A worthy build or back to the drawing board?

[40s]

Hello,

Attempting my first build and I'd like the communities opinions on the parts I've selected. Of particular interest for me is noise reduction and making sure I have a video card that does a good solo job.


http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47yr

Thank you!

 

[maurelie]

For what purpose will this build be used for?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

There's a lot of overkill that could be trimmed out of that. As above, what's it for?

 

[40s]

Gaming. I'd just like to play without poor draw-in for a change. It will also serve for everything else I may do.

 

[maurelie]

Gaming. I'd just like to play without poor draw-in for a change. It will also serve for everything else I may do.

-You may want to downgrade to i7 4770k if you will be doing some video editing/rendering and plus gaming. But if it is only for gaming, than the best option is i5 4670k, simply it is the best processor for gaming and not to mention that it is $350 cheaper or the i7 4770, which is $250 cheaper
-If you choose to go with the i7 4770k or the i5 4670k, there are many great Z87 motherboards for $150-$200 range, something like the Asus Maximus Hero IV
-About the RAM, get something with speed of 1600Mhz
-From the money saved on i5 4670k or i7 4770k, you will be able to get GTX780Ti, which is the most powerfull GPU on the planet right now.

 

[40s]

First off thank you for the help.

Guided by your post I have the following tentative build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47yr

 

[maurelie]

I was thinking something more like this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($98.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($198.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.60 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($689.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1846.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-21 14:26 EDT-0400)

 

[g-unit1111]

-About the RAM, get something with speed of 1600Mhz

No for Haswell you want DDR3-1866 or better, DDR3-2133 is ideal: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell

Gaming. I'd just like to play without poor draw-in for a change. It will also serve for everything else I may do.

For gaming there's no reason to consider X79 - too much investment for no payoff and there certainly isn't a need for a six core CPU or even an i7 for that matter. I'd go back to the drawing board and do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Eisberg 240L Prestige 60.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($158.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($679.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($679.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($121.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($168.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($97.27 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $2550.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-21 14:29 EDT-0400)

This is about the same price - you get dual GTX 780TI (better for today's graphics intensive games), no overrated gimmick motherboard, much better liquid cooler that's about the equivalent of a full custom loop, a Windows 8.1 license, fast RAM ideal for Haswell, and one of the best power supplies on the market.

 

[40s]

Just a few concerns.

I have a TV tuner: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2T6Y4/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and a pci USB expansion: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2T6Y4/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

so with that MOBO the pci is starting to get a bit cramped. I can dump the USB expansion no prob but the tuner is a must. If this is the best recommendation even with that concern in mind I'll just go that way then.

Also I am done with HDD I cannot stand to hear one more click, screech scratch, or even a whine.

 

[40s]

I should add that I have a windows 8.1 disk and a DVD drive already from my current build. Also I don't tend to run background programs all the time.

 

[g-unit1111]

I should add that I have a windows 8.1 disk and a DVD drive already from my current build. Also I don't tend to run background programs all the time.

Yeah you can definitely reuse those things and save money there.

Also I am done with HDD I cannot stand to hear one more click, screech scratch, or even a whine.

Here's the thing - you will stand to lose a lot of storage by using only a 120GB or 240 - 256GB SSD as your primary storage device. The cost per GB of 512GB and higher SSDs is way too much to consider getting one for your rig plus they slow down considerably after you load them beyond a certain capacity, which is very easy to do.

 

[40s]

I should add that I have a windows 8.1 disk and a DVD drive already from my current build. Also I don't tend to run background programs all the time.

Yeah you can definitely reuse those things and save money there.

Also I am done with HDD I cannot stand to hear one more click, screech scratch, or even a whine.

Here's the thing - you will stand to lose a lot of storage by using only a 120GB or 240 - 256GB SSD as your primary storage device. The cost per GB of 512GB and higher SSDs is way too much to consider getting one for your rig plus they slow down considerably after you load them beyond a certain capacity, which is very easy to do.

Is there a particular SSD configuration that could guard against the slow down you refer to I'm afraid that is a point I am not too knowledgeable about. The key phrases here are run silent run deep, walk softly and carry a big stick ect ect...

My budget is up to $2300 and I am more than willing to pay a premium for quiet.

 

[40s]

Ok so based on your advice G-unit this is what I would be purchasing.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47LU

 

[g-unit1111]

Ok so based on your advice G-unit this is what I would be purchasing.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47LU

You will not in any way shape or form come out ahead buying that 1TB SSD and the extra 128GB SSD is a further waste of money. Yeah mechanical HDs are noise and all that, but you should definitely get one over the 1TB Evo and invest more in the graphics card. The cost per GB of the 1TB Evo is simply not justifiable. Just live with the noise or find some way to block it if it bothers you that much.

 

[40s]

didn't mean to leave both of those SSD in there but I hear you.

I suppose I'll just cannibalize my old HDD http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VPGJIY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

unless you recommend something different.

and just use the 128GB SSD for windows and when I record TV, as late at night scheduled recordings are the main reason the noise is a problem.

And that should round it up what do you think?

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47LU

 

[g-unit1111]

didn't mean to leave both of those SSD in there but I hear you.

I suppose I'll just cannibalize my old HDD http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VPGJIY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

unless you recommend something different.

and just use the 128GB SSD for windows and when I record TV, as late at night scheduled recordings are the main reason the noise is a problem.

And that should round it up what do you think?

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47LU

Yeah you can definitely reuse that but you should definitely record your TV on your HD because of the limited storage capacity of the SSD, otherwise that looks good to me!

 

[Daniel Sudakov]

Air cooling will be better then those all in one water coolers.

SLI 780 ti's are way overkill unless you're going to run 3-way nvidia surround. Plus look over the disadvantages in SLI. 1 card should be fine. You can upgrade to sli in the future when you need it. For now, 1 780 ti will play anything for a good while.


Here in IMO, you really need for gaming, you also save money for a 256gb ssd, a 1tb black drive, and a much better GPU and PSU. And a much better quality motherboard. Gigabyte makes better boards then asrock. The case is totally up to you.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3dX9A

 

[g-unit1111]

Air cooling will be better then those all in one water coolers.

SLI 780 ti's are way overkill unless you're going to run 3-way nvidia surround. Plus look over the disadvantages in SLI. 1 card should be fine. You can upgrade to sli in the future when you need it. For now, 1 780 ti will play anything for a good while.


Here in IMO, you really need for gaming, you also save money for a 256gb ssd, a 1tb black drive, and a much better GPU and PSU. And a much better quality motherboard. Gigabyte makes better boards then asrock. The case is totally up to you.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3dX9A

Not necessarily, the trend definitely seems to be going more of the way of closed block coolers and less of gigantic eyesore heat sinks. There's a time I would have definitely agreed there but now it doesn't seem like that's the case. Companies are really tweaking their 240mm radiators and offering way better products than what was offered three - four years ago. The NZXT X60, Cooler Master Eisburg 240L, and Swiftech H220 are some of the better units that are being offered.

I'm personally not a fan of the Corsair AXi series - the iLink software is extremely buggy and not really ready for prime time from what I hear. And there's nothing wrong with Asrock boards either - they've won tons of editors choice awards from this site and elsewhere in the tech community. And as for SLI that all depends how many monitors you ultimately plan to run. If the long term plan includes 3 x 2560x1440 monitors, then why not?

 

[40s]

Ok, thanks Daniel, I tend to agree in consideration of said. Thank you maurelie. Thank you G-unit. I feel like this is it. I'll leave this open for a bit longer but I think this is it.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/40s/saved/47Pr

 

[40s]

One last thing I'd like to get everything at amazon this board has prime so I can get everything at once:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131979

any concerns about this mobo?

 

[g-unit1111]

One last thing I'd like to get everything at amazon this board has prime so I can get everything at once:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131979

any concerns about this mobo?

That should be fine but there really isn't any need to pay $200+ for a motherboard when one that is less than that will do the same job.

 

[Daniel Sudakov]

Air cooling will be better then those all in one water coolers.

SLI 780 ti's are way overkill unless you're going to run 3-way nvidia surround. Plus look over the disadvantages in SLI. 1 card should be fine. You can upgrade to sli in the future when you need it. For now, 1 780 ti will play anything for a good while.


Here in IMO, you really need for gaming, you also save money for a 256gb ssd, a 1tb black drive, and a much better GPU and PSU. And a much better quality motherboard. Gigabyte makes better boards then asrock. The case is totally up to you.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3dX9A

Not necessarily, the trend definitely seems to be going more of the way of closed block coolers and less of gigantic eyesore heat sinks. There's a time I would have definitely agreed there but now it doesn't seem like that's the case. Companies are really tweaking their 240mm radiators and offering way better products than what was offered three - four years ago. The NZXT X60, Cooler Master Eisburg 240L, and Swiftech H220 are some of the better units that are being offered.

I'm personally not a fan of the Corsair AXi series - the iLink software is extremely buggy and not really ready for prime time from what I hear. And there's nothing wrong with Asrock boards either - they've won tons of editors choice awards from this site and elsewhere in the tech community. And as for SLI that all depends how many monitors you ultimately plan to run. If the long term plan includes 3 x 2560x1440 monitors, then why not?

True some are going to water cooling. But not everyone is informed about the cons on having them.

1. They cost more
2. Their price/performance isn't to great
3. You'll have to check up on the thing itself once in a while. Air cooling, you just leave it, and it'll work
4. They generally don't last that long compared to air cooling (Broken pumps, leaks) anything can happen out of the box

AX series are great PSUs. They're made by seasonic, which makes really good PSU's. I trust both with my system. He didn't list anything about how much monitors he's using + resolution. My guess, he's going to run 1080p. So making two 780 ti completely overkill + It'll cost more. But if he ever decides he want to go more, with a 860 watt PSU + a good motherboard, he has that option. For now, overkill.

It's not that I'm saying asrock sucks. But Gigabyte, ASUS and MSI are well known companies, + makes well known motherboards. Their quality is also well known.

 

[g-unit1111]

True some are going to water cooling. But not everyone is informed about the cons on having them.

1. They cost more
2. Their price/performance isn't to great
3. You'll have to check up on the thing itself once in a while. Air cooling, you just leave it, and it'll work
4. They generally don't last that long compared to air cooling (Broken pumps, leaks) anything can happen out of the box

Not on a closed block, closed blocks don't have the required maintenance that their full open liquid counterparts do, and some of the newer units like the ones I listed get the same or better performance of some of the pricier air fans.

AX series are great PSUs. They're made by seasonic, which makes really good PSU's. I trust both with my system. He didn't list anything about how much monitors he's using + resolution. My guess, he's going to run 1080p. So making two 780 ti completely overkill + It'll cost more. But if he ever decides he want to go more, with a 860 watt PSU + a good motherboard, he has that option. For now, overkill.

You're getting the AX and the AXi series mixed up. The AX series are in fact made by Seasonic and they are excellent supplies. The AXi series, however, are not Seasonic units, they're Flextronics units: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-5.html

Yeah I will agree there that a dual GTX 780TI is overkill for a 1080P system, but then again so is a 4930K.

 

[40s]

I hate waiting for shipping and it would cost more than the difference to expedite the cheaper board. Thanks again all the order is placed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F2AK6WU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


My monitor is 2560x1080 I generally only extend it to watch a movie on a projector

 

[40s]

don't mean to bump but I just wanted to update and report the problems I ran into for the edification of others.

1. Lost my windows CD and Key always keep a picture of your product key on your phone.

2. The RAM looked like it was in all the way but it wasn't.

3. warning: "turn off computer and connect power cable to video card"

4. Oh so I need to connect power to the CPU too...
4a. oh it's incredibly poorly labled

5. CPU fans need to be plugs into the slot that says CPU fan and OPT go fig

6. Still wondering if I should install the mounting screw in the center I missed...

7. You need to select "create profile" to load an old firefox profile

8. Jumped straight past the BIOS, do I need to check that out?

9. "Oh, that's what that cord does... makes sense"

Lost that lame little speaker that the build sticky recommends because it is so tiny, grrr.

Thanks again to every one who helped!