Advice on new build gaming PC

[fatgerbil]

Hi,

I am looking to build a new gaming PC in the next couple of months and wanted some advice on parts as I've only built one PC before and that was a long time ago. That one wasn't overclocked, but I am going to give overclocking a try for this build.

My budget is around £1,750 (based in the UK), which needs to include windows but I don't need a new monitor. I want a PC that will last a long time, 6-8 years. I'm happy to add ram and a 2nd graphics card/replace the graphics card later if necessary. My current monitor is 1080p but in a couple of years when they become a bit cheaper I will probably get a 4k monitor and I'm interested in VR. This doesn't need to be budgeted for but I would like the PC to be able to handle it. Long term the PC obviously won't be able to run on max graphics, but I would like it to be able to for at least a couple of years. The other thing I'd like is for the PC to be quiet, not so fussed when gaming, but for general use browsing etc. I'd like it to be very quiet. I'm an acoustician by trade so I'm fussy about noise.

PCPartPicker part list:

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer i32 CPU Cooler (£23.29 @ Amazon UK)
Thermal Compound: ARCTIC MX4 4g Thermal Paste (£3.95 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z270-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£139.79 @ Aria PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£107.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 960 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£221.94 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£63.72 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1070 8GB STRIX Video Card (£429.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.34 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 11 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£159.99 @ Ebuyer)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (£56.40 @ Aria PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full 32/64-bit (£89.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC55BT PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (£38.49 @ Ebuyer)

Total: £1730.81

I realise the CPU is overkill compared to the rest of the build, but I'm hoping that will help with longevity as CPU is harder to upgrade.

Curious what people think about the HDD, I went with a 5400rpm drive as I thought it would be quieter than a 7200 drive, and since I've got a relatively big M.2 SSD it will only really be for videos and other large files and docs etc. so speed is not so important. Will the noise of a 7200rpm drive be noticeably more? because if not, I might as well go for one.

Also wasn't sure about PSU wattage, I know its plenty for the current build but If I add a 2nd graphics card later will it be enough? Or is it too much and could I drop down to the 650w version?

Finally for what I want to use it for, should I stretch to a GTX1080 or will the 1070 handle everything I need for now and then I can get a 2nd 1070 cheaply in a few years, when a single one starts to struggle?

Sorry this post is a bit long

Thanks for any advice you can give me

 

[adiec]

is there a particular reason you chose that case ? i would also buy faster ram than 2400.. probably 3000/3200. psu is far too expensive ! the 7200rpm drive you will barely hear . so it makes sense to go with the faster drive.

 

[adiec]

personally i think you should find a case with less storage bays unless you have the intention to add more storage ! but a case is normally a personal preference based upon space inside and looks

PCPartPicker part list: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/mjPPNN
Price breakdown by merchant: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/mjPPNN/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler (£58.40 @ More Computers)
Motherboard: Asus STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£190.06 @ Novatech)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£94.52 @ More Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£137.47 @ Novatech)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£109.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card (£519.95 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.34 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£108.54 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (£56.40 @ Aria PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£85.80 @ CCL Computers)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC55BT PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (£38.49 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1794.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-18 13:16 BST+0100

 

[fatgerbil]

is there a particular reason you chose that case ? i would also buy faster ram than 2400.. probably 3000/3200. psu is far too expensive ! the 7200rpm drive you will barely hear . so it makes sense to go with the faster drive.

Thanks for your suggestions.
I like the look of the case and it is supposed to be very quiet where my main reasons for choosing it. I don't want a big lit up flashy case. Is there anything wrong with it?
Could you recommend a quiet psu that doesn't need the fan under light loads and has enough wattage?

 

[adiec]

i'm not an expert when it comes to silent power supplies and i have no wish to pretend i am.. so unfortunately i am unable to assist you with that . (rather be honest)

there is nothing i would say is wrong with the case .. i just thought you may be paying for more for the storage bays that you won't use in your current build . i think that case has 8 3 1/2" bays .

 

[fatgerbil]

i'm not an expert when it comes to silent power supplies and i have no wish to pretend i am.. so unfortunately i am unable to assist you with that . (rather be honest)

there is nothing i would say is wrong with the case .. i just thought you may be paying for more for the storage bays that you won't use in your current build . i think that case has 8 3 1/2" bays .

Yes it is too many. Fortunately the drive bays are removable to give a bit more interior space and I like the case and its not massively expensive so I don't mind the waste.

 

[adiec]

i'm not an expert when it comes to silent power supplies and i have no wish to pretend i am.. so unfortunately i am unable to assist you with that . (rather be honest)

there is nothing i would say is wrong with the case .. i just thought you may be paying for more for the storage bays that you won't use in your current build . i think that case has 8 3 1/2" bays .

Yes it is too many. Fortunately the drive bays are removable to give a bit more interior space and I like the case and its not massively expensive so I don't mind the waste.

this case looks very similar and is apparently noise dampened so might be worth a look https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/KBcMnQ/nzxt-case-cah442cm8 it also has the storage bays which seems to be very common with this type of case . perhaps you could look into which one is the quieter case ? as this seems to be a major factor in your build

 

[fatgerbil]

i'm not an expert when it comes to silent power supplies and i have no wish to pretend i am.. so unfortunately i am unable to assist you with that . (rather be honest)

there is nothing i would say is wrong with the case .. i just thought you may be paying for more for the storage bays that you won't use in your current build . i think that case has 8 3 1/2" bays .

Yes it is too many. Fortunately the drive bays are removable to give a bit more interior space and I like the case and its not massively expensive so I don't mind the waste.

this case looks very similar and is apparently noise dampened so might be worth a look https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/KBcMnQ/nzxt-case-cah442cm8 it also has the storage bays which seems to be very common with this type of case . perhaps you could look into which one is the quieter case ? as this seems to be a major factor in your build

Thanks for the suggestion, but apparently the R5 is noticeably quieter and the one you suggested doesn't seem to have any 5.25 bays and I need one for my blu-ray drive.

 

[adiec]

i'm not an expert when it comes to silent power supplies and i have no wish to pretend i am.. so unfortunately i am unable to assist you with that . (rather be honest)

there is nothing i would say is wrong with the case .. i just thought you may be paying for more for the storage bays that you won't use in your current build . i think that case has 8 3 1/2" bays .

Yes it is too many. Fortunately the drive bays are removable to give a bit more interior space and I like the case and its not massively expensive so I don't mind the waste.

this case looks very similar and is apparently noise dampened so might be worth a look https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/KBcMnQ/nzxt-case-cah442cm8 it also has the storage bays which seems to be very common with this type of case . perhaps you could look into which one is the quieter case ? as this seems to be a major factor in your build

Thanks for the suggestion, but apparently the R5 is noticeably quieter and the one you suggested doesn't seem to have any 5.25 bays and I need one for my blu-ray drive.

oh sorry about the drive bay ! i am dealing with too many different problems i must have gotten confused . apologies .
if that case is the best one for you then i'd say go for it at least you will know you have done enough research into it

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for the suggestion, but apparently the R5 is noticeably quieter and the one you suggested doesn't seem to have any 5.25 bays and I need one for my blu-ray drive.

You don't really need a BD-R drive. Blu-Ray is very difficult and in some cases impossible to watch on PC thanks to HDCP - which is really a huge nuisance and is only getting worse. That's not something I personally would spend money on at this point. I use mine more for backups and data transfer than I do for movies and games.

Here's a rig I might suggest for your budget (don't bother with Arctic Freezers - they're some of the worst CPU coolers you can buy, and you also don't need the thermal compound) :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£47.37 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£190.06 @ Novatech)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£107.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£137.47 @ Novatech)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.98 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card (£693.00 @ More Computers)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case (£94.30 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£108.54 @ Aria PC)
Total: £1726.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-18 16:41 BST+0100

 

[fatgerbil]

Thanks for the suggestion, but apparently the R5 is noticeably quieter and the one you suggested doesn't seem to have any 5.25 bays and I need one for my blu-ray drive.

You don't really need a BD-R drive. Blu-Ray is very difficult and in some cases impossible to watch on PC thanks to HDCP - which is really a huge nuisance and is only getting worse. That's not something I personally would spend money on at this point. I use mine more for backups and data transfer than I do for movies and games.

Here's a rig I might suggest for your budget (don't bother with Arctic Freezers - they're some of the worst CPU coolers you can buy, and you also don't need the thermal compound) :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£305.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£47.37 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£190.06 @ Novatech)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£107.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£137.47 @ Novatech)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.98 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card (£693.00 @ More Computers)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case (£94.30 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£108.54 @ Aria PC)
Total: £1726.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-18 16:41 BST+0100

Thanks for the suggestions.
Both you and Adiec in your suggested builds put the Asus Strix Z270-E, which is a little more expensive than the board I was thinking of. What are the advantages of it?

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Both you and Adiec in your suggested builds put the Asus Strix Z270-E, which is a little more expensive than the board I was thinking of. What are the advantages of it?

Most Z270 boards are about the same feature wise. What you should look for is the quality of said motherboard - Asus and Asrock generally rank higher than most of the competition in this area (Gigabyte, MSI, etc) but most pretty much come off the same assembly line in China and all have very similar features.I like the BIOS of the Asrock and MSI boards over Gigabyte and Asus - they generally make things easier to find and to overclock.