First Gaming PC, Thoughts?

[pXNitmarE]

First off let me say I did not build this myself but ordered it from one of the many places you can get a custom PC. Didn't feel like putting it together myself, don't have much time on my hands with work and school. Anyway back to the PC I think this was a good start for a first machine, but I still wanted input from some people, and this site seems to be most helpful place to ask. What could this thing really do?




CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-4790K 4.0 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150
FAN: Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Extreme Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory (ADATA XPG V3)
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-K ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 1 x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gb/s
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Windows 8.1 (64-bit Edition)
POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Standard 80 Plus Certified Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 (Maxwell) (Single Card)

 

[Jonathan Cave]

For a gaming PC your CPU is overkill, you could have bought the i5 4690k and got a GTX 970 which would give your gaming experience a real boost.

Lack of SSD = slow windows / game load times.

other than that, playing at 1080p it'll do the job, for now.

enjoy.

 

[Gam3r01]

As with nearly all pre built computers this has a few issues that come up often.
Firstly, I dont like 120mm AIO coolers. Their performance/noise levels simply arent up to par with air.
PSU is a generic no name unit likely, meaning it really should be replaced.
The 960 is a weak addition to a build with an i7. A 970 or better should be in there.
Lastly, no SSD boot drive.

 

[jazzy663]

A couple things:

-An SSD as the OS drive would be beneficial.

-If this PC is purely for gaming, I would think it a bit of a mismatch to pair a GTX 960 with an i7-4790K. It will work just fine, sure, but I would upgrade the graphics a bit - to a GTX 970 at least.

-The configurator you used deems the memory you chose to be 'dual-channel'. This is inaccurate and the term is often misinterpreted. One cannot accurately call a memory kit by itself 'dual-channel', rather, a memory kit can be ran in dual-channel mode depending on the motherboard and the number of memory channels present. Not important, but, good to know.

-Speaking of the memory, I agree with the choice. ADATA is a good brand. Having used their memory myself, I can attest to this. 8GB is also a good amount.

Just my two cents. Hope I helped.

 

[Somasonic]

I agree with Jonathan Cave, get a cheaper CPU and reinvest that into a better GPU. Unless you're planning to overclock the CPU there's no point paying for a 'k' series. I would argue however that a lack of SSD does not mean slow Windows and games rather not fast Windows and games

 

[pXNitmarE]

Thank you all for the replies gave me some things to think about, I really appreciate it. How does the SSD help performance, if I installed one later on would I be able to run the OS off of it? and I heard some faulty PSU's can fry components so thanks for that, what is a good brand for a PSU and is 600W good?

I honestly did not know the diffrence between a K series and just the "default" until now, It's too late to change up stuff now unfortunately, Is replacing a GPU a difficult process?

 

[jazzy663]

Thank you all for the replies gave me some things to think about, I really appreciate it. How does the SSD help performance, if I installed one later on would I be able to run the OS off of it? and I heard some faulty PSU's can fry components so thanks for that, what is a good brand for a PSU and is 600W good?

A solid state drive will have faster read/write capabilities than a standard mechanical hard drive. This results in faster load times in almost everything, including Windows - your computer will start up faster. They also have lower failure rates and can take a bit more abuse due to their solid-state architecture than mechanical hard drives (not saying you should abuse you drive).

The best brand for power supplies is Seasonic. They make the best supplies in the business. You can also trust XFX power supplies because, well... they are made by Seasonic. If it helps, here's a link to the PSU Tier List: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

The PSU Tier List ranks makes and models of power supplies from Tier 1 to Tier 5, Tier 1 being the best. When choosing a power supply, try to get one from Tier 1 or 2.

600W will be more than ample for a GTX 960 and a GTX 970 as well. There are other factors though, ask a PSU expert about those.

EDIT: If you install your OS on one drive, you will need to either perform a clean installation (perform a backup first if you wish, then restore from backup), or use migration software to migrate the OS to the new drive. I've never done a migration, so I can't help you there.

 

[Gam3r01]

SSDs help load times.
I doubt the included unit would be enough to fry any components, they wouldnt be THAT cheap. But a good replacement Tier one or two unit would be a good investment.
If you look on PCPartpicker, the EVGA Supernova B2 750w unit is only 45 bucks after MIR.
Replacing the PSU is harder than the GPU. You simply uninstall the drivers, power down and disconnect and remove the old card, insert a new one, plug everything back in, and install the new drivers.

 

[pXNitmarE]

Really appreciate all the help so far!!!
Does anyone know what kind of monitor would go well with this, I have no idea what I'm buying :/