First gaming build feedback (Budget $1300-1400)

[Macrocarpa]

Hello,

I am building my first computer (with some assistance from a friend). I will primarily use it for gaming like Far Cry 4 and Dark Souls 2. My goal is to build a computer that I would not have to upgrade any major components for a few years, but to leave myself with options if I do plan to make upgrades or additions in the future. Currently, I do not plan on doing any overclocking, but who knows what will happen when I get sucked into the computer world.

My budget is about $1300-1400. I am seeking any recommendations if there is anything in my build that isn't compatible, if there are any components I should save my money on now, or if there is any advice on future-proofing this build.

Thanks for the help!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($117.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($57.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1296.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-28 21:05 EST-0500

 

[Werner0707]

Looks really solid.

CPU - an i5 will serve you just as well with today's games because almost no game can utilize more than four cores, but maybe eventually the extra cores of the i7 will actually be useful?
Cooler - Awesome choice, I use that one myself and am a big fan. (No pun intended )
Mobo - Yup, everything you need for now and the future without excessive fluff.
Storage - Perfect.
Video Card - Although a lot of people will advise against the GTX 970 due to it only properly utilizing 3.5gb of it's VRAM, your only alternative is an R9 290x. You're basically pitting better memory against better temperature management. As long as you're going with a card that uses more than 3gb of VRAM you should be good.

 

[Macrocarpa]

Looks really solid.

CPU - an i5 will serve you just as well with today's games because almost no game can utilize more than four cores, but maybe eventually the extra cores of the i7 will actually be useful?
Cooler - Awesome choice, I use that one myself and am a big fan. (No pun intended )
Mobo - Yup, everything you need for now and the future without excessive fluff.
Storage - Perfect.
Video Card - Although a lot of people will advise against the GTX 970 due to it only properly utilizing 3.5gb of it's VRAM, your only alternative is an R9 290x. You're basically pitting better memory against better temperature management. As long as you're going with a card that uses more than 3gb of VRAM you should be good.

Thanks for the feedback.

CPU - Is there any chance or talk of games that will utilize the extra cores? The main reason I was leaning towards the i7 is just so I don't have to upgrade it soon, but then again maybe I won't need it for its full potential anyway...

Video Card - I am leaning towards the GTX 970 because the NVIDIA driver updates for games is usually a little faster after games are released compared to Radeon from what I have heard. I'm not sure if that's an issue often. Also, I don't have much of a baseline for the memory loss, but I can see how people were misled.

 

[Werner0707]

Looks really solid.

CPU - an i5 will serve you just as well with today's games because almost no game can utilize more than four cores, but maybe eventually the extra cores of the i7 will actually be useful?
Cooler - Awesome choice, I use that one myself and am a big fan. (No pun intended )
Mobo - Yup, everything you need for now and the future without excessive fluff.
Storage - Perfect.
Video Card - Although a lot of people will advise against the GTX 970 due to it only properly utilizing 3.5gb of it's VRAM, your only alternative is an R9 290x. You're basically pitting better memory against better temperature management. As long as you're going with a card that uses more than 3gb of VRAM you should be good.

Thanks for the feedback.

CPU - Is there any chance or talk of games that will utilize the extra cores? The main reason I was leaning towards the i7 is just so I don't have to upgrade it soon, but then again maybe I won't need it for its full potential anyway...

Video Card - I am leaning towards the GTX 970 because the NVIDIA driver updates for games is usually a little faster after games are released compared to Radeon from what I have heard. I'm not sure if that's an issue often. Also, I don't have much of a baseline for the memory loss, but I can see how people were misled.

As game are generally built with the console in mind before the PC, I would be surprised if 8 cores were utilized before the next-gen console comes out. Looking at the extremely large span of time between console releases these days, it's more likely that by the time those extra cores are being utilized you'll want to upgrade your processor anyway.

I also think the 970 is a good choice. It's what I would get. Cool, quiet, and solid driver support is certainly tempting over the occasional extra 4 fps.