Canadian $1500 gaming rig

[Mick288]

Hi Guys!

I'm looking to build my first gaming PC (this is also my first PC build) and I'm looking to get the best value for money, whilst being able to play AAA rated games at 1440p. I have a budget of CAD1500.

This is what I've been planning, but looking at the $1000 build thread people keep suggesting Intel CPU's and GTX-1070's over the components I've been contemplating.

What do you think? What would you go for?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($219.99 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990X-Gaming SLI ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($129.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($222.65 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 8GB GAMING X Video Card ($315.98 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.24 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $1172.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-19 17:56 EST-0500

The monitor I'll be using is an Acer XG270HU which has FreeSync, though I havent purchased this yet (I have ~CAD600 to spend on a monitor)

Let me know what you think!

Mike

 

[getochkn]

In two weeks, AMD's new chips are coming out that are supposed to be on par with Intel, cheaper and will kick the FX chips butts. You are better off waiting. In addition, you'll get PCI 3.0, DDR4, M2 SSD drive capability, etc, all with a newer AMD board, or possibly Intel setup. But in no way would I build an FX system right now. It's like a 8 year old chip.

And why 600 on a monitor? that is a bit excessive for such a small PC budget. You buy like a $3000 tower, $600 monitor to balance it.

 

[Mick288]

getochkn,

Thanks for the reply!

I'm going to be waiting a couple of weeks before I push the button on anything so waiting for AMD's new chip is something I'll definitely be doing!

The reason I'm willing to spend so much on a monitor is because I want something that will do 1440p with quick pixel response times and high refresh rates. I figured that with the setup I described it would be a good call...

Could you recommend a cheaper monitor that would allow me 1440p, 144Ghz and >2ms pixel response? If so it means i can spend more on my rig!

Mike

 

[Chugalug_]

Ryzen seems to be more focused on value in the high end rendering side of things this generation.
IPC and a few other factors won't quite be on par with Intel, although power efficiency is set to be quite good due to the smaller process of 10nm.
I'll make a list and post in a bit.
Also @OP, the rated response time of '1ms' isn't what the average actually is, this is a cherry picked number on a high pixel overdrive setting which nobody realistically uses.
Most average around 4-6ms, both TN 1ms monitors and IPS 4ms 144hz monitors are in this range typically.
I don't see a difference between them going from an XL2411Z to an XB271HU, and I play SC2 at a high level.

 

[Chugalug_]

I was unclear as to what your overall budget was including monitor, as you initially said 1500 and then $600 for monitor, but then mentioned $1000 builds, so i've stuck around the $1700 area as per the list you posted plus $600.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($259.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($95.88 @ shopRBC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.94 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($523.38 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ NCIX)
Monitor: Acer XG270HU 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($539.99 @ PC Canada)
Total: $1736.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-19 20:24 EST-0500

 

[getochkn]

The BenQ I've selected has essentially the same specs as the XG270HU with better quality control and $10 more in your pocket.
I was unclear as to what your overall budget was including monitor, as you initially said 1500 and then $600 for monitor, but then mentioned $1000 builds, so i've stuck around the $1700 area as per the list you posted plus $600.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($259.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($95.88 @ shopRBC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.94 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($523.38 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ NCIX)
Monitor: BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($529.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $1726.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-19 19:07 EST-0500

Why a freesync monitor and gsync gpu. Wasted tech on both, and a 1440p 144hz, you're going to want that as hitting that res and FPS all the time in some games is still a struggle, so variable hz would be a good thing. Also the place listing that monitor, it's out stock and the next closest is like $750. lol.

 

[Chugalug_]

Having an Nvidia GPU doesn't mean you have to get a G-Sync monitor, and having a Freesync monitor doesn't mean you have to use the Freesync function, it just works as a standard 1440p 144hz monitor.
AMD's highest offering is either last gen and higher power draw/poorly optimized or the RX 480, nothing near the 1070.

Edit: Monitor is now fixed.

 

[getochkn]

Doesnt' mean you have to, but if you're paying extra for the technology and buying a high end monitor, I'd want to get something to take advantage of it.

 

[Chugalug_]

Meh, the way I see it, anything below 1440p 144hz is either 1440p 60Hz; which I don't find to be a good choice for competitive games, or 1080p 144hz for which a 1070 is overkill imo.
By the way you're not paying anything extra for the technology, Freesync is open source and available for any manufacturer to use on their monitors for free, hence why you see so many Freesync monitors around.
They're just slapping it on because A. they can, and B it helps with marketing.

 

[lakimens]

The RX480 can't take on 1440p, I suggest a 1070.
Also, what everyone else stated, FX CPU's are too old to be useful.

 

[Mick288]

Okay so now Ryzen and the 1080 TI have launched, I've reassessed my budget and an afford CAD 3400 for a system (including a monitor, I already have peripherals). Below is my amended parts list. I don't have to spend the full amount and I'm not particularly bothered about RGB lighting etc right now...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor ($489.96 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 64.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($134.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME X370-PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard ($219.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Intel 600p Series 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($469.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card ($999.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($123.98 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.04 @ shopRBC)
Monitor: Asus PB287Q 28.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor ($549.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $3252.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-12 22:02 EDT-0400

What do you think and why?

 

[Chugalug_]

That's a pretty damn big jump in budget, however, wait until aftermarket cards in a few weeks.
Don't get a 1TB SSD, only use it for OS, software and a few games and get a 250GB one, its waste of money.
Also the i7 7700k still beats Ryzen by a significant margin in games.
The PSU you selected is also poor quality.
Here's an improved list.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($440.06 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z270 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($114.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.84 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founders Edition Video Card ($929.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($83.98 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ NCIX)
Monitor: BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($529.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $2560.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-13 00:58 EDT-0400

 

[Mick288]

Is this setup suitable for 4K gaming? (After buying a 4K monitor)

 

[Chugalug_]

Yes it is, but I think a 1440p 144hz monitor is a better choice, since in most games you'll be able to take advantage of those higher frame rates, it makes a huge difference.

 

[Mick288]

So I think I'm going to push the button on the following tonight.

Any things you would change and if so why? I chose the 212 as I don't plan to overclock for a few months at least and if i do, I'll buy a Kraken AIO cooler for that.

I figure that whilst its not an RGB build, it will still look pretty good as is and the modular PSU will keep things tidy.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($447.85 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($37.95 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($218.98 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($171.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Intel 600p Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.95 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card ($999.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($123.98 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Monitor: BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($529.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $2864.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-14 15:14 EDT-0400

Cheers!

 

[getochkn]

$1500 to $2800, quite a jump. lol.

 

[Mick288]

Tell me about it! I got a bonus at work so all is good!

 

[Chugalug_]

Yes, there's heaps of stuff I would change, stick to what I listed above, you've gone for some over the top components.
The 850 Evo is also better than the 600P, as well as all FE cards being the same.
By the way, wait for aftermarket cards! Don't buy founders edition as you pay a heavy early adopters tax, and get poor cooling and performance compared to third party solutions.
The Be Quiet! Pure Rock Slim is better value than the 212 Evo, and given you're not going to be doing heavy OCing until you get the Kraken later down the line it'll work well as a placeholder.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($447.85 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($24.10 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Asus STRIX Z270H ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($209.98 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($114.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.84 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founders Edition Video Card ($949.44 @ shopRBC)
Case: NZXT S340 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($123.98 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ NCIX)
Monitor: BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($529.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $2677.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-14 16:41 EDT-0400

 

[Mick288]

How long am I looking at before the aftermarket cards are released? And when it comes to it, which cards are usually the ones worth going for?

 

[Chugalug_]

You're looking at around 2-3 weeks, well worth it, trust me on this one.
You want a card that'll cool well and perform to the best of its abilities, not the FE + tax.