haswell Refresh CPU. I would strongly suggest you get the Z97-A.

It seemed that most of the 97 were pretty meh, would the Asus Maximus VI Formula work?

 

[Littlesackninja]

The Asus Maximus VI Formula is incredibley overkill, unless you plan on extreme overclocking with high end memory/cpu. Get the list i posted above, with the Msi Gaming 5 or 7, http://pcpartpicker.com/p/f6DnjX it fits nicely in your budget, and allows good overclocking at low noise.

 

[zeyuanfu]

It's also an 8-series board, which might require a BIOS update prior to using a Haswell Refresh CPU.

 

[Littlesackninja]

Get a Z97 board at minimum, as they will support Broadwell (not that i suggest one with the tiny performance increase) And they also support Sata-E, But as i said above, do not get a Rog/Maximus board, they are completely a waste of money unless you are doing HEAVY overclocking involving water, or if you are doing High end workstation Audio editing.

 

[Dylan Dunn]

Get a Z97 board at minimum, as they will support Broadwell (not that i suggest one with the tiny performance increase) And they also support Sata-E, But as i said above, do not get a Rog/Maximus board, they are completely a waste of money unless you are doing HEAVY overclocking involving water, or if you are doing High end workstation Audio editing.

I've been sorta curious about my case, can it support a 4 way sli if I decide to go that route?