4K Gaming build - $4000 with periphials!

[noelbuker]

Guys, is this a good build? good Processor, much storage, much ram, good psu, no onboard Graphics.

Do you guys have better suggestions ?

4000$ budget with keyboard, headphones , soundcard and monitor.

BUILD:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bCXJpg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bCXJpg/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($899.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme9 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($348.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($239.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GT 630 2GB Video Card ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: HP 1270i DVD/CD Writer ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus PB287Q 60Hz 28.0" Monitor ($608.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($193.28 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Astro A50 - Black 7.1 Channel Headset ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3976.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 15:56 EDT-0400

 

[LostAlone]

I'm sorry to say it but you absolutely will not get 4k resolutions out of modern games with that system. You need to think about spending perhaps 2 to 3 grand just on graphics cards to seriously think about 4k. The jump in pixels is HUGE at 4k, and even at lower settings you need radically more grunt that you otherwise would.

To even think about trying 4k you'll need a Titan/R9295X. Absolute minimum. In many games you'll get 4k with reduced settings with one of those cards, but really you need to be thinking about SLi or Crossfire.

I'm sorry man, but 4k is not really a thing yet. Not for normal human beings. You can get superb results at 2k by spending radically less money - Things like 144hz at 2k are absolutely realistic spending less than half of what you need for 4k.

4k is a buzzword. It's not a real thing. Not yet. We just don't have the power to make it happen. Not at a reasonable cost. The best comparison I can make is this. 4k is to gaming what having your own iMax projector is to watching movies. You can do it with todays technology. But your spending so much money, and getting so little back for it than even those who can afford to spend it probably wouldn't. There are simply better ways to have fun than obsessing over resolutions. Seriously.

 

[bigshootr8]

I did some work with your build and this should be stronger then what you had. Your power supply was massively overkill. I fit your build for 2 780Ti's which should make 4k more of a possibility realistically for gaming. I've also changed your 2011 chip for a 1150 chip you were spending too much in the 2011 side of things. I paired the 4790k with a ASUS ROG Hero board which will serve you quite well.

For audio I included a sound dac/amp this is a external amp/dac that will do a better job then that sound card plus you can take it on the go with your headphones. I've also included a really solid closed back headphone this is because the A50 you included has a closed type design. I also included a microphone if you wanted that which you can attach to the headset. The mic that come with these ASTRO headsets are garbage. You'll be far happier with a setup like this then a "Gamer" headphone setup.

Also inserted a SSD with your budget man you can't afford to forget one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($208.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.84 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($239.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($599.69 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($599.69 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus PB287Q 60Hz 28.0" Monitor ($608.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones ($169.00 @ Amazon)
Other: FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC ($139.00)
Other: ModMic (version 4.0) ($49.95)
Total: $3583.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 16:53 EDT-0400

 

[bigshootr8]

I'm sorry to say it but you absolutely will not get 4k resolutions out of modern games with that system. You need to think about spending perhaps 2 to 3 grand just on graphics cards to seriously think about 4k. The jump in pixels is HUGE at 4k, and even at lower settings you need radically more grunt that you otherwise would.

To even think about trying 4k you'll need a Titan/R9295X. Absolute minimum. In many games you'll get 4k with reduced settings with one of those cards, but really you need to be thinking about SLi or Crossfire.

I'm sorry man, but 4k is not really a thing yet. Not for normal human beings. You can get superb results at 2k by spending radically less money - Things like 144hz at 2k are absolutely realistic spending less than half of what you need for 4k.

4k is a buzzword. It's not a real thing. Not yet. We just don't have the power to make it happen. Not at a reasonable cost. The best comparison I can make is this. 4k is to gaming what having your own iMax projector is to watching movies. You can do it with todays technology. But your spending so much money, and getting so little back for it than even those who can afford to spend it probably wouldn't. There are simply better ways to have fun than obsessing over resolutions. Seriously.

I'm with you with 4k. It's more hype then anything at the moment although you can game at 4k in a good chunk of games. There are 4k blu rays which would make it worth it if you are a cinemaphile. However the build I listed should get you where you want to be on a single screen without too much effort.

 

[LostAlone]

I'm sorry to say it but you absolutely will not get 4k resolutions out of modern games with that system. You need to think about spending perhaps 2 to 3 grand just on graphics cards to seriously think about 4k. The jump in pixels is HUGE at 4k, and even at lower settings you need radically more grunt that you otherwise would.

To even think about trying 4k you'll need a Titan/R9295X. Absolute minimum. In many games you'll get 4k with reduced settings with one of those cards, but really you need to be thinking about SLi or Crossfire.

I'm sorry man, but 4k is not really a thing yet. Not for normal human beings. You can get superb results at 2k by spending radically less money - Things like 144hz at 2k are absolutely realistic spending less than half of what you need for 4k.

4k is a buzzword. It's not a real thing. Not yet. We just don't have the power to make it happen. Not at a reasonable cost. The best comparison I can make is this. 4k is to gaming what having your own iMax projector is to watching movies. You can do it with todays technology. But your spending so much money, and getting so little back for it than even those who can afford to spend it probably wouldn't. There are simply better ways to have fun than obsessing over resolutions. Seriously.

I'm with you with 4k. It's more hype then anything at the moment although you can game at 4k in a good chunk of games. There are 4k blu rays which would make it worth it if you are a cinemaphile. However the build I listed should get you where you want to be on a single screen without too much effort.

Often it depends on the game, and the settings as to how runnable things can be with any given graphics card. Personal standards of quality settings vs resolution settings are really the defining factor. Achieving a 4k resolution isn't the real problem today, it's achieving 4k at ultra settings that's the problem.

I'm certainly a strong advocate of the twin 780ti set-up. That's some real horsepower right there, and anyone would get good results out of it. But they'd almost certainly have a more enjoyable experience playing games n 2k at 100+ hz than 4k at ~60.

It's worth noting by the way that even recent games are seldom optimized with 4k in mind. There are glitches a plenty and... Well the experience is seldom what it's cracked up to be. Go and check out this report for a better idea of the kind of issues there can be.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/180402-five-things-to-know-about-4k-gaming-were-glitching-our-way-to-gaming-nirvana

 

[g-unit1111]

For audio I included a sound dac/amp this is a external amp/dac that will do a better job then that sound card plus you can take it on the go with your headphones. I've also included a really solid closed back headphone this is because the A50 you included has a closed type design. I also included a microphone if you wanted that which you can attach to the headset. The mic that come with these ASTRO headsets are garbage. You'll be far happier with a setup like this then a "Gamer" headphone setup.

Why would you need that though unless you're using the PC for audio editing? For gaming I think that's a huge waste of money if you ask me. I'd rather put that in the hardware and get a Titan Black for 4K graphics. The dual 780TI setup is great but if you're serious about 4K I would probably rethink that and get a Titan Black.

There's also no need to spend $600 on RAM for a gaming rig and here's why:

1. You'll never use 32GB of RAM for gaming. You probably won't even use 16GB. 2.
2. Dominator Platinum is nearly twice as expensive as competing RAM that's cheaper and performs exactly the same. All you're paying for is a fancy heat sink and nothing else.
Maybe something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($136.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black 6GB Superclocked Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1019.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black 6GB Superclocked Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1019.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($175.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($186.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($100.00 @ NCIX US)
Total: $3466.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 18:29 EDT-0400

$500 cheaper than the proposed build, you get far better graphics and I would personally drop the expensive audio equipment and add that later on. Plus I'd also get the K95 over the K70 but that's just me.

 

[bigshootr8]

For audio I included a sound dac/amp this is a external amp/dac that will do a better job then that sound card plus you can take it on the go with your headphones. I've also included a really solid closed back headphone this is because the A50 you included has a closed type design. I also included a microphone if you wanted that which you can attach to the headset. The mic that come with these ASTRO headsets are garbage. You'll be far happier with a setup like this then a "Gamer" headphone setup.

Why would you need that though unless you're using the PC for audio editing? For gaming I think that's a huge waste of money if you ask me. I'd rather put that in the hardware and get a Titan Black for 4K graphics. The dual 780TI setup is great but if you're serious about 4K I would probably rethink that and get a Titan Black.

There's also no need to spend $600 on RAM for a gaming rig and here's why:

1. You'll never use 32GB of RAM for gaming. You probably won't even use 16GB. 2.
2. Dominator Platinum is nearly twice as expensive as competing RAM that's cheaper and performs exactly the same. All you're paying for is a fancy heat sink and nothing else.
Maybe something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($136.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black 6GB Superclocked Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1019.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black 6GB Superclocked Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1019.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($175.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($186.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($100.00 @ NCIX US)
Total: $3466.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 18:29 EDT-0400

$500 cheaper than the proposed build, you get far better graphics and I would personally drop the expensive audio equipment and add that later on. Plus I'd also get the K95 over the K70 but that's just me.

Here is my logic. The OP was going to spend the money they were on high priced audio equipment in a A50 and a sound card most likely to drive the headset as well as provide 3d surround. I in turn came up with a more optimal setup where you have a sound dac/amp where the sound level is more crisp because you aren't having the signal from your computer components interfering which is the main reason why onboard often times falls short as well as front audio. I also included a Headphone that is pretty well received and will provide a good listening experience. They are studio monitoring headphones yes however they would provide a good listening experience no matter what you did. I have Sennheiser H598's do I do professional audio work no. Do I listen to a good amount of audio files yes, do I watch a lot of movies on my computer yes. Was more of what I would do to help and its more of a personal touch thing anyway audio is. Monitors, Cases, Cooling setups, Headphones, Mics, Keyboards, Mice all items that have a element of preference. My goal normally when responding to people is to divert them from putting money into things that won't leave them happy in the end. I believe the A50 in the end won't lead to a good experience for the sum that they would pay. I also am not a huge fan of Creative sound cards using a few over the years ASUS makes good sound cards but sound dacs/amps are a pretty darn attractive option as well now days.

Keyboard wise I would get a Ducky Premier, Filco. A very subjective choice. I have a G710+ love it some may not. Some may really like the corsair offering some may not .I typically take a stand back when it comes to keyboards with people in what they want because normally its not a matter of losing out on computer performance its a personal choice to what appeals to them.


@Last Alone

I think last alone makes the most compelling argument against 4k scaling, and bugs typically plague 4k. A lot of screens as well do not have full 60 hz refresh rate at 4k anyway so in my humble opinion I would stick to something like a 1440p screen. Maybe something like a ASUS PB278Q which has a relatively low response rate 5ms. Also has a strong IPS panel, strong stand where you can height, rotate, pivot adjust. This in my opinion would reduce cost Dramatically. All of a sudden you can drop your GPU cost to 1 solid good card like a 780Ti.
I would never ever purchase a Titan of any flavor. The only time I would consider a Titan would be if I was using floating precision a feature that is only available on Titan/Quadro cards.

 

[g-unit1111]

Here is my logic. The OP was going to spend the money they were on high priced audio equipment in a A50 and a sound card most likely to drive the headset as well as provide 3d surround. I in turn came up with a more optimal setup where you have a sound dac/amp where the sound level is more crisp because you aren't having the signal from your computer components interfering which is the main reason why onboard often times falls short as well as front audio. I also included a Headphone that is pretty well received and will provide a good listening experience. They are studio monitoring headphones yes however they would provide a good listening experience no matter what you did. I have Sennheiser H598's do I do professional audio work no. Do I listen to a good amount of audio files yes, do I watch a lot of movies on my computer yes. Was more of what I would do to help and its more of a personal touch thing anyway audio is. Monitors, Cases, Cooling setups, Headphones, Mics, Keyboards, Mice all items that have a element of preference. My goal normally when responding to people is to divert them from putting money into things that won't leave them happy in the end. I believe the A50 in the end won't lead to a good experience for the sum that they would pay. I also am not a huge fan of Creative sound cards using a few over the years ASUS makes good sound cards but sound dacs/amps are a pretty darn attractive option as well now days.

I definitely agree with the logic about personal preference. I totally get that especially when it comes to things like setting up a build around a color scheme (like I am currently doing with my White Knight rig). What I personally do is leave the peripherals up to the OP since that's mainly their decision. The thing I don't advocate is spending money excessively in areas that you don't need to spend money in, especially if it's something you can add on later like speakers or headsets or things of that nature.

 

[bigshootr8]

Here is my logic. The OP was going to spend the money they were on high priced audio equipment in a A50 and a sound card most likely to drive the headset as well as provide 3d surround. I in turn came up with a more optimal setup where you have a sound dac/amp where the sound level is more crisp because you aren't having the signal from your computer components interfering which is the main reason why onboard often times falls short as well as front audio. I also included a Headphone that is pretty well received and will provide a good listening experience. They are studio monitoring headphones yes however they would provide a good listening experience no matter what you did. I have Sennheiser H598's do I do professional audio work no. Do I listen to a good amount of audio files yes, do I watch a lot of movies on my computer yes. Was more of what I would do to help and its more of a personal touch thing anyway audio is. Monitors, Cases, Cooling setups, Headphones, Mics, Keyboards, Mice all items that have a element of preference. My goal normally when responding to people is to divert them from putting money into things that won't leave them happy in the end. I believe the A50 in the end won't lead to a good experience for the sum that they would pay. I also am not a huge fan of Creative sound cards using a few over the years ASUS makes good sound cards but sound dacs/amps are a pretty darn attractive option as well now days.

I definitely agree with the logic about personal preference. I totally get that especially when it comes to things like setting up a build around a color scheme (like I am currently doing with my White Knight rig). What I personally do is leave the peripherals up to the OP since that's mainly their decision. The thing I don't advocate is spending money excessively in areas that you don't need to spend money in, especially if it's something you can add on later like speakers or headsets or things of that nature.

I normally would agree with you with the audio section however he asked for it. So I included it 😛