Future Gaming Rig, mind looking it over?

[Cryoburn101]

Well here we are again...

After spending 7 faithful years with Frankenstein's laptop, I need a new computer.... bad.

I'm working with a $1750 budget, went a little over, but no more than $1800 (BEFORE rebates, shipping, taxes, etc.).
The only hard tasks it will have to do is gaming, and a little Blender and Gimp.
I am trying to go for "future proofing" with this build, and that dictated a lot of the part selection.
I also won't be doing heavy OCing.
I went with a mainly Black/dark grey + white color build, with some blue. I think it will work nice.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($305.00)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($66.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($32.53 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($118.13 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Perixx MX-2000B Wired Laser Mouse ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Headphones: Logitech G230 Headset ($37.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1767.99

Why I picked....
CPU - As I said, future proofing. I live near a micro center and it comes to about $305 with taxes.
CPU cooler - I would have gone with a AIO water cooler, but I'm a bit worried about its longevity.
I would have gone with the EVO, but its too tall for my liking, if anyone knows of a good smaller cooler that would be better than the TX3 the suggestion is appreciated.
Mobo - Seemed like a decent board, and was blue.
Ram - Cheap, 1866hz, CAS 9, also blue.
Storage - 1TB on the HDD is fine for me, and the SSD for the OS and a game or two. May add a second HDD and SSD for some sort of RAID system.
GPU - Great value, though I may swap it out when AMD releases their GPUs in a few months.
Case - Again, good value, dark grey with a side window, and accommodating for future upgrades.
Disc Drive - I watch movies and have a few older games that use a disc, one of those things where when I least expect it I'll need it.
OS - I'll be upgrading to 10 when it comes out.
Monitor - I've seen it with my own eyes and its an improvement of what I'm currently using (sub 1080p 7 year old TN panel).
Wireless - I'm on the oppisate side of the house from my router. Its an old house, so wireless is my only option.
Case Fans - From what I've heard they are quiet and work well, they use a white LED so that will go well with my color scheme.
Keyboard - I've never used a mechanical keyboard, always laptop-type keys. Cherry MX-brown seemed like to be the best for me.
Mouse - All I really need is a mouse that works. I don't care about lights... I like having the multi-DPI button, as my current mouse has one and I find it convenient for switching games quickly. I also like having the spots for the thumb and ring finger to rest, my current mouse has that also. If anyone knows of a decent mouse that is cheap and has a rest for the fingers, feel free to make a suggestion!
Headphones - Great value, not an audiophile. I've had Corsair gaming headsets in the past, those broke though. I've been using a Logitech cheapo headset that came with Rosetta stone that has a dead right-speaker. ANYTHING is an improvement. I considered a set from Prodigy, but I heard the cups are a bit small, and my ears are large.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may post. All are welcome.

 

[Thaisnang]

Did abit changes over here and there
MoBo-PRO 4 because it has SATA Express will give faster SSD speed.
CPU Cooler--> That Radiator is just 120 mm so you don't need to worry about space
And abit better quality PSU.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($305.00)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($76.49 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: AOC G2460PQU 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($32.53 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($118.13 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Perixx MX-2000B Wired Laser Mouse ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Headphones: Logitech G230 Headset ($37.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1788.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-27 21:01 EDT-0400

 

[Cryoburn101]

Did abit changes over here and there
MoBo-PRO 4 because it has SATA Express will give faster SSD speed.
CPU Cooler--> That Radiator is just 120 mm so you don't need to worry about space
And abit better quality PSU.

Thanks for the quick reply and sorry for the delay.

I like that the Pro4 has SATA Express, but it doesn't have the option for SLI, only Crossfire. This limits my upgrade options since I'm going with the GTX970 atm. Will SATA Express be noticeably faster, or will it only show in benchmarks? If it is noticeably faster I'll try and get an Extreme4, since it has SLI, Crossfire, and a Sata Express port.

As I said in the original post, I'm a bit worried about the longevity of AIO water coolers. I've heard they have a tendency to quit after 2-3 years. So I'm going to stick with a simple air-cooler for now, maybe purchase one as an upgrade down the road.

I understand that Seasonic makes some of the best PSUs, but the reviews for the EVGA PSU are pretty good (while the reviews of the Seasonic on Newegg aren't that great), is it worth switching over?

Again, thanks for the help!

 

[g-unit1111]

Why I picked....
CPU - As I said, future proofing. I live near a micro center and it comes to about $305 with taxes.

That won't make a build future proof, in short there really isn't anything that will. Future proofing is a myth because technology moves so fast these days that it's nearly impossible for anyone to keep up with it, and who knows what will be available 5 - 10 years from now? Having extra threads or a couple of extra cores isn't going to guarantee that your build will last longer than 5 years.

CPU cooler - I would have gone with a AIO water cooler, but I'm a bit worried about its longevity.

I was a bit skeptical when I bought my NZXT Kraken X61 but once I got all the issues I've had with it I haven't had any problems since. And you can definitely get a better cooler than a Hyper TX3 on your budget, those are very low end.

Mobo - Seemed like a decent board, and was blue.

If you want to go with a a black / blue color scheme right see below for what I would suggest.

Disc Drive - I watch movies and have a few older games that use a disc, one of those things where when I least expect it I'll need it.

You don't even really need them anymore since online streaming is becoming the norm. I have an H440 and I've become well used to not having an optical drive.

Case Fans - From what I've heard they are quiet and work well, they use a white LED so that will go well with my color scheme.

Not really necessary, you can always add those in later.

Storage - 1TB on the HDD is fine for me, and the SSD for the OS and a game or two. May add a second HDD and SSD for some sort of RAID system.

Don't get an Intel 520 though - they're based on the old, slow Sandforce 2.0 controller. Get the much better Samsung 840 Evo or 850 Pro instead.

Anyway if you want to do a black / blue color scheme right check this out. I don't include accessories or peripherals in builds, you can always add that stuff in as you feel like it: :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.97 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($120.83 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($339.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($339.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1744.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-28 12:55 EDT-0400

 

[Thaisnang]

Did abit changes over here and there
MoBo-PRO 4 because it has SATA Express will give faster SSD speed.
CPU Cooler--> That Radiator is just 120 mm so you don't need to worry about space
And abit better quality PSU.

Thanks for the quick reply and sorry for the delay.

I like that the Pro4 has SATA Express, but it doesn't have the option for SLI, only Crossfire. This limits my upgrade options since I'm going with the GTX970 atm. Will SATA Express be noticeably faster, or will it only show in benchmarks? If it is noticeably faster I'll try and get an Extreme4, since it has SLI, Crossfire, and a Sata Express port.

As I said in the original post, I'm a bit worried about the longevity of AIO water coolers. I've heard they have a tendency to quit after 2-3 years. So I'm going to stick with a simple air-cooler for now, maybe purchase one as an upgrade down the road.

I understand that Seasonic makes some of the best PSUs, but the reviews for the EVGA PSU are pretty good (while the reviews of the Seasonic on Newegg aren't that great), is it worth switching over?

Again, thanks for the help!

SATA Express gives a speed 12 Gbps than Sata 3's 6 Gbps. So it is twice as fast. But you also need an SSD which supports it. The newly released SSD's are compatible with it. So you don't have to worry much.
And regarding that PSU. The G2,P2,B2 are the high quality EVGA PSU's as for the one you have is a B1. Haven't had the time to read it's reviews. So I'm not sure if it shares the same quality as its brothers does.
As for cooler. I don't think there is so much to worry about water cooler. Any way if it concerns you that much.
Get this air cooler-->CRYORIG R1 Ultimate
I've seen alot great reviews about it so far+looks cool unlike Noctua's Ugly Brown.

 

[Xibyth]

I would suggest getting a WD Black instead of the blue, it will make general use noticeably more responsive. I know you have an SSD for storage but if you game online they are impracticable to have the game stored on as this wears them down due to constant updates.

This build otherwise should last another 6 years as it stands. Bear in mind, the only components that are generally "future proof" are the power supply (sometimes and depends widely on the wattage and reliability), the case (if well taken care of), HDD (this may change in the near future with new SSD technology becoming more practical), and fans (once again if taken care of and kept clean).

These are the components you really should not skimp on but are commonly overlooked and filled with cheap parts to run very expensive components. In the long run it causes the build to fail faster, in the short term it can lead to component failure right off the bat or soon after.

You should go with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, trust me I have both and bought the Phantom 410 for my fiance, the 212 will fit it with no problems. The SSD you chose is fine, I have used a few in my builds with no failures. SATA Express will give you no noticeable speed improvement over SATA 3 without spending vast amounts of money on an SSD, the general cost effective SSD's controller cannot fully utilize SATA 3 let alone Express.

As for the ASROCK motherboards, I have had BIOS stability and driver issues with a few of them and these problems have put me off using them. Generally for a good quality build I would go with ASUS or MSI. A good example is the Maximus VII Gene. Namely my issues have been with RAM speed issues and not being able to utilize the RAM at proper speeds despite being on the QVL list. But also several BIOS PROM failures to boot.

Lastly for the CPU, the i7 is very fast. That said right now most AAA game titles can only utilize 4 CPU threads, though many now use 8. The i5 would be more cost effective in gaming performance/price right now but in the long run may lead you to want the i7. Particularly with Direct X 12 and it having better thread optimization by far.

 

[g-unit1111]

I would suggest getting a WD Black instead of the blue, it will make general use noticeably more responsive. I know you have an SSD for storage but if you game online they are impracticable to have the game stored on as this wears them down due to constant updates.

I've had that same drive for over a year now and never had a single issue with it. For $50 it's a cheap drive and it gets the job done. I personally would not pour tons of money into storage since you can always add or remove drives as you need them.

This build otherwise should last another 6 years as it stands. Bear in mind, the only components that are generally "future proof" are the power supply (sometimes and depends widely on the wattage and reliability), the case (if well taken care of), HDD (this may change in the near future with new SSD technology becoming more practical), and fans (once again if taken care of and kept clean).

These are the components you really should not skimp on but are commonly overlooked and filled with cheap parts to run very expensive components. In the long run it causes the build to fail faster, in the short term it can lead to component failure right off the bat or soon after.

Totally agree there, although the PSU may be future proof, it will start to wear down after three years of use, so I generally recommend swapping them about once every three years.

You should go with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, trust me I have both and bought the Phantom 410 for my fiance, the 212 will fit it with no problems. The SSD you chose is fine, I have used a few in my builds with no failures. SATA Express will give you no noticeable speed improvement over SATA 3 without spending vast amounts of money on an SSD, the general cost effective SSD's controller cannot fully utilize SATA 3 let alone Express.

The 212 Evos are solid coolers, I have two of them so I am in agreement there. However on that budget I'd definitely recommend spending a bit more on the cooler. The TX3 is too low end for $1750, it's not really that much better than the stock cooler. You could easily go with a Noctua D14/D15 if you don't want to use an AIO cooler.

But I still am not a fan of Intel SSDs on any budget, the only ones I would recommend are the 700 series since they use a proprietary Intel controller, but I hate (repeat *HATE*) the Sandforce 2.0 controller. It's old, slow, buggy and very outdated. The Samsung drives are far superior and much cheaper, as well as having the advantage of using Samsung NAND, especially the 850 Pro.

As for the ASROCK motherboards, I have had BIOS stability and driver issues with a few of them and these problems have put me off using them. Generally for a good quality build I would go with ASUS or MSI. A good example is the Maximus VII Gene. Namely my issues have been with RAM speed issues and not being able to utilize the RAM at proper speeds despite being on the QVL list. But also several BIOS PROM failures to boot.

My last two motherboards have been Asrock and I haven't had an issue with either of them. On my Z97 rig I run full XMP, turbo boost and all cores unlocked on a 212 Evo and it's been running pretty stably. No complaints here. On my Z77 rig I do the same thing and have had no issues. The QVL is just a guideline, even if your RAM shows or doesn't show doesn't mean that it will or will not work.

Lastly for the CPU, the i7 is very fast. That said right now most AAA game titles can only utilize 4 CPU threads, though many now use 8. The i5 would be more cost effective in gaming performance/price right now but in the long run may lead you to want the i7. Particularly with Direct X 12 and it having better thread optimization by far.

If you look at most benchmarks though there isn't much difference between the i7 and the i5 other than the extra threads and the extra $100 it will cost you. But that in no way makes a rig truly future proof.

 

[Xibyth]

If you look at most benchmarks though there isn't much difference between the i7 and the i5 other than the extra threads and the extra $100 it will cost you. But that in no way makes a rig truly future proof.[/quotemsg]

Most benchmarks between the i5 and i7 are done in regards to the Integrated GPU, thus since they are the same and if running at the same speeds offer the same performance. However, the i7 alone on games that support more than 4 threads (that list is growing every release) shows substantially better performance over the i5 with a discrete GPU. None the less the CPU was not one of the future proof items I listed as I know even the best CPU needs to be replaced every 6 years or so. We are on the verge of a change in the PC gaming industry with regards to threading support and the answer is more. It was not a remark aimed at pushing for an i7 because its future proof, it was meant as a heads up that soon that will be the named standard for top of the line rigs and that it is coming likely within the next 8 months.