From Scratch Gaming PC

[CmdrJeffSinclair]

I've posted a few times before months ago and never quite understood what everyone was saying, until I found advice on "how to ask for help" to help make things easier for responders to understand where I'm coming from with my needs.

Approximate Purchase Date: 7/15/2015 to 8/15/2015
Budget Range:
$950 for something cheap for this gen or $2500 for something to last 5 years before any upgrades are necessary

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
1) 1080p ultra graphics gaming. I prefer 45 FPS minimum at all times on ultra
2) Streaming, Netflix. and Blu-rays
3) Game recording usually with FRAPS

GAMES I MUST MAX OUT WHEN THEY COME OUT OR RIGHT NOW:
-Grand Theft Auto 5
-Metro Last Light Redux
-Wolfenstein The New Order
-Witcher 2 and 3
-No Man's Sky
-Fallout 4 with tremendous modding as I've always done with BethSoft games
-Dishonored 2

GAMES I GRAVITATE TOWARD:
Tend to be mid-to-high on the need for CPU power, which was why I was leaning a 5820k as minimum for my expensive build. Overall the GPU will be the heart of my gaming experience. So far, a 290X is ample to max out Witcher 3 and GTA 5 on ultra@1080p with 50FPS minimum so I'm sticking with a 290X for now til something more awe-inspiring rolls out in a year or two that seems like it'd actually be worth $600 like the 980ti

Are you buying a monitor:
No, I own a HD141X home theater projector and have been using it as my only computer monitor for 1600 hours these last 8 months and it's wonderful

Parts to Upgrade:
This is FROM SCRATCH. I'm coming from a laptop, however,
I already have
1) 2x HDD's for now til I buy an 1TB Samsung 850 Pro SSD
2) Windows 7 Ultimate and have my Windows 10 free upgrade already reserved
3) Logitech G105 gaming keyboard
4) Logitech G600 gaming mouse
5) Logitech Z313 Speaker system

Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts:
Newegg
NCIX
Best Buy
Superbiiz
Micro Center in-store pickup in Cambridge, MA
Amazon

Location: Mansfield, MA

Parts Preferences:
1) AMD is not preferred below the FX-8000 Series
2) if you find an i5-4440 or higher for a cheap build under $950 BEFORE rebates I would strongly consider it over an expensive build
4) Expensive build I have is with a 290X and 5820K for $1500 excluding rebates

Overclocking: Yes but only if needed but definitely will later
SLI or Crossfire: Yes and no, later I will but not yet

PSU Needs: 850W Platimum rated from a highly reliable brand 7 yr. warranty is minimum. A Gold rated PSU could be OK if the unit has shown excellent ripple suppression and voltage spike regulation. Must have a dedicated 12v rail capable of maintaining 850W continuously for 15 hours at a time without any issues or eventual wear n' tear

Your Monitor Resolution: 1080p only for now. I am going 4K when 4K projectors drop to $1000 but that will be in a couple more years

Additional Comments:
I would greatly prefer a next gen computer with a good i5 for under $950 but I just cannot widdle down the price to something reasonable. I am fairly set against AMD CPU's at this point since they have lost all support and seem to be poor for games with stutter. If an AMD 8350 was $95 I'd buy it

If anyone would like to build something for me they can and I will consider it.

I'm not yet set on Nvidias' Maxwell yet with the price of the 290X about to plummet in a month when Fiji comes out.

I would however consider the 295x2 if it drops to $550 again

My expensive build is below-
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dqDwf7

CPU
Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor
$299.99 In store pick-up only
Microcenter Cambridge, MA

COOLING
Cooler Master Nepton 240M 76.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
$124.99
-$15.00 MIR
$109.99 In store pick-up only
Microcenter Cambridge, MA

Gigabyte GA-X99-UD3 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard
$189.99
-$30.00 MIR +$2.99s/h
$162.98 Newegg

G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 CAS 15
$179.99 Newegg

Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X 4GB WINDFORCE
$329.99
-$30.00 MIR
$299.99 Newegg

Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case
$99.99 Amazon

EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX PSU
$199.99
-$20.00
$179.99 NCIX

Base Total: $1424.93
Mail-in Rebates: -$95.00
Shipping: $2.99
Tax: $85.43
Total: $1418.35

***Keep in mind purchases on internet have 6% TAXES in Massachusetts.
***Base total is all that matters unless the rebates add up to one full part for something essential like the CPU or GPU (as if lol)

 

[MasterDell]

Why platinum for the PSU? There is no benefit in terms of reliability in terms of efficiency. And an AMD CPU at any level in my opinion is a poor decision. The price of the 290x will not plummet at all and will only increase due to the ceasing of it's production.

Expensive build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($372.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Nepton 240M 76.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus X99-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $2104.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 01:32 EDT-0400

Cheaper Build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($329.99 @ Directron)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($105.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $936.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 01:34 EDT-0400

You will probably need a new Windows license unless yours is a non-OEM license which is highly highly unlikely.

 

[CmdrJeffSinclair]

Why platinum for the PSU? There is no benefit in terms of reliability in terms of efficiency. And an AMD CPU at any level in my opinion is a poor decision. The price of the 290x will not plummet at all and will only increase due to the ceasing of it's production.

Expensive build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

You will probably need a new Windows license unless yours is a non-OEM license which is highly highly unlikely.

The Windows I bought is a student license and will roll over with my laptop HDD's. After that, MS already told me if I encounter a license problem when I buy an SSD as my main drive to call them to reactivate the license for the new drive. This is allowed infinitely as stated on MS website regarding Windows10 free upgrade, so I'm in the clear on that front at least

 

[CmdrJeffSinclair]

Why platinum for the PSU? There is no benefit in terms of reliability in terms of efficiency. And an AMD CPU at any level in my opinion is a poor decision. The price of the 290x will not plummet at all and will only increase due to the ceasing of it's production.

Expensive build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($372.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Nepton 240M 76.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus X99-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $2104.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 01:32 EDT-0400

Cheaper Build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($329.99 @ Directron)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($105.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $936.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 01:34 EDT-0400

You will probably need a new Windows license unless yours is a non-OEM license which is highly highly unlikely.

the i5 build was exactly what I was looking for to make it through this gen without feeling the need to break the bank! I'm saving this list for sure.

If anyone has more ideas send em my way. So far this is turning out excellently

 

[MasterDell]

A Windows License is only attached to a motherboard not a HDD. You can change HDDs, SSDs, anything you want. Buy an OEM license (which basically everyone has) will always forever and ever be attached to a motherboard. If your motherboard breaks, then usually Microsoft will let that slide, otherwise, good luck

 

[TofuLion]

this will definitely max 1080p, and also be 4K ready with a second gpu

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($372.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Nepton 240M 76.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus X99-DELUXE ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($386.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (8 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung SM951 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($202.85 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $2565.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 02:05 EDT-0400

 

[TofuLion]

for a lower budget, but with future upgrades in mind:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($499.19 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $967.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 02:11 EDT-0400

use your hard drives til you get the 850 Pro. you will still max games at 1080p, then a second 980 will give you good enough 4K. the PSU will be good. you might need a cpu+mobo+ram upgrade for 4K, but that will be in a few years anyway, everything will be different.

 

[CmdrJeffSinclair]

for a lower budget, but with future upgrades in mind:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($499.19 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic EVO Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $967.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 02:11 EDT-0400

use your hard drives til you get the 850 Pro. you will still max games at 1080p, then a second 980 will give you good enough 4K. the PSU will be good. you might need a cpu+mobo+ram upgrade for 4K, but that will be in a few years anyway, everything will be different.

Man I sat here for days trying to get these prices and you guys are getting them in moments for me. My question is basically the PSU though. I want my PSU to last a minimum of 7 years and keep my parts in perfect condition that time too. Will a bronze PSU accomplish this? I've read conflicting reviews about whether bronze is good enough for high end gaming rigs. I'd hate to see a sale in 2 years for some high even 6-8 core CPU only to realize that my bronze PSU might not feed it the best energy to keep it alive during overclocking or whatever I might do. It was basically my best guess that the PSU is the only real part (aside from the case) where expecting more than 5 years out of it was realistic, but only if I were to get a pretty nice one.

Is any of this true?

 

[TofuLion]

Why platinum for the PSU? There is no benefit in terms of reliability in terms of efficiency.

As stated, the efficiency rating (80+, 80+ Bronze, 80+ Gold, etc.) is only a measure of how efficient the unit is at delivering power to the system, not how long they will last or how well they will perform. granted, usually they coincide, but the rating only determines how much electricity it uses to deliver the rated wattage. hence, how much your power bill will be affected by running the unit.

warranties and such depend on the brand, which is NOT the same as the actual manufacturer.

refer to this list for a quick guide, then do your own research on reviews for the particular unit
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[CmdrJeffSinclair]

Why platinum for the PSU? There is no benefit in terms of reliability in terms of efficiency.

As stated, the efficiency rating (80+, 80+ Bronze, 80+ Gold, etc.) is only a measure of how efficient the unit is at delivering power to the system, not how long they will last or how well they will perform. granted, usually they coincide, but the rating only determines how much electricity it uses to deliver the rated wattage. hence, how much your power bill will be affected by running the unit.

warranties and such depend on the brand, which is NOT the same as the actual manufacturer.

refer to this list for a quick guide, then do your own research on reviews for the particular unit
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Everyone has asked me why I chose a 1000W platinum PSU, but while ignorant mainly it turns out that your PSU Wattage requirements list for the GPU actually recommends a 1000W PSU for 2x 290X's in CF which was my potential 4K plan in 2 years. I'm going to keep reading all of this and see what I can find about ratings and how they may or may not be as important for gaming. If I went the 980ti route then 850w would be fine for 2 of them in SLI

I'll get back with you guys so far it looks like my safety precaution for the 1000w psu was a good precaution even if it was based mainly on ignorance

 

[MasterDell]

I would suggest going with 1000W with SLI for 980 Ti's. They get lots of performance gain out of overclocking and overclocking two of them over a couple years will really beat on the PSU. Hence the reason I would go with 1000W. But that's just me and I already had a nice long conversation with one of the mods about if 850W is appropriate or not for SLI 980 Ti's being OCed with a PSU. There is no point in rolling the dice when the 1000W version is $20 more.

Is there any reason you want CF 290x's? SLI 970s will out perform them in terms of OCing due to the heat AMD cards in CF have.