Building my first custom gaming PC

[Jmeiks]

Hey, guys and girls.

So, for the past 6-7 years, I've gotten by with my old pre-built HP desktop, but it's obviously been out-dated for quite some time. So, I'm looking to build a new computer, and I was hoping to get your opinion. Also, awhile ago my friend gave me an ASUS GeForce GTX 750 TI 4GB GPU that he never used, so I might as well use that in the build.

Anyway, here's what I've worked out so far:

Budget - $2000-$2200 AUD

Resolution - 1980 x 1080

Case - Corsair Graphite 230T

GPU - ASUS GeForce GTX 750 TI 4GB

CPU - Intel Core i7 6700k

Motherboard - Not sure. It would have to be one with a Intel 1151 Chipset and PCI 3.0. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to Motherboards.

CPU Heat Sink - I have no idea what is good.

Memory - No idea what type/brand of RAM is good.

Power Supply - I have a simple 500w PSU I could use, but no doubt I'll need more.

Hard Drive - I have a relatively new Toshiba 1TB 7200RPM HDD that I used to replace my old hard drive, which I could easily re-use if it fits.

Internet Card - Again, I have no idea. Do these have any compatibility issues?

Sound Card - Same with internet card.

Sorry that there's so many gaps in the build, but I'm honestly still learning about PC hardware.

 

[sizzling]

If just for gaming you would be far better off getting a i5 6600k, selling the 750Ti and using the money saved to buy a better GPU. The 750Ti is a low end that's getting a bit old, there is zero point pairing it with a 6700k one of the best gaming CPU's around.

What resolution will you be gaming at? What's the whole budget and which country are you from? Someone will knock you up a good build

 

[apk24]

What's your budget and how do you plan on using your new machine (what kind of gaming experience are you looking for and anything other than games)?

 

[Gnuffi]

while it might seem enticing to use the GPU you have and buy the most expensive/best CPU you can get, you should know, for gaming, most games want a better GPU than CPU
and as such your 750ti would be limited in many games, even on 1080p resolution, and the 6700k wouldnt add much/be wasted on the weak GPU
you could get a cheaper CPU and then buy a stronger graphics card should you want, tho overall it would cost more, (you could save 100$+on cpu, but you would need a bit more than that on GPU still)

it would be truly easier to work around if you provided a budget tho
and what resolution you wish to play

 

[apk24]

while it might seem enticing to use the GPU you have

Just thinking out loud, If a full build fits into OP's budget, the 750 Ti could be tossed in as a PhysX card.

 

[Gnuffi]

while it might seem enticing to use the GPU you have

Just thinking out loud, If a full build fits into OP's budget, the 750 Ti could be tossed in as a PhysX card.

naa better to try and sell it and help add cash to bigger GPU, wouldnt add much for physX not to mention only a handful of games would only use it

 

[apk24]

while it might seem enticing to use the GPU you have

Just thinking out loud, If a full build fits into OP's budget, the 750 Ti could be tossed in as a PhysX card.

naa better to try and sell it and help add cash to bigger GPU, wouldnt add much for physX not to mention only a handful of games would only use it

Yeah, probably. I just mentioned it because Op said that it was given to him by a friend. I generally try not to sell things given to me by friends and try to make them fit them in to whatever I'm doing.

 

[Jmeiks]

Thanks for the replies guys. For budget I wouldn't really want to far over $2000 AUD (I live in Australia), as for resolution, I play on a 1920 x 1080 monitor, while having a 1280 x 1024 on the side for interwebs and what not. I'd like to be able to use it for pretty heavy gaming, as it tends to bother me if my game settings aren't on high or ultra. I'd also like to eventually try out streaming.

I'll add this info to the OP.

As for selling the GPU, it wouldn't really bother me. I'm mainly just using as I already have it, and I thought I would save some cash. However much would you suggest I sell it for? It's in mint condition, never been used.

 

[Gnuffi]

since i wouldnt really know how/where to go to get the best deals in Australia i just used PCPP for a quick glance to see what was possible
and if you are truly willing to spend a whopping 2000$ you can get an amazing build, including new "big" GPU
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/34pG3F
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($483.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($158.00 @ PCCaseGear) would prefer NZXT Kraken x61, could save money and go for air cooling with Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($345.00 @ Centre Com) cheaper motherboards are available and valid options(i just love this board)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($209.00 @ CPL Online) would prefer the cheaper but equal good Ripjaws V, 3000-3200MHz Cas 14
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($459.00 @ Umart) possible placeholder, consider GTX 1070
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($95.00 @ CPL Online) you selected case, did you already have?
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($165.00 @ IJK) would prefer EVGA SUperNova G2 550/650watt
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($137.00 @ Umart)
Total: $2173.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 18:32 AEST+1000

this is just a rough idea of the build i would suggest, its not the "true" parts, and only selected because those were teh only parts with actual price listings on the site, weather or not you can get these exact parts cheaper elsewhere or the "true" parts i suggested i dont know

Note. build does not contain optical drive, steal your old drive if need for OS installation depending on which win10 installation media you use/buy,
Note. SSD selected for optimal system, will fit OS and couple of games perfect, use "old" hdd for normal storage
Note. no new "gaming" monitor selected
Note, motherboard contains onboard audio and internet, just need to plug ethernet cable directly in, no wifi

 

[VR PC-BUILD]

Here is the build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($483.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($158.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($249.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: Thermaltake Urban T31 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($71.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($137.00 @ Umart)
Other: GTX1070 ($560.00)
Total: $2092.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 19:32 AEST+1000

 

[Jmeiks]

since i wouldnt really know how/where to go to get the best deals in Australia i just used PCPP for a quick glance to see what was possible
and if you are truly willing to spend a whopping 2000$ you can get an amazing build, including new "big" GPU
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/34pG3F
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($483.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($158.00 @ PCCaseGear) would prefer NZXT Kraken x61, could save money and go for air cooling with Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($345.00 @ Centre Com) cheaper motherboards are available and valid options(i just love this board)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($209.00 @ CPL Online) would prefer the cheaper but equal good Ripjaws V, 3000-3200MHz Cas 14
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($459.00 @ Umart) possible placeholder, consider GTX 1070
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($95.00 @ CPL Online) you selected case, did you already have?
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($165.00 @ IJK) would prefer EVGA SUperNova G2 550/650watt
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($137.00 @ Umart)
Total: $2173.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 18:32 AEST+1000

this is just a rough idea of the build i would suggest, its not the "true" parts, and only selected because those were teh only parts with actual price listings on the site, weather or not you can get these exact parts cheaper elsewhere or the "true" parts i suggested i dont know

Note. build does not contain optical drive, steal your old drive if need for OS installation depending on which win10 installation media you use/buy,
Note. SSD selected for optimal system, will fit OS and couple of games perfect, use "old" hdd for normal storage
Note. no new "gaming" monitor selected
Note, motherboard contains onboard audio and internet, just need to plug ethernet cable directly in, no wifi

Umart and PCCaseGear tend to be the two main suppliers that my friends and I use (Umart being a bit cheaper, but PCCaseGear just tending to be better.) As for the case, I don't actually own it yet, it just seemed like a solid, but cheap option. The build seems pretty solid (from what I can tell with my limited knowledge,) but, unfortunately I can't use an Ethernet cable, as the location of my modem and etc is in a rather awkward place, but buying a USB adapter should be an easy fix for that, yeah?

PS - Already have a disc for the OS, so no worries about that.

 

[Inkiad]

We l i say sell your 750TI.
For gaming get a i5 6600k instead of 6700k.
Wait for the gtx 1080 and 1070 to come to market before buying graphics card.
I prefer gigabyte motherboard and G.Skill rams. Also at that price you can grab a NZXT X61 cooler. Very good cpu liquid cooler.
For 2200AUD you can build a nice pc.
The network and audio is built in into the motherboard. No need to worry about them. If you want wifi on your desktop, you can buy a usb wifi adapter pretty cheap.
Always buy a good power supply. The one i listed below is a very good one.

Consider this build -
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($333.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($195.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-D3H ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($195.00 @ IJK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($114.40 @ Newegg Australia)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($19.00 @ IJK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($137.00 @ Umart)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-XFBL-22PR-R1 93.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Mwave Australia)
Other: NVIDIA GTX 1080 ($680.00)
Total: $2043.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 19:39 AEST+1000

The price of 1080 is estimated, can be less or more. If you can not afford that, then buy a 1070 instead.

 

[Gnuffi]

there is no bloody reason to get gtx1080 for 1080p gaming, way overkill, and its estimated to be 900-1200 AUS$, so gtx1070 more than perfect for 1080p gaming
should really get the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 for/when overclocking, the extra money is well spend, the EVGA NEX is sorta "meh"..
also he states he already has a HDD so no point wasting money on that
and optical drive is sorta pointless, can either snag the old one, or just install via USB

 

[Jmeiks]

I've got a pretty rough idea what I want to be aiming at getting now, thanks guys. I'll probably be going with Gnuffi's build, as it has some parts a few my friends have talked about and recommended. Cheers for the replies and helping me figure this out, people.

 

[Gnuffi]

just make sure you get a solid PSU no matter what, its the critical system part when building a highend system with overclcoking capabilities
also the i5 6600k is well worth it to consider for pure gaming, like Inkaid mentioned,
i only picked the i7 6700k because your budget sorta allowed for an over the top build

 

[Gnuffi]

and how the heck did you get the NZXT Kraken x61 to show up on au partpicker Inkaid? it just doesnt display for me when i search/picked???

 

[Inkiad]

also he states he already has a HDD so no point wasting money on that

Umm no one recommended a HDD.

The XFX XTR series is also great power supply, not as godlike as the G2, But still good quality. If he wants he can save some money.

and how the heck did you get the NZXT Kraken x61 to show up on au partpicker Inkaid? it just doesnt display for me when i search/picked???

LOL no idea man.

 

[Gnuffi]

also he states he already has a HDD so no point wasting money on that

Umm no one recommended a HDD.

The XFX XTR series is also great power supply, not as godlike as the G2, But still good quality. If he wants he can save some money.

yea was meant in regard to VR PC-BUILD, list which included HDD and EVGA NEX
XFX XTR very solid, seasonic rarely disappoints, and also a better choice than the NEX

and how the heck did you get the NZXT Kraken x61 to show up on au partpicker Inkaid? it just doesnt display for me when i search/picked???

LOL no idea man.

hehe, atleast you got it displayed so OP got a link to look for instead of me just typing the name

 

[VR PC-BUILD]

Here is the crazy stuff sorry in advance if you don't like my idea.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($483.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($158.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($249.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Case: Thermaltake Urban T31 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($71.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.00 @ CPL Online)
Monitor: Asus VX24AH 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($389.00 @ IJK)
Other: GTX1080 ($680.00)
Total: $2396.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 21:21 AEST+1000

Sell off that GTX750Ti for like $120 or more as it is new never been used and monitor for like $100 depending on what monitor you are having and how old it is and get this.

About OS if it becomes tight in the end go for Windows 10 OEM key for $60 from ebay and download Windows 10 from some other PC and install it.

 

[Gnuffi]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($483.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($195.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($345.00 @ Centre Com)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($122.00 @ IJK)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($150.00) check true link https://www.pccasegear.com/products/35428/evga-supernova-g2-gold-650w-power-supply/
Case Fan: Phanteks PH-F140XP_BK 85.2 CFM 140mm Fan ($25.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case Fan: Phanteks PH-F140XP_BK 85.2 CFM 140mm Fan ($25.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Other: GTX 1070 ($600.00)
Total: $2178.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 22:32 AEST+1000
changed ram, appears cas 14 ram is heavily ovepriced in AU,
everything else should be right now
no OS this time tho,
quality fans included for front since this case doesnt come with
and still using the expencive motherboard that i love 😉
feel free to save 60-100bucks and go for Asus z170-Pro or z170 Pro Gaming