Question First Ever Gaming Build

[Thiruvengatam]

Hey Guys,
I am building my first ever Gaming PC and have a lot of questions. Below are the components I have chosen. A couple of questions I have are,

1. Will the i7-8700k bottleneck the GTX 1080ti or vice versa? I will be using a 1080p monitor and plan to upgrade to a 2K monitor later on.
2. Should I go with another motherboard or the ASUS Intel ROG STRIX Z370-H is right for the 8700K CPU?
3. Is the 650W PSU enough to power the build?

Lists of Components:

1. Intel i7-8700K
2. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080Ti AMP Extreme
3. ASUS Intel ROG STRIX Z370-H GAMING Motherboard
4. G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 2x16GB
5. Intel 660p 512GB Internal SSD & Toshiba X300 4TB HD
6. Corsair Carbide Series Air740
7. NZXT Kraken X62 280mm - RGB
8. CORSAIR RM650i 650W 80PLUS GOLD

 

[Frag Maniac]

1. No, an 8700k is plenty fast enough for a 1080 Ti.
2. That MB will work fine. Anything with a 370Z chipset is fine, beyond that just go for the features you need.
3. That PSU is fine, a 1080 Ti only needs roughly 35 amps, 600w total system power.

https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/power-requirements-for-graphics-cards-20

 

[Thiruvengatam]

1. No, an 8700k is plenty fast enough for a 1080 Ti.
2. That MB will work fine. Anything with a 370Z chipset is fine, beyond that just go for the features you need.
3. That PSU is fine, a 1080 Ti only needs roughly 35 amps, 600w total system power.

https://forum-en.msi.com/faq/article/power-requirements-for-graphics-cards-20

Frag Maniac, Thank you very much! 😊

 

[g-unit1111]

What's your overall spending budget? A 1080TI is a solid card but you can save some money and go with a 2080, or go for a 2080TI. Most of your component choices are pretty solid, if you want improvements I could post a list.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

What's your overall spending budget? A 1080TI is a solid card but you can save some money and go with a 2080, or go for a 2080TI. Most of your component choices are pretty solid, if you want improvements I could post a list.

I did not have a budget in mind while making this build. But yeah I think I can go with a 2080 or a 2080Ti if it will cost a couple hundred dollars more.

I would love to hear your improvements suggestion. Please post the list.

Thank you very much!

 

[King Dranzer]

I did not have a budget in mind while making this build. But yeah I think I can go with a 2080 or a 2080Ti if it will cost a couple hundred dollars more.

I would love to hear your improvements suggestion. Please post the list.

Thank you very much!

Cannot recommend a decent PC without knowing budget limitations. What is the maximum budget you are ready to spend comfortably.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

Cannot recommend a decent PC without knowing budget limitations. What is the maximum budget you are ready to spend comfortably.

My current build totals at around $2500. I am ready to spend $100-$200 extra. Thanks!

 

[King Dranzer]

Here is the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($525.89 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($132.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-H GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($127.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($1229.99 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($94.00 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - HX Platinum 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2710.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-28 05:27 EST-0500

This can handle any game even at 1440p(2K) with ease and will last you over long period of time without the requirement of upgrade.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

Here is the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($525.89 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($132.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-H GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($127.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($1229.99 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($94.00 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - HX Platinum 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2710.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-28 05:27 EST-0500

This can handle any game even at 1440p(2K) with ease and will last you over long period of time without the requirement of upgrade.

Thank you so very much!

I apologize for the late response, wasn't able to check the forum sooner.
The i7-8700K generates a lot heat, hence I went with the Corsair Carbide 740 Air series case. Could you let me know how much heat this setup would generate?
Also do you have suggestions for some other cases?

Thanks again!

 

[King Dranzer]

Thank you so very much!

I apologize for the late response, wasn't able to check the forum sooner.
The i7-8700K generates a lot heat, hence I went with the Corsair Carbide 740 Air series case. Could you let me know how much heat this setup would generate?
Also do you have suggestions for some other cases?

Thanks again!

This Phanteks case is very decent and can handle decent air-flow as it comes with 3 pre-installed fans 2 at front and 1 at back. With the Corsair H115i Pro radiator mounted at top this build will with i9-9900K can be maintained within optimal temps. No need to get a wide case like Carbide 740 Air unless you are choosing it for the way it looks and desire to have it. If not that Phanteks case is very decent one.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

This Phanteks case is very decent and can handle decent air-flow as it comes with 3 pre-installed fans 2 at front and 1 at back. With the Corsair H115i Pro radiator mounted at top this build will with i9-9900K can be maintained within optimal temps. No need to get a wide case like Carbide 740 Air unless you are choosing it for the way it looks and desire to have it. If not that Phanteks case is very decent one.

I personally do not like the design of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro case, which is why I am looking for suggestions .. But I would like to get a good airflow case where I can also kind of show off good RGB lighting.

Thanks again!

 

[King Dranzer]

I personally do not like the design of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro case, which is why I am looking for suggestions .. But I would like to get a good airflow case where I can also kind of show off good RGB lighting.

Thanks again!

Then yes Corsair Carbide 740 Air is a good case for airflow. Go for it.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

Thank you for helping with my build. I just finished my build and below are what I got:

a) i9-9900k
b) 32GB (16x2 GB) G.Skill TridentZ RGB
c) ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero MB
d) Corsair RM1000x
e) NZXT Kraken X62
d) NZXT H500i

I ran short with funds to buy a GPU so waiting for a bit to save some money to get an RTX card.

BTW, which RTX card (apart from 2080Ti) do you think can handle all the modern games at a decent frame-rate on a 1440p monitor?

Thanks again!

 

[Frag Maniac]

I ran short with funds to buy a GPU so waiting for a bit to save some money to get an RTX card.

This is why some of us don't use the "Buy a GPU that's way more powerful than you need approach". Throwing money at it can end up being just as stressful in other ways, including being a strain on relationships.

Same applies with CPUs, even more so since the GPU does more of the work. A lot of the CPUs Intel sells now are overkill for gaming and just more problematic heat wise. It's often better to go with something plenty adequate but not overkill, and use the money saved on a better GPU. There's no reason at 1440p you shouldn't have been able to afford everything up front.

There's some current games I can play at 1440p with plenty good enough FPS and smoothness with just my 1080.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

This is why some of us don't use the "Buy a GPU that's way more powerful than you need approach". Throwing money at it can end up being just as stressful in other ways, including being a strain on relationships.

Same applies with CPUs, even more so since the GPU does more of the work. A lot of the CPUs Intel sells now are overkill for gaming and just more problematic heat wise. It's often better to go with something plenty adequate but not overkill, and use the money saved on a better GPU. There's no reason at 1440p you shouldn't have been able to afford everything up front.

There's some current games I can play at 1440p with plenty good enough FPS and smoothness with just my 1080.

Thank you! Would you say a GTX 1080 will suffice and won't bottleneck?

 

[g-unit1111]

This is why some of us don't use the "Buy a GPU that's way more powerful than you need approach". Throwing money at it can end up being just as stressful in other ways, including being a strain on relationships.

That's funny - I ran into that same problem when I bought my card. If you pay too much sometimes you can wind up with buyer's remorse and if you pay too little you won't get a GPU that's powerful enough for what you want it to do. I really wanted to get a 2080 since I was coming off a 1080, but funds / what I really need it for is what kept me from pulling the trigger on one. I eventually settled on the 2070 since it can handle everything I throw at it, and it gets 1080TI numbers for less money than the 2080.

 

[King Dranzer]

I would still recommend and stand by my point of spending max and getting the best possible hardware gives best yield over time instead of taking the upgrading time to time route. If one wants their PC to last long without the requirement of upgrade, then spend max and get the so called overkill build. It will never disappoint you. Even if after few generations(not a single generation) low-end cheaper hardware show up which are equal in performance or only a notch higher still the value of not requiring to upgrade hardware from time to time is much higher.

Example: Going for GTX980Ti vs GTX960+GTX1060+GTX1660Ti will give same results but in one case using high end hardware from start is much less hassle than to swap low end hardware multiple times.

If a person is ready to spend max to get best possible setup I say go for it instead of cutting down on it to save fore future upgrades.

EDIT: I am not saying to squeeze out money towards the build if there are other priorities which can benefit from the saved budget. In that case one should not even be planning to get a new build before clearing out other major issues in life. But if a person is wanting to get a new build and ready to throw down a decent amount for it the I recommend not holding back from going all out with it as there is no way you will be regretting it down the lane.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Thank you! Would you say a GTX 1080 will suffice and won't bottleneck?

It all depends on what res you play at, and how long you expect to go in between upgrades. My EVGA 1080 SC has been fine for 1080p, and plays a fair amount of games at 1440p DSR too.

I actually sold my 1080 Ti FTW I tried a little over a year ago when I found out 4K in many ways was not what it's cracked up to be. Even regarding gaming at that time HUD sizing and HDR were still problematic. Now we have Ray Tracing in it's infancy and different problems apply with these very expensive RTX cards.

The hope in downgrading to 1080p was it would last me until UHD broadcasts via ATSC 3 are prevalent enough in my area to make going 4k as doable for television as for gaming. Nothing worse than buying a nice all purpose high res TV only to find out it's actually better suited for gaming than television.

 

[King Dranzer]

It all depends on what res you play at, and how long you expect to go in between upgrades. My EVGA 1080 SC has been fine for 1080p, and plays a fair amount of games at 1440p DSR too.

I actually sold my 1080 Ti FTW I tried a little over a year ago when I found out 4K in many ways was not what it's cracked up to be. Even regarding gaming at that time HUD sizing and HDR were still problematic. Now we have Ray Tracing in it's infancy and different problems apply with these very expensive RTX cards.

The hope in downgrading to 1080p was it would last me until UHD broadcasts via ATSC 3 are prevalent enough in my area to make going 4k as doable for television as for gaming. Nothing worse than buying a nice all purpose high res TV only to find out it's actually better suited for gaming than television.

4K gameplay at competitive and satisfactory level is not possible even with the top of the line hardware available today. 1440p is a sweet spot for higher resolution admirers while till date people who play at competitive level pair up with 1080p 16:9 or 21:9 displays depending on their requirement.

Television with high gaming capabilities is not nearly as good as television with high visual capabilities. If you guys are following TV sector then you know how SONY and SAMSUNG ruined their flagships making them more gaming oriented while degrading the visual experience.

 

[Frag Maniac]

4K gameplay at competitive and satisfactory level is not possible even with the top of the line hardware available today. 1440p is a sweet spot for higher resolution admirers while till date people who play at competitive level pair up with 1080p 16:9 or 21:9 displays depending on their requirement.

Television with high gaming capabilities is not nearly as good as television with high visual capabilities. If you guys are following TV sector then you know how SONY and SAMSUNG ruined their flagships making them more gaming oriented while degrading the visual experience.

The whole TV industry is floundering lately. They don't know whether to cater to the ultra wealthy or console gamers, and neither attempt is yielding what I'd call acceptable products.

 

[Thiruvengatam]

It all depends on what res you play at, and how long you expect to go in between upgrades. My EVGA 1080 SC has been fine for 1080p, and plays a fair amount of games at 1440p DSR too.

I actually sold my 1080 Ti FTW I tried a little over a year ago when I found out 4K in many ways was not what it's cracked up to be. Even regarding gaming at that time HUD sizing and HDR were still problematic. Now we have Ray Tracing in it's infancy and different problems apply with these very expensive RTX cards.

The hope in downgrading to 1080p was it would last me until UHD broadcasts via ATSC 3 are prevalent enough in my area to make going 4k as doable for television as for gaming. Nothing worse than buying a nice all purpose high res TV only to find out it's actually better suited for gaming than television.

I am not planning on upgrading anytime soon. I wanted to go all in because I really have no idea when my next upgrade will be. Plus I plan on doing Gaming, Photoshop+Lightroom and a bit of video editing with my build.

And I plan on buying a 1440p monitor for gaming (even if not immediately).

thanks!

 

[King Dranzer]

As you plan on upgrading to 1440p and don't plan to upgraade the components in its combination then better go with RTX2080Ti.