Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

Reply to this thread

Solved Forum question

Started by biribiri | | 16 answers
First Computer Build - Need some help deciding on parts
I am attempting to build my first computer. Overall, my aim is to create a machine that can play any game at the highest settings, while still remaining fairly quiet. In addition to FPS, I also play a lot of MMO and RTS games. Aside from gaming, I'd also be using this for music, hd video, internet surfing, some photo editing, and the occasional programing (still learning). I'm willing to spend anywhere from 2,000-3,500, not including peripherals.

Parts that I've researched and am considering are:
EVGA GeForce GTX 780Ti
Intel Core i7-4770K
Nactua fans in general

If I could receive some help in choosing parts, I would extremely grateful. Thank you.

Forgot to mention a few things. Since a wired internet option is not available for my room, I need wi-fi. I would also prefer a motherboard with a fairly large amount of ports.



  • By posting on this site, I confirm I am over 13 years of age and agree to abide by the site’s rules.

May 23, 2014 8:01:50 AM

andrei65 said:
Yep it is worth it
The VI Hero has the Z87 chipset while the VII Hero has the Z97 chipset which will allow to upgrade to a devil's canyon


I went with the VII.

Everybody, thanks for all the help and advice. I ordered everything and am now anxiously waiting to put my machine together.
May 22, 2014 9:41:21 PM

Yep it is worth it
The VI Hero has the Z87 chipset while the VII Hero has the Z97 chipset which will allow to upgrade to a devil's canyon
May 22, 2014 2:26:59 PM

andrei65 said:
If you're gonna play in 1440P you might want a 780ti , otherwise the build looks perfecto lol , though i really don't like noctua's fans because of their colors
I mean they look like poop :/  but they're very silent and provide very good cooling ^^


I think this is the last question I will have. Is it worth getting the viihero over the vi hero?
May 22, 2014 2:10:12 PM

Looks great to me. The 780 Ti is a nice choice :)  And with that PSU you can easily add a second later if need be. Will give you great performance at 1080p, and take advantage of that 144Hz monitor :) 

Depending what games you play, and if they support Crossfire, a pair of 280x's for the same price would give you more performance to take advantage of that monitor more, but I guess it depends what you plan on doing in the future regarding a second 780 Ti or not.
May 22, 2014 1:14:00 PM

If you're gonna play in 1440P you might want a 780ti , otherwise the build looks perfecto lol , though i really don't like noctua's fans because of their colors
I mean they look like poop :/  but they're very silent and provide very good cooling ^^
May 22, 2014 11:56:50 AM

HiTechObsessed said:
biribiri said:
HiTechObsessed said:
The sound card on the Z87 Killer is good enough, but good enough really depends on who you are and what audio equipment you're using. Unless you're running some Sennheiser headphones, or high quality speakers, I don't think a sound card is worth it. Then again, I've never had a $3500 budget lol If you've got the audio equipment to take advantage of one, go for it.

About Windows, Windows 8 sucked. 8.1 is massively better (I use it now), though I do miss the ease of Windows 7 sometimes. A considerable number of games do perform better in Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7, but given what you'll have in terms of hardware, you won't need to try everything to get that extra few % performance lol If you're more comfortable with 7, get that. You can always get 8/8.1/8.2 later.


Thanks for the response.

I'm thinking of going with most of the parts you listed. However, I was wondering whether this is the best case to use? If I used the corsair 450D, would I be replacing the stock fans with nocuta, or would they be in addition to fans already in the case? Are there any other cases you would recommend?



I love the 450D. It has good airflow, which your gpus will like lol I would just fill up all the fan spots you have. Adding the noctuas won't really increase sound.

If you prefer a more quiet-optimized case, I would go with the Fractal Design Define R4. Both will do wonderful :) 


After considering your recommendations and doing some more research, this is the build I've come up with. I decided against a second 780ti because I'm not sure if it would be necessary. However, if you think that there would be tangible benefits, please let me know. On top of this I'm considering getting a sound card and need a wifi adapter.

If you don't mind could you please take a look and tell me if you have any improvements or suggestions. Thank you for all the help.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3OVKa
May 20, 2014 8:11:57 PM

biribiri said:
HiTechObsessed said:
The sound card on the Z87 Killer is good enough, but good enough really depends on who you are and what audio equipment you're using. Unless you're running some Sennheiser headphones, or high quality speakers, I don't think a sound card is worth it. Then again, I've never had a $3500 budget lol If you've got the audio equipment to take advantage of one, go for it.

About Windows, Windows 8 sucked. 8.1 is massively better (I use it now), though I do miss the ease of Windows 7 sometimes. A considerable number of games do perform better in Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7, but given what you'll have in terms of hardware, you won't need to try everything to get that extra few % performance lol If you're more comfortable with 7, get that. You can always get 8/8.1/8.2 later.


Thanks for the response.

I'm thinking of going with most of the parts you listed. However, I was wondering whether this is the best case to use? If I used the corsair 450D, would I be replacing the stock fans with nocuta, or would they be in addition to fans already in the case? Are there any other cases you would recommend?



I love the 450D. It has good airflow, which your gpus will like lol I would just fill up all the fan spots you have. Adding the noctuas won't really increase sound.

If you prefer a more quiet-optimized case, I would go with the Fractal Design Define R4. Both will do wonderful :) 
May 20, 2014 7:19:02 PM

HiTechObsessed said:
The sound card on the Z87 Killer is good enough, but good enough really depends on who you are and what audio equipment you're using. Unless you're running some Sennheiser headphones, or high quality speakers, I don't think a sound card is worth it. Then again, I've never had a $3500 budget lol If you've got the audio equipment to take advantage of one, go for it.

About Windows, Windows 8 sucked. 8.1 is massively better (I use it now), though I do miss the ease of Windows 7 sometimes. A considerable number of games do perform better in Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7, but given what you'll have in terms of hardware, you won't need to try everything to get that extra few % performance lol If you're more comfortable with 7, get that. You can always get 8/8.1/8.2 later.


Thanks for the response.

I'm thinking of going with most of the parts you listed. However, I was wondering whether this is the best case to use? If I used the corsair 450D, would I be replacing the stock fans with nocuta, or would they be in addition to fans already in the case? Are there any other cases you would recommend?

May 20, 2014 12:21:44 PM

The sound card on the Z87 Killer is good enough, but good enough really depends on who you are and what audio equipment you're using. Unless you're running some Sennheiser headphones, or high quality speakers, I don't think a sound card is worth it. Then again, I've never had a $3500 budget lol If you've got the audio equipment to take advantage of one, go for it.

About Windows, Windows 8 sucked. 8.1 is massively better (I use it now), though I do miss the ease of Windows 7 sometimes. A considerable number of games do perform better in Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7, but given what you'll have in terms of hardware, you won't need to try everything to get that extra few % performance lol If you're more comfortable with 7, get that. You can always get 8/8.1/8.2 later.
May 20, 2014 12:14:35 PM

HiTechObsessed said:
SLI just uses both graphics card to process the graphics, giving you better performance. The second 780 Ti would give you max quality gaming in everyting at 1440p.

Of course, you could also save a ton of money if you want to stay at 1080p as well (just wanted to use the budget you gave lol):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($318.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($124.02 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.84 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($289.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec HCG M 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A FLX 120mm Fan ($15.24 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A FLX 120mm Fan ($15.24 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1662.21
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-20 14:00 EDT-0400)


Thank you for the response. Considering my budget, I think I'll go for the two gpu.

I just have a few more questions. If anyone could help with these, I would be grateful.

Do you think a separate sound card is worth purchasing? Or is the onboard sound good enough?
What would be a good choice for a wifi card that would allow me to get full speeds from my wireless connection?
Is it worth getting windows 8? The experiences I've had with 8 have not been great, and I am more partial to windows 7. By not getting 8, will I run into compatibility problems with new games or is this not yet an issue?

See all answers