First Computer Build - Subtotal $4,000.00

[KarsenH]

Hey guys, Karsen here. I'm a new member with a fair knowledge on computer components (both hard/software). I've been around computers my entire life (just turned 20 the other day), coding for games and building websites and everything in between. While I may not be an expert in one individual category, I'd say I'm pretty well rounded.

Over the past few months I've build working on the ultimate computer build for what I'd like to accomplish and I figured, since I've been using TH for a while that I'd make an account and introduce myself to the community and see what you guys think!

Here's what I'd like to accomplish: I'd like the computer to be a killer gaming system with an overall well rounded background capability. In other words, I'd like it also to be an actual computer which I can use to complete school work etc.

I've probably made, by this point, 8 different builds prior to arriving upon the current one. Hopefully this is the last one haha!

Case: [strike]Fractal Design R4[/strike]

EDIT: Corsair 650D Mid

CPU: [strike]Intel Core i7 4930k (1120 Socket/x79 Chipset)[/strike]

EDIT: Intel Core i7 4770k

GPU: [strike]EVGA GTX 780Ti[/strike]

[strike]EDIT[/strike]: [strike]Xfire Radeon 290x[/strike] (x2)

EDIT: GTX 780Ti (SLI)

MOBO: [strike]Asus x79 Sabertooth (1120 Socket/x79 Chipset)[/strike]

[strike]EDIT[/strike]: [strike]ASUS Z87 Sabertooth LGA[/strike]

EDIT: ASUS Maximus VI Hero

RAM: [strike]Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x 8GB)[/strike]

EDIT: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x 4GB)

HDD: [strike]Seagate Barracude 3TB 7200RPM[/strike]

EDIT: Western Digital 1TB HDD

SSD: [strike]Intel S3500 160GB (allocating 60GB for HDD caching)[/strike]

EDIT: [strike]Samsung 840 Evo 120GB[/strike] [strike](Allocating 60GB for HDD Caching)[/strike]

EDIT: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB

CPU Cooling: [strike]Corsair H110 Water Cooling[/strike]

EDIT: NZXT Kraken X60 Water cooled

Optical Drive: [strike]Plextor Px-891 24x DVD/RW reader/writer[/strike]

EDIT: LG Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Read & Writer

PSU: [strike]Corsair Enthusiast Bronze Modular 850 watt[/strike]

EDIT: Seasonic Platinum 1K Watt Modular

Monitors: [strike]ASUS 27" 1ms 144Hz Monitor / ASUS 24" 1ms 144Hz Monitor (x2)[/strike]

EDIT: ASUS 27" LED PLS Professional Graphics Monitor (x2)

Microphone: Blue Microphone Yeti

I've hyper linked everything so you guys can check out what's what if you'd like. I'd also, mainly, like to make sure that it's all 100% compatible!

Thanks again, I really appreciate it and look forward to hearing what you guys think

Regards,
Karsen

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

UPDATE

I've completed the build! I'll post the specs that I went with below Once again, thank you to everyone who helped, especially Ssddx! Thanks buddy.

Case: Corsair 650D (Mid)

CPU: 4770K

CPU Cooling: Corsair H110 Wc

RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance Pro

GPU: GeForce GTX 780Ti (Upgrading to SLI at the end of January)

Mobo: Asus Maximus VI Hero

HDD: Western Digital Black Caviar

SDD: Samsung 840 Evo 256GB

PSU: Corsair Platinum Series 860 Watt (Modular)

Op Drive: LG Blu Ray/DVD/CD Read & Writer

Keyboard:Razer Black Widow Ultimate

Mouse: Razer Deathadder

Screen(s): 2x BenQ 27" 1ms 120Hz LED Monitor (I love these..)

Mic: Blue Yeti Bluetooth (w/ Pop Condenser)

I'm currently running OS 7 because I hate 8. If you have any questions, drop em' in the comments and I'll be sure to answer

 

[orangejuice789]

Why do you need the 4930? its very expensive and not much better than a 4670k.

If it were my build, i would swap the 4930 cpu and Asus x79 mobo for a 4670k and a Z87 mobo.

You could also spend about ten dollars more more and get one of the best 256gb ssds on the market, instead of your 160Gb.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

Those are the major changes I would make that could save you a lot of money without compromising performance.

 

[KarsenH]

Why do you need the 4930? its very expensive and not much better than a 4670k.

If it were my build, i would swap the 4930 cpu and Asus x79 mobo for a 4670k and a Z87 mobo.

You could also spend about ten dollars more more and get one of the best 256gb ssds on the market, instead of your 160Gb.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

Those are the major changes I would make that could save you a lot of money without compromising performance.

Thank you for the reply! I appreciate the feedback very much.

Interesting idea on the mobo/cpu swap. You're saying it wouldn't compromise much performance, do you know exactly would be the impact of switching them? I kind of just shot for the overall best CPU for gaming, along side the fact I've heard a lot of great things about the 4930. The motherboard I know a little about and I love the features which I could list in a paragraph I'm sure you'd already know though. I'll check out the suggestions!

As for the SSD, you've just confirmed my choice on the Samsung. I was actually at BestBuy the other day and I had it in my hand and was going to buy it but spoke with the technician at my business who suggested the Intel due to durability, reliability and warranty coverage. I've been stuck on that exact samsung SSD for the most part though. I'll go with that one, thanks!

Karsen

EDIT: I just checked out this comparison between CPU's http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/584/Intel_Core_i5_i5-4670K_vs_Intel_Core_i7_i7-4930K.html

2nd EDIT: I'm now taking a look at the 3930K with a Rampage Extreme IV. Do you think it'd be worth it?

 

[orangejuice789]

Very few applications will take advantage of the 4930's capabilities.

Take a look at this in depth review http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4761/intel-core-i7-4960x---4930k--4820k-ivy-bridge-e-review-22nm-powerhouse

Also look at this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html

The performance increase will be marginal and nowhere near worth the $ for most people. The 4930k + mobo is at least twice the price of the 4670k and mobo. You should put that money towards a better GPU if you want to game.

Look around for more information, but you will be hard pressed to find someone who would recommend the 4930k to you for gaming and general computer use.

 

[KarsenH]

Very few applications will take advantage of the 4930's capabilities.

Take a look at this in depth review http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4761/intel-core-i7-4960x---4930k--4820k-ivy-bridge-e-review-22nm-powerhouse

Also look at this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html

The performance increase will be marginal and nowhere near worth the $ for most people. The 4930k + mobo is at least twice the price of the 4670k and mobo. You should put that money towards a better GPU if you want to game.

Look around for more information, but you will be hard pressed to find someone who would recommend the 4930k to you for gaming and general computer use.

Yeah I agree. I just read more on this one. I switched preferences to a 3930K and a ASUS Rampage Extreme IV.

I noticed you said put the money towards a better GPU. Better than a 780Ti??

 

[orangejuice789]

How much cheaper are you getting the 3930k for?

I am not trying to push you to do anything you don't want to, just trying to get you have the best rig for what you want to do.

I cannot find the 3930k for cheaper than around ~$550, and the 4930k is around ~$570. The 4670k is ~$230 and the 4770k is ~$330.

Check this out: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/63119-intel-i7-4930k-i7-4820k-ivy-bridge-e-review-18.html

you will see that the 4770k performs better than the 4930k in most games. Then take a look at 4670k vs 4770k review.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i5_4670K_and_i7_4770K_Comparison/1.html

You can see that the 4670k performs admirably, but if you want top of the line the 4770k is your CPU. You will also be able to save quite a bit on the motherboard sticking with Haswell.

If you went with a 4770k and cheaper motherboard (say around 150) you could save a ton and hardly compromise performance if at all.

At that point you could consider going with SLI 780Ti's (though you would need to upgrade the PSU).

 

[KarsenH]

How much cheaper are you getting the 3930k for?

I am not trying to push you to do anything you don't want to, just trying to get you have the best rig for what you want to do.

I cannot find the 3930k for cheaper than around ~$550, and the 4930k is around ~$570. The 4670k is ~$230 and the 4770k is ~$330.

Check this out: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/63119-intel-i7-4930k-i7-4820k-ivy-bridge-e-review-18.html

you will see that the 4770k performs better than the 4930k in most games. Then take a look at 4670k vs 4770k review.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i5_4670K_and_i7_4770K_Comparison/1.html

You can see that the 4670k performs admirably, but if you want top of the line the 4770k is your CPU. You will also be able to save quite a bit on the motherboard sticking with Haswell.

If you went with a 4770k and cheaper motherboard (say around 150) you could save a ton and hardly compromise performance if at all.

At that point you could consider going with SLI 780Ti's (though you would need to upgrade the PSU).

Hmmm. I'll take a look at the comparisons. The compromise will really be that minuscule? Then that'd definitely be the way to go. While I'd like the best of the best, there definitely comes a point in which it's just a waste of money to go a certain route so if that's in fact what you're saying then I'll go with the 4770k.

Once again, I really appreciate your time and replies. I'd like to go SLI on the 780Ti's, however, I've read a few things regarding it actually slowing the FPS due to the over processing. Also, no game actually uses that much processing yet so it'd be a waste? Just what I heard around town though.

Karsen

 

[ssddx]

sorry but for $4000 you can do much much better.

all the respect in the world for coming up with a build yourself but i had to pick option 4 (the turd).

if you would like to know in depth why i definitely wouldnt mind having a little chat with you on what you want to do with the build and what your expecations are. just let me know your availability and time zone.

again...no disrespect intended i just think there is so much you can do for $4k.

 

[CCapG]

This by no means is a bad build, it's actually a very good one, with a few things that really hinder the total price. As listed above, a 4770k will outperform the listed 4930k in most games. When it comes down to it, if money isn't an issue then this would be a great build. If you are looking to save a bit of money there are many things that you would be able to do with this to bring the price down tremendously.

First I would recommend switching over to AMD. Plainly put, you can get your hands on an AMD FX-9590 for less than you'd be paying for a 4770k, and the 9590 operates with 8 cores with stock 4.7GHz and 5GHz OC'd. The 4770k operates at 3.5GHz and only Quad-Core. Not to mention that the FX-9590 competes with the very, very pricey Intel 4960X, and even outperforming it in certain strenuous situations in games. [Source]

Following this, you can get the brand new Radeon R9 Series Video Cards that operate with more GDDR5 memory than the 780 for up to two hundred dollars less. [Link] With the money you are saving in your Processor and Video card there, you'd be able to run two R9 290X's in your build, still paying the same price you have before.

As always, this is just my opinion and I am sure there are many people out there that will disagree with me, and that's there decision, but all in all AMD is really making a resurgence back into the High-End computer world.

I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I hope that I could have been of some help.

//Chris

 

[orangejuice789]

CCapG, I definitely agree with you on the 290X's but KarsenH would have to wait a bit considering there are not any non-reference cards out yet.

ssddx, you are right that he has a lot of options for a gaming build with that kind of budget, but keep in mind he is including 2 or 3 monitors in this as well.

IMO, KarsenH, I think you should be looking to get the most bang for your buck and not spend 4k just because you can, if you want top of the line for gaming I am still behind the 4770k, here are some benchmarks of the 9590 vs 4770k - http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/62166-amd-fx-9590-review-piledriver-5ghz-15.html.

The best thing I think you can do is avoid processors over 300$, they will not yield good price/performance ratios.

If you want the best of the best for gaming, get 2x290X's or 2x780Ti's. The 290X's are more sensible in price, but you would have to wait a bit for the non-reference cards to come out, or buy aftermarket coolers.

Here are two great review of Crossfire 290X and SLI 780Ti if you are interested:

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/radeon_r9_290x_crossfire_vs_sli_review_benchmarks,1.html

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/gtx_780_ti_sli_geforce_review,1.html

 

[ssddx]

@oj

that was exactly my point. for $4000 there is quite a bit that you can do depending on where you allocate the money and what their individual preferences are.

for starters i wholeheartedly agree with the idea of a 4770k as it is a much better option. going sli/crossfire is also an option to consider with 290x's definitely being more sensible in price with a slight drop in performance over the 780s.

@karsen

you state that you want the ultimate computer for gaming and pretty much everything else.

what other tasks did you have in mind? what type of games did you want to play?

i see that you have two monitors listed... at 144hz... did you intend on gaming across both? if yes realize that shooter games will look very bad since the crosshair will be in the center (between the monitors).

what are your thoughts for peripherals? gaming mouse? mechanical keyboard? good set of headphones?

its also possible to give yourself a really good powerful sound system for that budget. its even possible to go with home theater speakers if you like to listen to music or like high quality sound.

instead of a two monitor setup another option is to go with a single 2560x1600 monitor for more screen real estate and a larger screen or even a large television where things will look larger than life.

there are tons of options available for your budget. just listing a few (of quite a large list) of options you have to you.

 

[KarsenH]

sorry but for $4000 you can do much much better.

all the respect in the world for coming up with a build yourself but i had to pick option 4 (the turd).

if you would like to know in depth why i definitely wouldnt mind having a little chat with you on what you want to do with the build and what your expecations are. just let me know your availability and time zone.

again...no disrespect intended i just think there is so much you can do for $4k.

Thank you for the response! No no, non taken. I really appreciate your feedback and the time you took to reply.

I'd be more than happy to chat with you. I'm in Central Time Zone at the moment and have tomorrow off (currently at work). I look forward to the chat, thank you again!

This by no means is a bad build, it's actually a very good one, with a few things that really hinder the total price. As listed above, a 4770k will outperform the listed 4930k in most games. When it comes down to it, if money isn't an issue then this would be a great build. If you are looking to save a bit of money there are many things that you would be able to do with this to bring the price down tremendously.

First I would recommend switching over to AMD. Plainly put, you can get your hands on an AMD FX-9590 for less than you'd be paying for a 4770k, and the 9590 operates with 8 cores with stock 4.7GHz and 5GHz OC'd. The 4770k operates at 3.5GHz and only Quad-Core. Not to mention that the FX-9590 competes with the very, very pricey Intel 4960X, and even outperforming it in certain strenuous situations in games. [Source]

Following this, you can get the brand new Radeon R9 Series Video Cards that operate with more GDDR5 memory than the 780 for up to two hundred dollars less. [Link] With the money you are saving in your Processor and Video card there, you'd be able to run two R9 290X's in your build, still paying the same price you have before.

As always, this is just my opinion and I am sure there are many people out there that will disagree with me, and that's there decision, but all in all AMD is really making a resurgence back into the High-End computer world.

I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I hope that I could have been of some help.

//Chris

Great response Chris, thank you for taking the time. As well, I appreciate the in depth reply. I'm wondering about the 3930K as I was doing a little research on those last night as well. I'll take a look at the ones mentioned but $ isn't too much of a concern as long as it's a strong build and I'm not wasting.

Interesting idea on the GPU swap! Would this sacrifice any performance? I'd imagine SLI'ing with the two R9 290x's would be better than running a single 780ti?

Once again, thank you very much Chris. I appreciate your response, have a great day man.

Karsen

CCapG, I definitely agree with you on the 290X's but KarsenH would have to wait a bit considering there are not any non-reference cards out yet.

ssddx, you are right that he has a lot of options for a gaming build with that kind of budget, but keep in mind he is including 2 or 3 monitors in this as well.

IMO, KarsenH, I think you should be looking to get the most bang for your buck and not spend 4k just because you can, if you want top of the line for gaming I am still behind the 4770k, here are some benchmarks of the 9590 vs 4770k - http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/62166-amd-fx-9590-review-piledriver-5ghz-15.html.

The best thing I think you can do is avoid processors over 300$, they will not yield good price/performance ratios.

If you want the best of the best for gaming, get 2x290X's or 2x780Ti's. The 290X's are more sensible in price, but you would have to wait a bit for the non-reference cards to come out, or buy aftermarket coolers.

Here are two great review of Crossfire 290X and SLI 780Ti if you are interested:

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/radeon_r9_290x_crossfire_vs_sli_review_benchmarks,1.html

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/gtx_780_ti_sli_geforce_review,1.html

Hey CCapG, thank you for taking the time to explain!

Haha so basically SLI 780's or wait for a comparison on the 290x's. I think I'd like to SLI the 780's tbh. I was planning on it later on down the road anyways but just kind of wanted to get a lay of the land on the first actual physical build before going SLI. I plan on looking up overclocking tuts and learning on this before going full blown hah!

I'm getting a lot of mixed reviews on these processors, I'm curious where people stand on the 3930K.

Once again, thank you very much for your time and response Cap.

@oj

that was exactly my point. for $4000 there is quite a bit that you can do depending on where you allocate the money and what their individual preferences are.

for starters i wholeheartedly agree with the idea of a 4770k as it is a much better option. going sli/crossfire is also an option to consider with 290x's definitely being more sensible in price with a slight drop in performance over the 780s.

@karsen

you state that you want the ultimate computer for gaming and pretty much everything else.

what other tasks did you have in mind? what type of games did you want to play?

i see that you have two monitors listed... at 144hz... did you intend on gaming across both? if yes realize that shooter games will look very bad since the crosshair will be in the center (between the monitors).

what are your thoughts for peripherals? gaming mouse? mechanical keyboard? good set of headphones?

its also possible to give yourself a really good powerful sound system for that budget. its even possible to go with home theater speakers if you like to listen to music or like high quality sound.

instead of a two monitor setup another option is to go with a single 2560x1600 monitor for more screen real estate and a larger screen or even a large television where things will look larger than life.

there are tons of options available for your budget. just listing a few (of quite a large list) of options you have to you.

I play a lot of RPG's and Steam games. Dota, Skyrim, etc. I'd like to get a build that is well rounded in all games if possible. I'd also like a computer that is proficient in running Microsoft apps such as Word/Excel/PP so I can work and study on it as well.

The monitors I wouldn't be gaming on all at once. I'd use the middle 27" 144Hz for gaming and the other screens for YouTube/Soundcloud while I'm gaming. 😛

Keyboard I'm using a Blackwidow Razer - love it! Mechanical keyboards are fantastic. Headphones I'll be going with B&O H6's with A2+ speakers.

I'll take a look at some screen alternatives. I like the idea of three screens rather than one large one as I'm using the peripheral monitors to view other pages.

Thank you very much for your time Speed Demon! Much appreciated

 

[orangejuice789]

You asked for thoughts on the 3930K - If you are building a desktop for gaming and general use, it is a waste of money.

ssddx has laid out great questions for you. I think maybe you should put another build together with the information you have gathered and post it in this thread.

A 2560x1600 or 2560x1440 monitor as ssddx suggested would be a good choice for you. The level of build you are considering will be overkill for 1920x1080.

 

[ssddx]

@karsen

i'll be around later tonight if you wanted to have a little talk then.

i'm eastern standard so you're an hour behind me. anywhere between 5-11pm est is fine.

if that isnt an option then we could do it tomorrow sometime as well. just let me know.

--

ms office isnt a problem. mainly i was feeling you out to see if you were going to say you needed something for video editing, 3d modeling, photoshop or the like. you mentioned for study and i wasnt sure exactly what you meant by that.

are you open to other ideas on the speakers and headphones? do you need a mic? (you can mount a modmic to normal headphones)

honestly i would use 3 monitors of the same size. there will be a difference in size across the 3 if you use a 27 with two 24s. i've done that in the past and it was odd to say the least. three also gives you the option to run games. your choice of course.

haha.. speed demon. honestly i didnt like any of the other titles i could pick from (since they took away the ability to use our personal quote as a title) so i settled on that one.

in any case... just let me know about tonight or if it needs to be tomorrow.

 

[KarsenH]

You asked for thoughts on the 3930K - If you are building a desktop for gaming and general use, it is a waste of money.

ssddx has laid out great questions for you. I think maybe you should put another build together with the information you have gathered and post it in this thread.

A 2560x1600 or 2560x1440 monitor as ssddx suggested would be a good choice for you. The level of build you are considering will be overkill for 1920x1080.

Ahh ok. I also just read within this thread regarding the ratio of price😛erformance being outstretched when you surpass the $300 price tag. I'll start reworking the CPU/MOBO choices and create a new one! Thank you sir.

@karsen

i'll be around later tonight if you wanted to have a little talk then.

i'm eastern standard so you're an hour behind me. anywhere between 5-11pm est is fine.

if that isnt an option then we could do it tomorrow sometime as well. just let me know.

--

ms office isnt a problem. mainly i was feeling you out to see if you were going to say you needed something for video editing, 3d modeling, photoshop or the like. you mentioned for study and i wasnt sure exactly what you meant by that.

are you open to other ideas on the speakers and headphones? do you need a mic? (you can mount a modmic to normal headphones)

honestly i would use 3 monitors of the same size. there will be a difference in size across the 3 if you use a 27 with two 24s. i've done that in the past and it was odd to say the least. three also gives you the option to run games. your choice of course.

haha.. speed demon. honestly i didnt like any of the other titles i could pick from (since they took away the ability to use our personal quote as a title) so i settled on that one.

in any case... just let me know about tonight or if it needs to be tomorrow.

Oh great, we'll chat then if I can get out of work on time (that'd be a holiday miracle lol!)

Not doing any video editing. Mostly gaming through Steam; BF4, Dota, that kind of stuff. Then a lot of YouTube and SoundCloud. I do mess around with music production and work with some projects, mostly on Mac though, however, if this could be well rounded enough to handle Ableton Live that'd be great.

I am open... although the B&O's are some of my favorite headphones and the A2+'s are the most bang for my buck in the speaker selection. Also I love the Blue yeti mic with the pressure screen. Rather not do modmic and mount them if possible.

Regarding the monitors, the peripheral monitors (24" ASUS) will be for web browsing while I game. Those won't be used for gaming, I might run browser games on those while waiting in a lobby or something, hence the 144Hz and 1ms lol 😛 Reason being for me not running the same size is because that would be EXTREMELY expensive. I'm already looking at $940.00 for monitors now.

Oh man! It's ssddx, I'm sorry! I did those replies on my phone and didn't see the name correctly, I apologize haha, I wasn't making fun of the Speed Demon thing 😛

Thank you, once again, for all your help.

 

[ssddx]

i'm at home now (6:16pm eastern standard) so just let me know when you are and i'll set it up then. i'll probably be checking on the forum here and there so just post a reply.

 

[KarsenH]

i'm at home now (6:16pm eastern standard) so just let me know when you are and i'll set it up then. i'll probably be checking on the forum here and there so just post a reply.

Is there a TH chat we can talk in?

 

[ssddx]

sorry no there isnt.

this is the one i use...

https://webchat.freenode.net/

join channel "#ssddx" without the quotations " "

edit: the room is up and hosted.

 

[KarsenH]

sorry no there isnt.

this is the one i use...

https://webchat.freenode.net/

join channel "#ssddx" without the quotations " "

edit: the room is up and hosted.

Great chat last night, thank you so much. Chatting again tonight to complete the build!

 

[ssddx]

just let me know when you are back home tonight.

 

[KarsenH]

just let me know when you are back home tonight.

I'm in the chat!

 

[ssddx]

are you? i'm in #ssddx and dont see you

sure you are in the right channel?

 

[KarsenH]

Thread has been updated, thank to ssddx helping me out for hours last night. Killer build, I must say! Curious to see what other people think

 

[orangejuice789]

Build looks awesome now! How are you going to keep those 290X's cool?

 

[KarsenH]

Build looks awesome now! How are you going to keep those 290X's cool?

Hey Orange! Was just going to shoot you a pm to check her out If I'm not mistaken those Radeon 290x come with dual integrated fans?

EDIT: On top of the 250mm's I'll be loading in there presumably. Have to chat a little more with ssddx tonight regarding cooling and air flow, as well, finalize the build.