First Gaming Build Specs Advice

[otacon237]

Hello everyone,

I am about to buy the components for my first custom-built rig that i will use for gaming and video editing on my youtube channel, I think i have all the specs correctly but i just wanted to double check.

do the listed parts come with all the connectors and wires needed to build a complete rig or do i have to buy those separately. also i'm pretty sure the CPU does come with a stock cooler but does anyone who bought an intel CPU know for sure?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TgYb7P

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($115.99 @ Directron)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($86.17 @ B&H)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($106.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($16.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($110.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $741.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 14:48 EST-0500

This is just in my price range, i will add an anti-static wristband just to be on the safe side. I also have a WD 3 TB 7200 rpm drive which i will be using and i have some sata cables as well just in case.

in my previous thread i wanted to build a 2011-3 based build for the 6 core processors but unfortunately i have an emergency with my current rig dying on me so this is all i can afford right now, but i figured with the 1151 board would be pretty upgradeable for at least another 2-3 years.

also any advice for a noobie pc builder like me would be super appreciated, thanks

 

[MrJava]

First off if you are on a budget you might want to just reuse your old monitor. You also don't need to go with skylake because both 5th and 4th generation cpus are fine for 99% of games. You should really get a graphics card that has at least 3gb of vram.
This is a really great card that recently dropped in price http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FSC5N66/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&linkCode=sl1&tag=thtebusgu-20&linkId=5cd037ac0be25357b018ed29d1bb4391

 

[MrJava]

Also you can transfer you windows license from your old pc to your new one.

 

[otacon237]

well i will be doing video editing and rendering as well so i figured the skylake would perform better in that regard, i thought about using my old monitor but it's only 720p and i really want a 1080p to improve my video quality.

can you suggest an older gen CPU that will still be fine for video editing?

 

[Barty1884]

Video editting/rendering will really benefit from an i7 or Xeon - the additional cores + Hyper Threading is where you see the benefit. An i3 is dual core & really of no use to you.

Also you can transfer you windows license from your old pc to your new one.

If you previously had retail, that's true. If it was OEM, it's not. (I might have missed where you stated, but I don't see it).

For your cooler - all Intel CPUs - until Skylake came with a stock cooler. Skylake 'K' (unlocked multipliers for OCing) don't, but everything else does.

Appreciating you want to upgrade your monitor, but it's probably more beneficial to you to continue with the 720p monitor for the short term. It's easier to replace the monitor later than to open up & upgrade your system.

Avoid the Corsair CX PSUs, they are poor.

Just working up a build for you now.

 

[Barty1884]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 950 2GB Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($43.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-171 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($110.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $808.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 15:48 EST-0500

Drop the monitor for the short term if you need to. Overall +$60 but a dramatic performance increase over the build you proposed. Even more so for video editting etc.

The Xeon will be perfect for your needs.
The PSU I've included is a Tier 2, quality PSU. And a great price at the moment after rebate.
I've changed your network adapter for a USB D-Link, with AC wireless standard too.

 

[otacon237]

are you saying it's not worth it to go with 1151 for now? i'm just a bit nervous about pigeon-holing myself since i heard 1150 is dying, though i guess the 5th gen processors should be good for a while in terms of gaming.

also how is asrock's QC because i heard they are cheaply made
and finally is there any reason you went with the USB dongle vs internal card (since they are about equally priced). i should mention i will be playing on my wifi so the connection has to be reasonably fast.

thanks for the tip about the corsair psu though, i will avoid those

 

[otacon237]

oh and the old computer was OEM so i can't transfer the license unfortunately 🙁

 

[Barty1884]

are you saying it's not worth it to go with 1151 for now? i'm just a bit nervous about pigeon-holing myself since i heard 1150 is dying, though i guess the 5th gen processors should be good for a while in terms of gaming.

also how is asrock's QC because i heard they are cheaply made
and finally is there any reason you went with the USB dongle vs internal card (since they are about equally priced). i should mention i will be playing on my wifi so the connection has to be reasonably fast.

thanks for the tip about the corsair psu though, i will avoid those

Honestly, for what you intend to use it for the 1150 socket is sufficient.
For your needs, you're looking at an i7 or Xeon. If you went with 1151 you're still going to be at the 'upper end' with no real upgrade path. Different if you were going for a Pentium, you could have the i3/i5/i7 route, but entering at the i7/Xeon end doesn't leave you anywhere to go. Your next upgrade would be on a new socket platform anyway.

I can't speak to ASRocks QC, They get decent reviews, and like anything there's always the chance of there being a defective unit. It happens. I haven't heard of them being specifically worse than any other. I haven;t owned one (I like Gigabyte) to confirm 100% though.

For Wifi, I went with the USB dongle to provide AC wifi for the same price. The network adapter you included includes up to N standard. AC is essentially an improved N. Assuming your router can utilize the additional speeds provided. If it can't, hopefully it will in the near future.

As far as your OS being OEM, unfortunately that's does add to the price.
Considering the build I put together is around the same price, less the monitor, I still suggest you continue with your 720p monitor until you get a chance to replace. As I stated before, you're better off getting the 'engine' to meet your needs initially, and worry about the cosmetics/peripherals at a later point.

 

[otacon237]

ok that makes sense, i think i am sold on the 1150 socket then.

one more thing, i'd like to have SLI capability down the road and since that asrock board only has 1 pcie 3.0 slot i was looking at this board instead:
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132118

would i be correct in thinking i can easily SLI a second 950 into ^ that board down the road? thanks again, sorry if that's a noob question

 

[Barty1884]

Don't worry about asking a noob question, I'm happy to help. Best to get all of your questions out & answered before you spend any money.

Good spot! The board I linked has a single PCIe and does not support SLI (as an FYI, just because a board has more than 1 PCIe slot does not mean it will support SLI).

Most boards natively support crossfire (SLI essentially, but 2x AMD cards), whereas SLI is a bit more work.
Luckily, the board you selected does support SLI and even comes with the required SLI bridge. So SLI will be an option for you with that board.

"easily" is a whole other ballgame. SLI can be great, but certain tasks are not optimized for it. It's far better to have a single, better card than 2 cards in SLI - not for raw performance, but for optimization.

SLI is a good way to give a card a "boost" down the road a bit. Pick up a second 850 in a year or more, when prices are cheaper.

I'm just heading home from work now, so if you have any questions, post back & I'll respond when I get a chance.

 

[otacon237]

thanks! i think i am settled on this build then, i'll see if i can squeeze in the monitor but i might have to skip it for the time being

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PsxtMp

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 950 2GB Video Card ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($43.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-171 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($110.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $846.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 18:23 EST-0500