Looking for Feedback on a gaming rig i've put together.. first time builder

[Jon7x]

Hello,

I've always been a PC gamer, but i've never been able to upgrade to a good enough set up to play my favorite games very smoothly on high settings.

Now that i'm a bit older and can afford one, i'd like to build my own PC.
So far i've put together a list of parts that, from my research on the internet, will work well for what I want.

As for what i want to be able to do: I'd like to play games like League of Legends, Black Ops 3, Overwatch(when it comes out) all on high/ultra settings.
I'd also like to be able to have dual monitors and have a PC that can handle maybe playing a game on one screen while having a live Twitch.tv streamer up on the other monitor or something to that effect.

I don't have a lot of experience so i don't know if those requests are reasonable or not.

Here is what I have so far:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ---- 224.99

CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ----- 59.99

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ------ 135.99

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory -----87.90

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive---86.95

Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive----- 66.99

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ---- 184.99

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ----- 84.99

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply------58.98

Total Price: approx $1000

I haven't included monitors/keyboard/mouse/OS and anything else i may want.

I would like input on 1. what i've already got, (is it worth it, is it good enough for what i want to do, any changes or advice?) and 2. input on monitors to get or anything else

I also hope once i figure everything out and put it together that i will be able to use it for quite some time before upgrading again!


I hope i've written a solid post that will be easy to respond to.
I will take any advice! Like i said, this will be my first build, and i'm not worried about putting it together, mainly just getting the parts that will do what i want and that also will all be compatible with eachother.

I know there will be sales on this kind of stuff too here in the next few weeks so if anyting can be upgraded with a good "on-sale" item i would appreciate that too..

THANK YOU,
Jonathan.

 

[KKAW]

Hello,

I've always been a PC gamer, but i've never been able to upgrade to a good enough set up to play my favorite games very smoothly on high settings.

Now that i'm a bit older and can afford one, i'd like to build my own PC.
So far i've put together a list of parts that, from my research on the internet, will work well for what I want.

As for what i want to be able to do: I'd like to play games like League of Legends, Black Ops 3, Overwatch(when it comes out) all on high/ultra settings.
I'd also like to be able to have dual monitors and have a PC that can handle maybe playing a game on one screen while having a live Twitch.tv streamer up on the other monitor or something to that effect.

I don't have a lot of experience so i don't know if those requests are reasonable or not.

Here is what I have so far:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ---- 224.99

CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ----- 59.99

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ------ 135.99

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory -----87.90

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive---86.95

Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive----- 66.99

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ---- 184.99

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ----- 84.99

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply------58.98

Total Price: approx $1000

I haven't included monitors/keyboard/mouse/OS and anything else i may want.

I would like input on 1. what i've already got, (is it worth it, is it good enough for what i want to do, any changes or advice?) and 2. input on monitors to get or anything else

I also hope once i figure everything out and put it together that i will be able to use it for quite some time before upgrading again!


I hope i've written a solid post that will be easy to respond to.
I will take any advice! Like i said, this will be my first build, and i'm not worried about putting it together, mainly just getting the parts that will do what i want and that also will all be compatible with eachother.

I know there will be sales on this kind of stuff too here in the next few weeks so if anyting can be upgraded with a good "on-sale" item i would appreciate that too..

THANK YOU,
Jonathan.

MSI Gaming 5 is a concrete motherboard, however an Asus Z97-A is an even better option for a tad bit more.

Are you sure you will need 16 GB? Even if you do heavy multi tasking 8 GB is more than enough for the average gamer. However, if you know why you may need 16 GB, go for it. Good for future proofing anyways.

For your harddrive, there is really no reason to go for the WD Black. A WD Blue or Seagate Barracuda will do exactly the same thing for the average user. I would recommend the Seagate Barracuda 1TB because of the equivalent performance and quality for a lower price.

Big red flag here. The CX PSU's are poor quality units. They are absolutely a no go for gaming builds like these. They are mislabeled and misadvertised by underedutcated youtubers that assume the quality of the unit by reviews. Corsair does not label them as good quality or high end, however part of the youtube community have repeatedly misadvertised the unit. Anyways here are excellent alternative. A 500W unit is a lot more than enough for your build, even after a full overclock.

Antec HCG 520W
Seasonic M12II 520W
EVGA GS 550W
XFX TS 550W

Also, kudos for the amazing post. It was so well organized and layed out that it would make anyone's life much easier.

Good luck with your build

 

[Jon7x]

Thank you for the fast and helpful response!

I'm definitely glad you mentioned the issue with the PSU!
I don't really know if i'll need that much RAM, but i thought maybe overdoing it a little can't hurt.. Although if i can get away with something cheaper that will handle gaming on one monitor and doing other things on another monitor then i would be open to 8GB.

Do you have any recommendations for monitors as well? i'd like to run two, between 23-27 inches or so that are good bang for my buck.

Another question I have is when i build this in the future, do i really need one of those anti-static bracelets like i've seen on videos or is that just an extra precaution?

 

[KKAW]

Thank you for the fast and helpful response!

I'm definitely glad you mentioned the issue with the PSU!
I don't really know if i'll need that much RAM, but i thought maybe overdoing it a little can't hurt.. Although if i can get away with something cheaper that will handle gaming on one monitor and doing other things on another monitor then i would be open to 8GB.

Do you have any recommendations for monitors as well? i'd like to run two, between 23-27 inches or so that are good bang for my buck.

Another question I have is when i build this in the future, do i really need one of those anti-static bracelets like i've seen on videos or is that just an extra precaution?

Well, if you are doing dual monitor and for future proofing purposes, 16 GB is a fine option. Especially since the price difference is minor between 8 GB - 16 GB.

Several video do state that you need the anti-static bracelets and several proffesional sources do say you need one. Most factories and manufacturers do use the anti-static bracelets when producing their components. However, plenty of veteran builders and myself never really use the anti-static bracelets and have never had any issues with the longevity of the components.

My verdict is that, if you can find an anti-static bracelet easily for a good price, it is a solid investment. However if you are like me and can not really find an anti-static bracelet and/or are a lazy bum and don't want to ship it, simply working in an anti-static environment and grounding yourself by touching your (grounded) PSU, or metallic part of your case once every 10 minutes or so should do you no harm.

For gaming, this is the go to monitor.

Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0"

With 144 hz and a 1ms response time + built in speakers it is a stunning choice.

And for work and multimedia purposes this 60hz 1ms monitor is an excellent choice.

AOC Q2778VQE 60Hz 27.0"

If you are running dual monitors i would highly recommend a R9 390 or GTX 970 minimally. Even if you are going to game on the 1080P a GTX 970 would defenitely a better option. A GTX 970 can run very well on a quality 500W unit that i have recommended previously.

 

[Jon7x]

Thank you so much!!
You have absolutely no idea how much you have helped me with this process.
My last question i have is about "overclocking"

I've looked into it a lot, but my question is: Will it be necessary that i do it to enjoy the games i play on high settings with good Frames Per Second or will I be fine without it. I'd like everything to last as long as possible and i also wouldn't want to some how mess it up while trying to do it!

thanks again!
Jonathan

 

[KKAW]

Thank you so much!!
You have absolutely no idea how much you have helped me with this process.
My last question i have is about "overclocking"

I've looked into it a lot, but my question is: Will it be necessary that i do it to enjoy the games i play on high settings with good Frames Per Second or will I be fine without it. I'd like everything to last as long as possible and i also wouldn't want to some how mess it up while trying to do it!

thanks again!
Jonathan

There are three different components you can overclock

GPU Overclocking
CPU Overclocking
RAM Overclocking.

If you properly overclock and take basic caution the longevity of your components will not be affected, even if it did i doubt you want to use your CPU or GPU for the next 7 years because they will be completely irrelevant to modern gaming.

GPU Overclocking
GPU overclocking is simple. Use a simple program like MSI Afterburner and even if you bring the voltages to the maximum and power to the maximum it is absolutely safe and the health of your GPU will be maintained. Just make sure the temperatures are under the recommended. I've made an entire safe GPU overclocking guide, you can click on it on the bottom right on this reply. GPU Overclocking will definitely improve the gaming performance when it comes to graphically intensive games. Other games that are CPU based will see next to no affect.

CPU Overclocking
For overclockers that have overclocked their CPU many times, this is pretty simple and straight forward but it was very confusing when i first overclocked. However there are plenty of excellent guides out there. CPU overclocking just like GPU give you the extra boost in gaming performance and other tasks. You can watch a video while you are overclocking your CPU and/or ask in the forums if you face any issues.

RAM Overclocking
RAM overclocking is simple. At the same time gaming performance is not increased drastically, however it did increase the stability of my FPS which helped in the games i play.

Tip: Give yourself enough time to overclock, don't do it on a rush.

Is it necessary?
As i said, since it barely affects the longevity if overclocked properly it's free performance. The GTX 960 is so effecient that overclocking would have no affect to your power bill, etc. I've overclocked my CPU, GPU and RAM safely and the increase in performance is satisfying.

If you need help or anything you can ask the forums here or pm me