$2,000 gaming rig review

[zeyuanfu]

Well, the 780 Ti would prove to be a very good single-card solution (this is true and not, quote, pulled from thin air, unquote) unless you chose to run the R9 295x2, Titan Black or the Titan Z, which are 1500$, 1000-1500$ and 3000$ respectively.

Cost to performance the R9 290 wins. Yes the 780ti a faster card but the premium in price really isn't worth it. And using a Titan would be a complete waste of money for a gaming rig.

I never said the Titan wasn't a waste of money...
Checking reviews on Newegg right now.

 

[4ktv]

1, The i5-4690K will be enough
2, MSI has HORRIBLE QC and customer service
3, The Noctua ND-H14 is cheaper and better
4, SSds and RAM with a lower $/GB can be found
5, I would think the HDD is quite expensive for 1 TB
6, A 780 Ti would be better and last you longer, plus, you get better drivers
Otherwise, you're good to go!

And is there any prove that a GTX 780 ti has better drivers than a R9 290x?

I would like to see the research or at lest a video showing how AMD clearly has worse drivers.

Video of my GTX 580 when it had driver issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMf2UhPFj8&list=UUL6hBSUB7E0llugeUoIMCFQ

For how much a GTX 780ti cost he could cross fire two R9 290s and send it back to before it was born school.

R9 290x and the 780 ti trade blows and is only a few percent faster over all yet demands a $700 tag over a $500 or less one on the R9 290x.

You might want to look at some reviews on the R7 and R9 series, people said that their card BSODed, crashed or simply didn't work, even with the latest drivers.
A 780 Ti would be a better single-card solution, and unless i'm very wrong, 780 Ti SLI beats 290X CFX (both 2-way).

Those are hardware failures not driver issues. And yes the GTX 780 ti is the fastest, but why would one buy one of those for about the same cost as two R9 290 in 2 way crossfire if what they cared about was speed and wanted a 2k or so system. This isn't the unlimited money dump dream system ok, it's a $2000 USD system.

 

[zeyuanfu]

@zeyuanfu haven't those issues been resolved since the cards were released?

In regards to multi gpu setups, I'm not really interested. I tend to prefer single gpu solutions.

I don't know about that because I checked out the R7 260Xs when I was considering them for my computer.

if you want a single GPU that will last you for some time, either the 290, 290X, 780 or 780 Ti (my favorite) would be nice.

 

[hollowvolition]

I reckon I ought to stick to the 290x.

Looking forward to RazerZ' build.

 

[zeyuanfu]

1, The i5-4690K will be enough
2, MSI has HORRIBLE QC and customer service
3, The Noctua ND-H14 is cheaper and better
4, SSds and RAM with a lower $/GB can be found
5, I would think the HDD is quite expensive for 1 TB
6, A 780 Ti would be better and last you longer, plus, you get better drivers
Otherwise, you're good to go!

And is there any prove that a GTX 780 ti has better drivers than a R9 290x?

I would like to see the research or at lest a video showing how AMD clearly has worse drivers.

Video of my GTX 580 when it had driver issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMf2UhPFj8&list=UUL6hBSUB7E0llugeUoIMCFQ

For how much a GTX 780ti cost he could cross fire two R9 290s and send it back to before it was born school.

R9 290x and the 780 ti trade blows and is only a few percent faster over all yet demands a $700 tag over a $500 or less one on the R9 290x.

You might want to look at some reviews on the R7 and R9 series, people said that their card BSODed, crashed or simply didn't work, even with the latest drivers.
A 780 Ti would be a better single-card solution, and unless i'm very wrong, 780 Ti SLI beats 290X CFX (both 2-way).

Those are hardware failures not driver issues. And yes the GTX 780 ti is the fastest, but why would one buy one of those for about the same cost as two R9 290 in 2 way crossfire if what they cared about was speed and wanted a 2k or so system. This isn't the unlimited money dump dream system ok, it's a $2000 USD system.

I don't know if you realised, but OP wants a single-card system.

 

[4ktv]

1, The i5-4690K will be enough
2, MSI has HORRIBLE QC and customer service
3, The Noctua ND-H14 is cheaper and better
4, SSds and RAM with a lower $/GB can be found
5, I would think the HDD is quite expensive for 1 TB
6, A 780 Ti would be better and last you longer, plus, you get better drivers
Otherwise, you're good to go!

And is there any prove that a GTX 780 ti has better drivers than a R9 290x?

I would like to see the research or at lest a video showing how AMD clearly has worse drivers.

Video of my GTX 580 when it had driver issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMf2UhPFj8&list=UUL6hBSUB7E0llugeUoIMCFQ

For how much a GTX 780ti cost he could cross fire two R9 290s and send it back to before it was born school.

R9 290x and the 780 ti trade blows and is only a few percent faster over all yet demands a $700 tag over a $500 or less one on the R9 290x.

You might want to look at some reviews on the R7 and R9 series, people said that their card BSODed, crashed or simply didn't work, even with the latest drivers.
A 780 Ti would be a better single-card solution, and unless i'm very wrong, 780 Ti SLI beats 290X CFX (both 2-way).

Those are hardware failures not driver issues. And yes the GTX 780 ti is the fastest, but why would one buy one of those for about the same cost as two R9 290 in 2 way crossfire if what they cared about was speed and wanted a 2k or so system. This isn't the unlimited money dump dream system ok, it's a $2000 USD system.

I don't know if you realised, but OP wants a single-card system.

I saw the post after I made mine, so I guess he is going with a R9 290x then.

 

[hollowvolition]

@4ktv I don't really like the complication behind running two gpus and such. Plus, I sometimes play some older games that might not support a dual gpu setup.

 

[RazerZ]

Here's what I came up with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.93 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($146.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($391.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN248H 23.8" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series White 2 pack 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.13 @ Mwave)
Total: $1695.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-13 18:54 EDT-0400

A R9 290x gets a few fps over the R9 290 at 1080p, so you can save a bit of cash there and just use the R9 290. If you have any questions on the parts, feel free to ask.

 

[zeyuanfu]

I'm probably going to get yelled at by senior members of Hom's Hardware, but here it goes...
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($148.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($103.50 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($587.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($62.61 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1526.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-13 18:54 EDT-0400
500$ left over.

 

[zeyuanfu]

Here's what I came up with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.93 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($146.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($391.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN248H 23.8" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series White 2 pack 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.13 @ Mwave)
Total: $1695.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-13 18:54 EDT-0400

A R9 290x gets a few fps over the R9 290 at 1080p, so you can save a bit of cash there and just use the R9 290.

Aren't some of the high-end Noctua coolers quieter and better than CLC kits (at least that's what I frequently hear)?

 

[RazerZ]

Yes they are, but since he chose the Corsair Air 240 I went with the H100i so he can see the aesthetics of the build.

 

[zeyuanfu]

Wouldn't it be especially loud?

 

[RazerZ]

Wouldn't it be especially loud?

That's what the 2 pack corsair fans are for.

 

[zeyuanfu]

Wouldn't it be especially loud?

That's what the 2 pack corsair fans are for.

I see... Wouldn't a pair of Noctua PWM fans be better?

 

[hollowvolition]

noise levels aren't an issue for me at all. I specifically picked Corsair parts because I like matching my components for ultimate compatibility, plus it looks better having everything from the same manufacturer.

 

[RazerZ]

noise levels aren't an issue for me at all. I specifically picked Corsair parts because I like matching my components for ultimate compatibility.

I see. Well in that case you could either remove the fans or keep them for the white LEDs and use them on the sides of the case.

 

[zeyuanfu]

noise levels aren't an issue for me at all. I specifically picked Corsair parts because I like matching my components for ultimate compatibility.

Corsair makes SSDs, too...

 

[hollowvolition]

noise levels aren't an issue for me at all. I specifically picked Corsair parts because I like matching my components for ultimate compatibility.

Corsair makes SSDs, too...

I know, I switched to one in my build.

 

[hollowvolition]

noise levels aren't an issue for me at all. I specifically picked Corsair parts because I like matching my components for ultimate compatibility.

I see. Well in that case you could either remove the fans or keep them for the white LEDs and use them on the sides of the case.

I will be keeping the 2 extra fans. Can never go wrong with more fans.

 

[RazerZ]

You can't see an SSD once they're in your case. Right now the leader in performance is the Samsung 840 EVO/PRO and for storage it's the Crucial MX100.

 

[hollowvolition]

good point. I'll stick to Crucial then.