Final build check

ConorJW

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Apr 17, 2014
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I have been researching for months and months trying to find out what the best parts would be for me and i have decided on this build:
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/6j9fCJ

Spending this much money i would really like to know what you guys think of this build and if its a good strong build that handles all my needs and lasts. Also want to know if there is anything wrong or anything i should change or make better.
I'm not looking to overclock just yet but would like to have the option to do so in future.
Needs:
-Video editing and photo, 3D work, rendering, gaming

Thank you :)
 
Solution
PSU is WAY overpriced. Get a 750w unit form Antec, XFX, Seasonic.

You do not want SP120 Quiet edition fans on the radiator. They barely move air at all and will completely ruin your temps. Get an air cooler if you want quietness.


Thanks for the reply

I thought the PSU price was abit high but i have seen it in so many builds.

I'm very fussy i want this build to look good aswel as be great haha and im not that keen on the way the air coolers look. i know i might sound stupid but ive chosen a windowed case for it to look smart :)
What fans do you recommend to go on the h100i? that's if you do recommend the h100i?
 
Very nice build, I can see you did your homework! i have a few suggestions tho;

- Cooler: Corsair recently made a updated version of the h100i called the h100i GTX, so you might want to grab that one instead, but as you're using the Define r5 you could also grab a 360 AIO watercooler like the thermaltake one.
- Powersupply: 760 watt is by far overkill, you can run a I5 and two 770's on a 550 just to give a image, i can recommend going unto http://powersupplycalculator.net/ and check your current components, and the components you might buy in the future before getting a powersupply.
- Windows, If you want to save some money now and use them on components instead then here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso​ that is the windows 10 preview edition, just get a 8gb usb stick and burn it unto using http://www.isotousb.com/ and you just saved 74 pounds.
- motherboard, You got the asus z97-a, which is a awesome board, but did you know they just made a z97-ar, which is basically a black version of it, incase you want to skip the golden details and add to that black colortheme you got going on there
- monitor, tho its a awesome monitor that costs like 45 gbp more in the uk compared to denmark which i dont quite understand, just remember it comes with 2xVGA and 1xHDMI, NO DVI, which might give you some multi monitor setup and you might need to go get a HDMI cable or a dvi-to-vga adapter for it to work with your GPU at all.

otherwise, it looks solid.
 


Ok thanks for the advice
What air coolers do you recommed please?
and what fans if i needed them?
 


Great thanks

Other than that what do you think of the rest of the build?
 


Brilliant thank you very much!
Haha i have been researching alot :)

I didnt know about the H100i GTX but thanks for letting me know! do you know the price difference of it from the H100i?
also what is the benefits of the H100i GTX?

The Thermaltake 360 AIO watercooler looks insane but i didnt think you could fit 360 in the define R5? not sure though

Thanks for the PSU link i will have a look at that, ive just seen so many people use that Corsair 760 psu.

I havent researched windows 10 at all, do you know when the release date is? thanks for the advice on that its defiantly something to consider.

I did look at the Asus z97 ar but it didnt seem to come with as many ports? but does look better than gold.

With the monitor i read that it comes with 2x HDMI? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A4415KG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00A4415KG&linkCode=as2&tag=marz-21&linkId=7EUVBHA55JGR2B7S

Thanks for all your help and advice! :)
 




Alright thanks for the help :)
I know its abit random but do you know where i can get good quality sleeved cables from in the uk?
I would like white ones or if i can mix maybe some whites and greys etc
 
Okay, Round 2: FIGHT

Monitor: okay, wethers its 2xVGA and 1xHDMI or 1xVGA and 2xHDMI dosen't really matter, you only need 1 port for your computer but my point stands, check the cables!

The define R5 fits up to a 360 rad because you can remove panels in the top to gradually cover it up incase you dont use any fans, or you want to fit the 360mm rad, you might have to check 5,25" bay clearance for that disc drive if you want to go for the 360 rad,

For powersupplies i can recommend the XFX XTR Series, i just got the 550 in house for my own rig, and tbh, its the first time i was ever hyped for powersupplies, it was the cheapest full mod powersupply i could get, it was 550 watt which is plenty for an I5 and another GPU (i have a 770 right now) if i want to upgrade and its 80+ gold and have a hybrid mode.

windows 10 is... awesome...

The Z97 AR as far as i know only looses the onboard DVI and VGA port which would be powered by the gpu chip in the CPU, which you wont use anyways because you're using dedicated graphiccards.

For the h100I GTX version the changes as far as i can see is mostly aesthetical and shouldnt impose a price difference, its actually cheaper than the h100i where i live.

... i think that was all?
 


Haha! and again thanks

In furture i would like to get another of the same monitor that shouldn't be a problem connecting it up either?

I wasnt sure about the R5 because it looked like you couldnt move the optical drives. thats great that you can fit it, would you recommend that over the h100i/h100i GTX?

Hyped about a psu! 😉 sorry what is hybrid mode?

Thats great that windows 10 is good is that what you are running?

Thats true i shall go with the Asus z97-ar!

Thanks for the cable recommendation!!
 
Round 3: Fight!

Windows 10 is awesome, and yea: I'm using it myself.

The XFX XTR series psu's have a switch where you can go from the fan always running to a "hybrid mode" where the fan will only run if the psu reaches a certain load. its also known as "fanless" mode and is great if you're going with silence.

As for the cpu cooler i would recommend the 360 rad, it shouldnt be that much of a cost difference last i checked, but it will allow you to run the fans slower, ergo more silent and still cool the same because you get more surface area, or alternatively run the same speed, but get better cooling.

and yea, you should be able to connect more of of those monitors, you might just need like a HDMI to DVI cable or something alike, but you can get those cheap, so it shouldnt be an issue.

and i think it's a K/O, hope your build goes well!
 


The noctua cooler is great, admittedly, personally i prefer a watercooler AIO because I dont like the heavy weight resting on my motherboard/cpu and it provides a cleaner aesthetic.
 


I do highly agree with you the reviews and the price is very very good but i find it really annoying how ugly it looks i know i shouldn't be thinking of just aesthetics but its hard not to when your spending alot of money and have it on show with a windowed case sitting on your desk
 


Sorry, this has been proved wrong TONS of times buy TONS of reputable people. An air cooler doesn't stress a motherboard at all. All these coolers have backplates and it has been proven that even the measly Intel cooler (no backplate) stresses the motherboard MORE than these big air cooler with their backplates.
 


To be honest, anyone who knows anything about proper computer builds would be way more impressed to see a D15 in your window than an h100i.
 


Aha sorry if im asking to many questions just need to know before i buy

thanks for telling me what hybrid is :)

Do you know if the 360 rad should fit in the front of the r5 case?(where the door is) instead of the top as i want to keep them 3 panels on the top of the r5 where they are?
Also would you use 3 fans with this? and what do you recommend?

Thats no problem with the monitor :)

Thank you for all your help and thanks for being patient haha 😉




 


Thats true, thanks for everything need to have a good think and more research!
 


The define R5 does have support for a 360mm rad in the front, but you will have to give up both the 5,25" bays and both hdd cages, leaving you with just the 2 ssd slots on the back of the motherboard. i would take out the 3 top covers and put it there, then it also exhausts hot air from the case instead of drawing it in, keep in mind if you put it as intake, the air comming into your case will already be slightly warmer becaue it was used to cool the radiator. and by slightly i mean insignificantly.

Oh and as for fans, it should be plenty with the fans that comes with the cooler, they should be fairly silent aswell. you can switch them out if you want led fans, then i would recommend the sp120 led series from corsair, there isnt alot of good static pressure led fans out there. but the corsair ones are nice.