Final ~800 dollar Gaming Rig build Components

[Welly177]

Here's a build I've been working on with the help of several great Tom's hardware forum members. Let me show you the parts, and then explain why I chose each component. It's not all been ordered yet, but please feel free to critique my choices/options. I could always use more help! Anything you see that is fishy for will not work, please call out.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4TznvK


CPU: It's fast, powerful, and inexpensive. A good chunk under 200 dollars, since I got a decent discount.

Motherboard: Compatible with all my components, inexpensive but good, features like WiFi and sound, 4 ram slots, solid brand. Did I say inexpensive already?

Ram: Cheap, CL 9, 8 gigs ddr3. Nothing more than I will need. But fast, thanks to low latency.


hard drive: Enough space for me, at a good speed and great price.

GPU: Perhaps the best on the market for its price. Out-preforms the best GTX 970 models for less money, and has a fantastic cooling system. Also, It's MSI. Who doesn't love MSI?

PSU: B2 is the best, and its price is wicked sweet as well. Great wattage for the price. More than enough to overclock the GPU

Case: Cooler master is a fantastic brand, and the case is just big enough to keep everything cold and safe. The gpu may block one of the lower driver bays, but I will never use them anyway.




That's it folks? Please help me by firing critiques! Thanks!

 

[RCFProd]

Good build. Only thing missing is the SSD.

Choose the ATX version of the H97 Pro4, not the microATX H97M version:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97pro4

 

[Welly177]

Good build. Only thing missing is the SSD.

Thanks man. I don't have enough money to afford an SSD with this build as of right now. Maybe down the line.

What do you think of the Graphics Card, since you're the authority?

 

[SherbetAddict]

Good build. Only thing missing is the SSD.

Thanks man. I don't have enough money to afford an SSD with this build as of right now. Maybe down the line.

What do you think of the Graphics Card, since you're the authority?

I think it's pretty good, edges out the 970 is most places, not to mention the 8GB Vram. It does run hot and it is very Power-Hungry.

 

[SherbetAddict]

The case could be better, but it's your choice of aesthetics...

 

[Welly177]

What about this motherboard? https://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97anniversary

 

[RCFProd]

Authority really doesn't say all that much. You just get it if you get enough 'best answers selected'.

Now the AMD R9 380 is a great GPU at 1080p and a good GPU at 1440p. It's direct rival is the GTX 970 and it basically is on par with the R9 390 at both the 1080p and 1440p resolutions. The GTX 970 is a lot more efficient in comparison and the drivers plus features are on a higher level than AMD.

The R9 390 is more powerful on paper. The GTX 970 edges it with efficiency and features for me.

Either is a good choice.

What about this motherboard? https://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97anniversary

If you can, stick with the ASRock H97 Pro4.

 

[Welly177]

The case could be better, but it's your choice of aesthetics...

How much better? How much less money?

I really would love to hear your specific suggestions. Shoot! I really appreciate your tips.

 

[Welly177]

Authority really doesn't say all that much. You just get it if you get enough 'best answers selected'.

Now the AMD R9 380 is a great GPU at 1080p and a good GPU at 1440p. It's direct rival is the GTX 970 and it basically is on par with the R9 390 at both the 1080p and 1440p resolutions. The GTX 970 is a lot more efficient in comparison and the drivers plus features are on a higher level than AMD.

The R9 390 is more powerful on paper. The GTX 970 edges it with efficiency and features for me.

Either is a good choice.

What about this motherboard? https://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97anniversary

If you can, stick with the ASRock H97 Pro4.

Out of the box, the AMD R9 390 outclasses the 970 in raw performance. The drivers will come down the line, and I am patient. What really drives me to the 390 is that I am paying all that money for 750 watts. Might as well use it!


Also, what about the Motherboard I suggested? It seems to have the same specs as the one you suggested.

 

[RCFProd]

No the H97 Pro4 definitely has more features than the Anniversary. And the GTX 970, based on a lot of benchmarks at 1080p/1440p really doesn't get beaten by the R9 390 all that often. But that doesn't matter since either is really good.

For the same budget, I would get this build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.55 @ B&H)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.98 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($272.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($73.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $819.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-24 19:42 EDT-0400

 

[Welly177]

Thanks for the answer!

The CPU is one thing I've already ordered. However, the difference isn't really striking for the price increase. Sure, it's overclockable, but the CPU already automatically overclocks to 3.7 gighz. Even the most intensive games remain well under 3.5 gighz. I don't really see any reason to pay an extra 40.

The memory is at a higher clock, but that has been proven in many tests to be almost meaningless. Especially from a jump of 1600 to 1866.

The GPU is alright for your build, but It's just not a match for the 390.


The case is aright. But it has bad viewing pieces, which are made of low-quality plastic, and people have complained about their scratch ability.



I looked at the specs for both motherboards. The anniversary supports turbo boost 2.0, which the pro does not list. But the Pro has better audio and PCI ports.

Is that worth 10 bucks?

The motherboard is alright for the cpu you suggested. But I don't really need it.

 

[RCFProd]

The H97 PRO4 also comes with 7.1 channel audio and a better audio codec in general. It's worth the 10 extra dollars.

OC the i5-4690k up to 4.4-4.5 Ghz when you have a good aftermarket CPU cooler and you will see noticable improvements, especially when you upgrade your graphics card OC'ing can come in handy.

Pretty much any case below 70-80-ish dollars comes with cons. They have to safe money somewhere in order to sell them for a cheaper price. Fully good quality cases don't come around especially at the price mark of the S340, which is a phenominal case for the price that has many benefits over the cases in the same price area. You might heard about people complaining, but you'll hear them complain about any case which is at this price range. The S340 has plenty of pros that make it worth It's value. Dust filters, cable management and great airflow potential prove It's value.