First build, just asking for some help with anything else i will need etc.

[Nero91]

I have below the components for what i think equates to a sufficient gaming rig (I also need it to handle high resolution rendering for 3D modelling etc). However I'm a complete novice and I'm trying to learn more about the selection process. Any ideas or corrections are greatly appreciated. I'm kinda out of my depth and I'm sick of paying top dollar for premade PCs that are outdated and useless the next year. Also if you can suggest any other parts that I need in this list please say so. Thanks guys

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooling: Cooler Master Nepton 280L 122.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Graphics Card: 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 (2-Way SLI)

PSU: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card

Asus USB-AC56 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter

Intel E1G44ET2BLK 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI-Express x4 Network Adapter

 

[plywrlw]

You don't need such a big expensive PSU. An 850W will be more than enough, the 970's are very power efficient. Don't forget a copy of Windows and a case!

 

[jafrankl]

You could easily go down to a core i5-4690k for just a gaming rig.
You may want to get a smaller solid state drive for just the OS and programs and a large HDD for game storage.
The Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 is better than the EVGA in performance, if that's all you care about.
You don't need 1500W, you will have large energy consumption and loss. At most you would need 850W for this setup; if you plan to add a 3rd 970, get 1000W.
Also, what case have you selected? They don't make or break builds, but it will help in planning to upgrade or not.

 

[dzsonni]

1.Why the Network Adapter? Do you need extra slots?

2. If you need network adapter, why the WIFi adapter?

3. PSU is way overkill, 850+ gold/platinum is enough.

4. If you truly wanna do rendering and gaming, and have the money, consider the 5960x (it's a bit of a stretch but if you decided to include a 1tb SSD 😛)

 

[Nero91]

Thanks I was worried about choosing the case, but i wanted something i can expand and have room to add on if necessary. I may add another graphics card later on if necessary for hi res rendering for my modelling as scale can have a huge impact on render times. Could you suggest a case and power supply. Also do i need a network adapter AND a wi-fi adapter or could i just use a wi-fi adapter? is one better or more necessary than the other?

 

[Nero91]

haha thanks for clearing that up dzsonni (about the network and wifi) haha

 

[jafrankl]

Firstly, do you understand the difference between a network adapter and wi-fi adapter?
Second, jonnyguru.com is the go-to site for component reviews and I picked up the EVGA Supernova 1000W P2 due to their review (and its extremely high score)
Third, the network adapter/wi-fi necessity depends on your usage, home internet setup, etc.

 

[Nero91]

also is the 5960x worth the $1300.00 haha ?

 

[dzsonni]

Your motherboard has 1 RJ45 Lan plug that has 10/100/1000 speeds. So unless you specifically need more there is no need.

If you don't want a cable (cable beats any kind of wifi) you need the wifi adapter.

if you plan to buy a 3rd card definitely get over 1000W psu

But what I said earlier, the rendering performance of the new 5960x intel CPUs is epic so if you earn money this way thats definitely worth considering.

 

[plywrlw]

Your motherboard will already have a network adaptor built in, you only need a wireless card if you can't connect a cable because of where the router is.

Have a look at the Corsair Obsidian series. The 750D is huge As for PSU's the EVGA G2 1000W would be a decent choice for 3 GTX 970's

 

[Nero91]

thans jafranki no i don't know the difference between them :/

 

[Nero91]

thanks everyone great responses, very helpful. Cheers guys

 

[jafrankl]

Network adapter basically adds ethernet ports. Wi-fi adapter is necessary for wireless connectivity. As previously stated by plywrlw, if your mobo has an onboard wifi adapter you don't "need" another, but a PCI-e model may have better results.

 

[dzsonni]

thans jafranki no i don't know the difference between them :/

A wifi adapter gives your PC the ability to connect to WiFi, just like your phone or laptop.

A network adapter gives you more places to plug network cables in.

Every general use motherboard has a built in network adapter.

 

[jafrankl]

thans jafranki no i don't know the difference between them :/

A wifi adapter gives your PC the ability to connect to WiFi, just like your phone or laptop.

A network adapter gives you more places to plug network cables in.

Every general use motherboard has a built in network adapter.

Perhaps every *modern* mobo would be better to say... there's no guarantee every mobo in existence has this built in. Not that you're wrong, just hard to say.

 

[dzsonni]

thans jafranki no i don't know the difference between them :/

A wifi adapter gives your PC the ability to connect to WiFi, just like your phone or laptop.

A network adapter gives you more places to plug network cables in.

Every general use motherboard has a built in network adapter.

Perhaps every *modern* mobo would be better to say... there's no guarantee every mobo in existence has this built in. Not that you're wrong, just hard to say.

Yeah perhaps general use wasn't the right terminology 😛

 

[Nero91]

one more question in regards to RAM I'm totally lost for choice?

 

[jafrankl]

Brands to look for: Corsair, Mushkin, G. SKill, Crucial
1600 MHz is good for this rig, but if you feel like spending more money you can up the speeds. Make sure you get at least 2x 4GB sticks (8 GB total minimum) and install in the proper slots for dual channel (or quad channel if board supports, get 2 more sticks of the same)

 

[Nero91]

thanks