Advice appreciated on my new custom PC Build

[detune88]

Hi guys,

I haven't updated my PC in over 5 years and it's time to splash out.

I'm going to hold off on the graphics card purchase till the 980TI and use my current.

I'd welcome your comments and suggestions on the below build.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/detune/saved/#savedbuild_1694104

 

[jasonite]

Alright, so one thing I'd recommend is to not get an x99-based system yet. It's brand new, over-priced and you won't get games that actually take advantage of it for at least another year. Try a Z97-based system, it runs about the fastest stuff today and is compatible with the next years CPU's as well.

You'll notice some radical changes, this is just to save you money and still get outstanding gaming performance. The i7-4790k is a top-flight CPU...honestly though it's not a lot faster for gaming than the i5-4690k, which is my personal preference--it's cheaper and doesn't run quite as hot. I'm assuming you want to overclock, if you don't let me know. There can be a lot to know with water cooling, and if this is your first build I recommend air cooling as less can go wrong and it's quieter. If it's not, try the 100i, it's a very popular and great water cooling solution. I got you a great mobo and ram though you may want to consider 8gb for now, as no gamer actually needs 16gb. I did change your HDD, just because Seasonic does not make reliable hard drives, as you can see here: http://lifehacker.com/the-most-and-least-reliable-hard-drive-brands-1505797966

Normally I'd pick a WD Blue or Hitachi, but Blue doesn't make a 2gb version so the Black is the cheapest brand that I trust. I stuck with your case because I'm guessing you love it, but I did upgrade your PSU. You will want a top-tier power supply and this is the most affordable, truly excellent PSU available in your market right now. With this rig and your desired graphics card this will run all games at maximum settings. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor (£267.73 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£84.12 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC FORCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£146.36 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£90.00 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£95.96 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Cooler Master COSMOS SE ATX Mid Tower Case (£119.38 @ More Computers)
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£79.97 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1003.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 23:18 GMT+0000

 

[detune88]

Alright, so one thing I'd recommend is to not get an x99-based system yet. It's brand new, over-priced and you won't get games that actually take advantage of it for at least another year. Try a Z97-based system, it runs about the fastest stuff today and is compatible with the next years CPU's as well.

You'll notice some radical changes, this is just to save you money and still get outstanding gaming performance. The i7-4790k is a top-flight CPU...honestly though it's not a lot faster for gaming than the i5-4690k, which is my personal preference--it's cheaper and doesn't run quite as hot. I'm assuming you want to overclock, if you don't let me know. There can be a lot to know with water cooling, and if this is your first build I recommend air cooling as less can go wrong and it's quieter. If it's not, try the 100i, it's a very popular and great water cooling solution. I got you a great mobo and ram though you may want to consider 8gb for now, as no gamer actually needs 16gb. I did change your HDD, just because Seasonic does not make reliable hard drives, as you can see here: http://lifehacker.com/the-most-and-least-reliable-hard-drive-brands-1505797966

Normally I'd pick a WD Blue or Hitachi, but Blue doesn't make a 2gb version so the Black is the cheapest brand that I trust. I stuck with your case because I'm guessing you love it, but I did upgrade your PSU. You will want a top-tier power supply and this is the most affordable, truly excellent PSU available in your market right now. With this rig and your desired graphics card this will run all games at maximum settings. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns:[/i]

Really appreciate the detailed reply, thank you. I've taken each of the points on board.

This would be my first watercooling solution, i'm not shy as a family member (network engineer) shall help with the installation. I've read up on the Hydro 100i and agree with your thoughts. I'm tempted to complete a small overclock but nothing major.

I am happy to spend an increased budget to futureproof my system as i'm one of those buyers who will use it for the years to come without making adjustments to the hardware, therefore would is still be your advice to proceed with the Z97 system? My concern is 2 years down the road I'll be left lacking the juice required to play at optimum performance.

I cannot find much information about your suggested PSU, is it a slightly newer brand to market?

 

[SuperRafal]

If you're looking for futureproof system of course you should go with 2011-v3 chipset. They're not that overpriced as you can see. Support for DDR4 is one thing and another that 4790K is basically most that you can get out of 1150 chipset and 5820K is the lowest CPU for 2011-v3 there is - but still overclocked with 6 cores will be more powerful than 4790K. That means you have a great upgrade path for future. Your 1150 is a great choice for now and next year but if you're looking for quality build that will last for >5 years get 2011-v3.

 

[jasonite]

Alright, so one thing I'd recommend is to not get an x99-based system yet. It's brand new, over-priced and you won't get games that actually take advantage of it for at least another year. Try a Z97-based system, it runs about the fastest stuff today and is compatible with the next years CPU's as well.

You'll notice some radical changes, this is just to save you money and still get outstanding gaming performance. The i7-4790k is a top-flight CPU...honestly though it's not a lot faster for gaming than the i5-4690k, which is my personal preference--it's cheaper and doesn't run quite as hot. I'm assuming you want to overclock, if you don't let me know. There can be a lot to know with water cooling, and if this is your first build I recommend air cooling as less can go wrong and it's quieter. If it's not, try the 100i, it's a very popular and great water cooling solution. I got you a great mobo and ram though you may want to consider 8gb for now, as no gamer actually needs 16gb. I did change your HDD, just because Seasonic does not make reliable hard drives, as you can see here: http://lifehacker.com/the-most-and-least-reliable-hard-drive-brands-1505797966

Normally I'd pick a WD Blue or Hitachi, but Blue doesn't make a 2gb version so the Black is the cheapest brand that I trust. I stuck with your case because I'm guessing you love it, but I did upgrade your PSU. You will want a top-tier power supply and this is the most affordable, truly excellent PSU available in your market right now. With this rig and your desired graphics card this will run all games at maximum settings. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns:[/i]

Really appreciate the detailed reply, thank you. I've taken each of the points on board.

This would be my first watercooling solution, i'm not shy as a family member (network engineer) shall help with the installation. I've read up on the Hydro 100i and agree with your thoughts. I'm tempted to complete a small overclock but nothing major.

I am happy to spend an increased budget to futureproof my system as i'm one of those buyers who will use it for the years to come without making adjustments to the hardware, therefore would is still be your advice to proceed with the Z97 system? My concern is 2 years down the road I'll be left lacking the juice required to play at optimum performance.

I cannot find much information about your suggested PSU, is it a slightly newer brand to market?

I think Super Flower is a newer brand, it's one that we don't have generally available in US markets but is still top-quality. I'm attaching a review of a related model here for you to review. It's also one that's inexpensive relative to comparable products.

In relation to 2011 things, I'll give you my bias. Whenever a new technology comes along I always give it a good year before considering buying it, as there are lots that can go wrong with new tech, especially all kinds of new tech at once. It also allows the price to go down. Right now for instance there's not much indication whether M.2 or SATA Express will be adopted as the standard so I won't jump until I know which one, and it's been out for several months! The gear you have will be good for years, and it's upgradable as well. Hope that helps

J