Gaming Rig Review/Guidance

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RyanEsau

RyanEsau

Reputable
Feb 9, 2015
15
0
4,510
Intro
Hey guys, recently in the past few months I have been learning and messing around with my computer, originally was cleaning but ended up going further and disassembled and reassembled for full-cleaning so now I'm looking into getting some pc parts to build a gaming pc to finally play my library of steam games. (Also planning to get/play ARMA III with my friend in the summer with this build)

Build (2/14/15)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PROFESSIONAL ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($155.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: AOC G2460PG 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($449.99 @ Best Buy)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.18 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.71 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.71 @ OutletPC)
Headphones: Logitech G35 7.1 Channel Headset ($129.99 @ Logitech)
Other: Corsair Carbide Series® SPEC-03 Red LED Mid-Tower Gaming Case ($0.00)
Total: $1746.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-15 04:33 EST-0500

Preferences
Processor - Intel
GPU - EVGA(1st) / MSI (2nd) / Asus (3rd) I love the color scheme (Red/Black) of MSI Cards and I love their features.
Tower - Not changing. (My ideal for the tower was - 3.0 USB Ports and Looks,I don't want/need a Full ATX Tower as I'm not one to be overclocking and I don't need extra space for cooling/extra hdd spaces (I'm a space-monitoring person, I probably wouldn't even go over 250 GB yetalone 500 GB.)
RAM - Corsair or G.Skill
Motherboard - Reputable Brands
HDD - Samsung or Toshiba
Monitor - AOC or any Reputable Brand, 24'in Max

Primary Usage - Gaming (Well only usage really lol)
My current ideal budget right now is between $1600-$1800, $2,100 at the most but rather not go over $2,000 as I'd also like to buy ARMA III Deluxe + DLC Bundle ($179.96 Total) for myself and a friend for us to play together when I'm all set-up, so I need to make room for that with my budget.

[strike] G-Sync
I learned about G-Sync and I was initially hooked upon learning about it, but after further in depth learning, it seems it's still coming (Being pre-integrated into new monitors) and currently only one monitor is supported (ASUS VG248QE I believe). Paying $200-300 for a monitor followed by $200 for a kit to install G-Sync seems a bit much too me, is G-Sync worth it getting when it becomes pre-integrated into newer and newer monitors being released?[/strike]

HDMI
Just a small query, if I choose to get a monitor with dual-hdmi (x2 HDMI Ports) would this enable me to use HDMI alongside also plugging in HDMI (Monitor to say PS3) and allow me to record the output with appropriated software.

Memory (RAM)
I'd also like to point out since I know alot of people would probably be against it, I have chosen 16GB of DDR3 1600Mhz RAM for the very reason that I noticed browsing some games (Steam for example) such as Grand Theft Auto V specifically state (Under Recommended) that you have 8GB of RAM so to combat this I want to make sure I have more than that and additionally I also want to make sure I can:

1. Run games without problems and have fast loading times (I was told HDD/SSD doesn't make much difference in loading times for games)
2. Run additional programs while playing such as Skype, Recording Software, Streaming (Not likely but just putting it out there), and maybe occasionally tab out of game and browse internet with full speed.
3. Have faster browsing speeds, tranfsering files speeds, uploading/downloading speeds.
Transfer speeds I'd assume be dependant on the SATA of your HDD/SSD but I assume it's memory dependant partially as I assume it requires allocated memory to for it's process.
Upload/Download is Internet dependant but I assume it's partially affected by having allocated memory for it's process.
4. That I can share my screen through skype without issues / lag in-game (I'm pretty skype share screen takes like 2GB of RAM, I have 4GB of RAM currently and I believe it would take like 35-50% of that which makes me lag in-game since it leaves like no RAM really)

Plus it doesn't really seem to be a big cost difference so why not right? May be overkill as some say, but I'm perfectly fine with overkill in this case. (Amount of RAM). I don't think I'll be going over 16GB though unless I actually do need it or maybe if I just find a amazing deal on another set of 2 sticks of 8GB (Or even 1 Stick).

Recording Capability
Also I'd to be able to record without issues/fps drops/lag if applicable. I don't record often, very rarely, but I would like to be able to record with high quality without problems with my gaming rig, maybe even stream (probably not stream). Would I need a sound card for recording/streaming? I read that is really the only main reasoning for having a sound card apart from being a audiophile (I'm not a audiophile btw)

Solid State Drive
I've been looking into getting a solid-state drive since a friend told me about them, I've been looking at Samsung in specific, 850 Evo and 850 Pro EVO Series,I think my ideal would be a 1TB 850 Evo just to have and so I can install huge games and just leave them installed without it consuming needed space but for now (Budget) I was thinking 500-512GB.

Sound Card
I have never used a sound card before but I was looking into them recently and they seem to be a waste as onboard audio does well from what I read and sound cards are mainly for audiophiles and professional recording qualities/musicians. So if you could share you thoughts, that'd be much appreciated. I most likely probably won't get a sound card this build as it's beyond low priority since I don't record often but I may get it later this year just to have so when I do record.

[strike] Upgrading to Windows 8.1[/strike] Sticking with Windows 7 and will upgrade to 10 later shortly after release.
[strike]I have used Windows 7 (Home Premium/Ultimate, currently on Ultimate) for years and nothing else but with the newer games coming out and DirectX 12 later this year, since I read that it won't be supported on 7 I'm going to just go ahead and upgrade to Windows 8.1.[/strike]

Final Note
I would like to point out, as you may be able to tell with some of my hardware choices, I choose some of the most recent to-date hardware, reasoning for this is (Especially with the GPU) I want to stay modern and make sure I can last a few years and be able to play games on at least High =/= Max settings without issues, hardware specifications slowly creep up and up so I'd rather not go with like a GTX 550 Ti and then it ends up falling under minimal within the following year. (Just a example). Honestly I probably would (probably will in the future) go with EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified (Whatever is the best Base Clock Speed,idc about Boost since I don't want to overclock) but that's kinda out of the budget with the list I created.
 
Solution
gamer1357
I believe you're spending too much money on the build. Here is a more refined build that I would go with. You can change the case to whatever you like the best, this one just happens to be my favorite.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor ($313.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($65.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @...
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You can save quite a bit of money by going with an i5 instead of an i7. For most games you aren't going to notice a difference. You mentioned that you don't want to overclock, but are going with a processor and mobo geared towards OCing. Get an i5 non-k and a different 1150 motherboard. You could also go with 8GB of RAM instead of 16. Those changes right there could free up a good 300+ dollars.
 
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I believe you're spending too much money on the build. Here is a more refined build that I would go with. You can change the case to whatever you like the best, this one just happens to be my favorite.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor ($313.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($65.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($326.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($47.95 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VN248H 23.8" Monitor ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Other: Windows 8.1 Pro ($69.99)
Total: $1661.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 06:59 EST-0500
 
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Solution

The reason I went with the i7 was to stay more up-to-date and ensure I'll be able to play games without issues and also have a fast cpu. I have a friend sending me a i5 (It's not here yet) but I don't know which specifically, I had planned to use it in a alternate build. Would a i5 last in a modern build for years or will hardware specs eventually bump up to i7 fairly soon (Especially with DX12 coming?)


Looks great, big difference in price but I just need a few explanations first on your changes ~

1. Why Asus GTX 970 vs EVGA GTX 970, what's the difference besides price?
Generally better standalone cooling? Higher Performance? Etc..

2. I don't really know 'Noctua', Corsair seems to me like the more popular fan makers so what makes you choose them for the CPU Cooler? I personally chose the Corsair h80i liquid cooling just to keep my processor more cool compared to air cooling plus it was only like $10-$20 difference, not much a deal to me when the output is far past that.

2.1 Do you have some personal expericence with Air vs Liquid Cooling?

3. Also just noticed, you went with Corsair Vengeance Pro vs Corsair Dominator Platinum. Is the performance not worth it? What about the better cooling? (Isn't it better/special cooling with the dominator series/dominator platinum series vs the vengeance pro series)

3.1 I also noticed it's 1866Mhz so wouldn't that require underclocking for compatibility with the Processor's memory support? Will that have any long-term effect on the RAM overtime/years? (Wears out faster or anything?)
 
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I think a good i5 will last you for quite a few years to come. You don't even need an after market cooler unless you're planning to OC. Save the 65 bucks and stick with the Intel stock cooler, which does a great job. Do you need wifi? Ideally you will have a wired connection, can save another 50 bucks on the wifi adapter. And that's something that's easy to install later if you find that you need it.
 
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Well as Corsair says "If you want to protect your investment" I'm planning to do so with the Liquid Cooling 😛
Wi-Fi, yes I need Wi-Fi and Ethernet won't work for me in my current conditions.router is too far from me and I don't really want a 20FT cord (Or however long it would be lol).

Anyway, update ~
Been talking back and forth with my techie friend for about 1hr 1/2 and I've revised my list some more, and with the savings I've decided to put elsewhere.

So...
Could someone answer my remaining unanswered questions?

[strike]G-Sync
I learned about G-Sync and I was initially hooked upon learning about it, but after further in depth learning, it seems it's still coming (Being pre-integrated into new monitors) and currently only one monitor is supported (ASUS VG248QE I believe). Paying $200-300 for a monitor followed by $200 for a kit to install G-Sync seems a bit much too me, is G-Sync worth it getting when it becomes pre-integrated into newer and newer monitors being released?[/strike]

HDMI
Just a small query, if I choose to get a monitor with dual-hdmi (x2 HDMI Ports) would this enable me to use HDMI alongside also plugging in HDMI (Monitor to say PS3) and allow me to record the output with appropriated software."

Recording Capability
Also I'd to be able to record without issues/fps drops/lag if applicable. I don't record often, very rarely, but I would like to be able to record with high quality without problems with my gaming rig, maybe even stream (probably not stream). Would I need a sound card for recording/streaming? I read that is really the only main reasoning for having a sound card apart from being a audiophile (I'm not a audiophile btw)

Sound Card
I have never used a sound card before but I was looking into them recently and they seem to be a waste as onboard audio does well from what I read and sound cards are mainly for audiophiles and professional recording qualities/musicians. So if you could share you thoughts, that'd be much appreciated. I most likely probably won't get a sound card this build as it's beyond low priority since I don't record often but I may get it later this year just to have so when I do record. "
 
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The stock Intel cooler is really good, I would rather put that money towards a bigger SSD or video card. If you aren't on that tight of a budget and don't mind the little extra work installing the after market cooler then go for it. Good luck man.
 
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My budget is based on what I believe to be getting, I may get more but my build won't change any further generally (But if I do get my more then I won't have any issues with the costs). with the current savings from the build changes I've made I have put it towards a better GPU ( EVGA GTX 980 Classified) + a gaming headset, bit steep and pushes me like dead on my current planned budget but I'll be happy in the end. I just need to take some time and plan this out so I can still buy ARMA III Deluxe w/ DLC for myself/my friend without cost issues, primarily the ideal would be to buy some parts (If applicable) ahead of time so that when I get my lump sum for the build I won't have issues with the cost. So I'll just have to wait and see how things go before I'll be fully set for the summer pretty much.

All in All, if it comes down to cost I will take your idea and just wait on the liquid cooling, and maybe the headset I added to the list since that is the lowest priority too me really.

Or, I'll just wait on the i7-4790K and use the i5-(Idk specific yet) from my friend. That'd be more logical but still undecided for the moment. If I go this route I probably could up the SSD size maybe although I don't think I need too. The Future Awaits! 😛
 
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I wouldn't buy too much ahead of time, unless there is a promotional or some other crazy deal going on the prices are going to slowly drop. The only that that likely won't drop is the Intel CPU. RAM and HD prices are volatile so use something like camelcamelcamel.com and look for them to drop to a relatively low price.
 
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I agree with the suggestion for the i5 instead of the i7. Unless you're going to use it for something that really benefits for HyperThreading, stick with the i5. For instance, if you did video work, CG rendering, etc then go with the i7 as those extra threads will go a long way. However, for strictly gaming and casual internet use I'd go with the i5.
 
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1. I compared the Asus / MSI GTX 980's and the MSI seems pretty feature-rich/is nice but the clocks still seem to fall below EVGA beside the 3 various modes (Silent/Gaming/OC). Just switched to a lower EVGA.

2. Sounds good

2.1. Well isn't Liquid Cooling quiet, or does the water bubble (noise)?

3. I recently changed it back to standard Corsair Vengeance, I was going for the higher series due to believing it was a big difference with the cooling (Better Heatspreaders).

3.1. But from my understanding, say the processor supports Dual Channel DDR3-1600Mhz Memory, whilst the Motherboard supports Dual Channel DDR3-3200Mhz for example, so my question was wouldn't it require underclocking to use the 1866Mhz at 1600Mhz or would it be better to overclock to 1866Mhz? (Does either method have any effect on the memory overtime?)

I was aiming for Platinum for efficiency since I tend to play several hours a day at times, but since Gold =/= Platinum isn't much difference, I just switched the PSU plus I didn't really the the monitoring feature from corsair, I'm not a temperature monitoring person.
 
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When it comes to the 980's most will overclock to around 1500mhz. Something like the classified might get you an extra 50-100mhz which translates to a few fps gain. It's up to you whether it's worth it or not. The lower end EVGA acx 2.0 verison is fine as well along with Asus, MSI, and gigabyte. Just pick you're favorite.

Liquid cooling is generally a little louder because along with the fan noise you also have the pump. More moving parts means more noise. However, something like a h100i with upgraded fans stays pretty quiet. I still recommend air coolers because they are cheaper, perform great, and are very quiet if you get the right one. So again this is personal preference. If you do go water I would get a larger one like the h100i.

Both the CPU and Motherboard you have chosen support 1866 ram and will run fine. You can run it at 1866 or 1600 fine without any voltage change. So again just get the cheaper one here or if they are the same price, the faster one.
 
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Decided to go back down to the 970 now as a more logical idea I had in mind after talking with another friend and from reading through this thread, 980 > 970 ($200 Saved) + SSD Size 500GB > 1TB ($200 added) so rather than blowing all the savings onto the GPU, I split it, and put the other half on the SSD. After rethinking (Again from reading over the thread + my friends) I probably won't necessarily 'need' the 980 for the moment as per my goal really is just to be able to play my games with high settings (Max if applicable but I think I'll be happy with High) and partial-multi task (But I believe my view of multi task would be my RAM not Multi-Threading). I' just really got caught up in my readings and findings as I browsed components and I now see that what I read that appears to be better but truly isn't. (Like the Samsung SSD 850-Evo Series vs Samsung SSD 850-Evo Pro Series).

The motherboard supports up 3200Mhz.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/layout/Fatal1ty%20Z97X%20Killer.jpg

The processor however, from my understanding it wouldn't be supportive of MHz over it's own (1600Mhz) listed Memory.
http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz
Memory Types DDR3-1333/1600

So, same question, would it be liable without issues (extra stress and wear or anything like that) on the RAM by overclocking it to it's standard whilist the CPU only runs a speed under that. (CPU 1600Mhz vs RAM 1866Mhz) OR would I be better underclocking it (Or overclocking, won't it default 1333Mhz? Or is it whatever the CPU is?) to 1600Mhz?



I'll stick to the stock air cooler for now I suppose to cut a bit of costs and just get liquid cooling when I get more money / and or when/if I run into issues.
 
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Ok now I understand what you mean with the RAM. So although at stock the 4790k will only take the 1600 you should have no problems having it overclocked to 1866mhz by enabling xmp in bios. After you install the RAM just run memtest to make sure everything is stable and works correctly. But yes you should have no problems with the RAM running at 1866.
 
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Still considering/thinking on that. (i5 vs i7).
EVGA is my personal preference by far from what I've seen and been recommended but MSI would be my 2nd choice for a GPU, there not 'too far' behind the EVGA Cards (Clocks comparison) and personally I prefer the looks as oppose to EVGA's looks (The Card itself), but the appearance doesn't really matter since it's going to be in the case either way, never to be seen again except when I clean :pt1cable: or when I go to upgrade something in the PC but that'd be far off since I'm trying not to have to upgrade for awhile. :)


Okay, thanks very much for the information. :wahoo: Does this also apply for anything above 1866Mhz? (I read Mhz over 1866Mhz isn't a noticeable difference or if it noticed it's minor, but I have seen some fair prices for like 8GBx2 sticks 2400Mhz and such with Corsair on Amazon so just a curious question while on the topic of Memory Clocking)

Example - Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB 2x8GB DDR3 2400MHz PC3 19200 Desktop, Red CMY16GX3M2A2400C11R $174.99

Was something I originally was considering when I first started making my build list, I like red + I thought the Mhz was great at the time + price seemed okay. Not planning on it now due to budget and I don't want/need it for the moment. I actually changed to a G.Skill RipJawsX Series set of Memory due to price being same generally ($0.10~ difference) and is 1866Mhz, plus the additional stuff on it seem nice and I think the Latency is higher. (Found on official site)


Also, any advice far as OS? I'm tossing and turning between sticking with Windows 7 or upgrading to Windows 8.1 (Then probably 10 when released)

My main thing is I just want to make sure that I will be able to play DirectX 12 when released alongside Windows 10. I currently wouldn't be able to upgrade to Windows 10 unless I can use a OEM Acer Windows 7 Home Premium Key (My old laptop) because I'm not certain that I really want to spend the $62-$69.99 (Student Discount) on Windows 8.1 Pro with my build since I'm still trying to make sure I don't go over $1900 generally since I want to buy ARMA III Deluxe w/ DLC ($64.99 for Deluxe / $24.99 for DLC) for myself and friend so thats about $179.96 or $180 (Rounding), maybe it'll go on sale in the summer sales that would help a bit, so it's like if I get Windows 8.1 Pro I'll be hitting my budget on the mark where as if I don't, I should be fine, especially if I can get say the gaming headset or maybe the tower to shed $60 when I get the computer desk I want before the build. Not sure how much I'd have left after the desk so I can't assure I can get anything on list ahead of time. Hoping I can.
 
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You can go above 1866, but the sweet spot is 1866 with CAS latency of 9. But too be honest you won't notice any difference between them so go ahead and get the cheapest. The G skill you chose is fine but I would choose the corsair because of the lower latency and IMO better aesthetics for only an extra $10, but both are good.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy16gx3m2a1866c9r

If you already have Windows 7 just stick with that and upgrade to Windows 10 later on. If you need an OS go ahead and buy 8.1.

If you don't mind waiting the steam summer sale would probably have arma 3 on sale.

Also I would look into getting a 23-24 inch monitor instead. There are some decent IPS ones on sale. Now be aware if you need to save money switching to i5 and 8gb of ram will save you ~$200 and you won't lose any performance. The reason I would stick with the i7 is because I keep CPU's for about 4 years and would prefer the extra threads, but that's just me. You can also switch to a 500gb SSD for your main programs and get a 1tb HDD for your games. That's the setup I have and it works great.
 
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I don't really know anything about the CAS Latency as of yet, I'm assuming lower is better, similar to like in-game latency.

With that in mind, in a cross-comparison from your expertise. Which of these would you personally choose based on the specifications (These are the 1866Mhz 16GB Kits from Corsair/G.Skill) ~ Turns out they have one(s) with different varying latency(s) (G.Skill)

Corsair Vengeance® Pro Series — 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 DRAM 1866MHz C9 Memory Kit (CMY16GX3M2A1866C9)

G.Skill RipjawsX Series 16GB (4GBx4) F3-14900CL9Q-16GBXL



Alright, sounds logical to me. Just hoping I'll be able to get the free upgrade w/ my WIndows 7 Home Premium Key from my old laptop.



Whether it does or does not go on sale, I won't be able to purchase until the summer alongside when I purchase my computer build. If it does indeed go on sale, that is a great help but if in the event it doesn't I want to make sure I can afford it at full price. If it does go on sale though then I'll probably get another game I want to play with my friend as well.



Well, I have done a fair-bit of researching regarding monitors such as LED vs LCD, IPS, and so on. I came across some IPS-Monitors but they lacked sound and I don't really know anything about external speaker brands and or the specifications to look for. I generally always use my headset, but time from time I do tend to share a music video with my family and I'll switch it to Windows Audio to play from speakers instead of my headset. My friend recommended me LED and I just now recently came upon this monitor ~
AOC 24" G2460PG
Likes
G-Sync Built-In - I generally wanted this but, I wasn't interested in the Asus VG248QE (I believe that's the model) monitor nor was I interested in manual installation or having to go through thirdparties for it.
Highest Refresh Rate (144Hz) - From what I'm aware of and seen(60Hz Standard,110Hz?, 144Hz) this is the best.
Best Contrast Ratio (80000000:1) From what I'm aware of and seen (20000000:1,50000000:1,80000000:1) this is the best.
Perfect Resolution - I have seen gaming wallpapers, hd wallpapers, and so on and they are always 1920x1080 so I want to get a monitor of this resolution.
Ideal Size - It's my ideal size, I didn't want anything over 24"
Dislikes
Green - Meh, not a fan but that's very minor and doesn't matter.
Lack of DVI? - From what I'm aware and recently learned, DVI is the best for a gaming monitor but this monitor uses DisplayPort, is DisplayPort equally as good and the only downside is lack of multi-port support. (Adapters)

I compiled together a new list with the above monitor in mind. Generally same price range. Honestly, I'm leaning towards the new list below because of the monitor. I don't want/need multiple monitors so not something I'm looking to rebuy,so logically I should get the monitor I want the most. So I'm going to go with the below list, can you share your thoughts though? The Corsair Vengeance Pro 1866Mhz ram went back up so I switched back to G.Skill RipjawsX 1866mhz. May look into it when time comes for purchasing though incase it goes back down again.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Sgt.Soldier/saved/Q9pWGX
One main thing you'll notice is there is no i7-4790k in the build, instead a i5-4690K. I don't know 'which' i5 my friend is sending as I previously stated, so I just went with the i5-4690K as a cross-reference for the build list.



If I need to save, I will likely use the i5, but I don't really want to downgrade to 8GB of RAM unless it is necessary. I'd do the same thing as you with the i7 but in my case I just prefer top of the line so to speak, anything over the 4790/4790K such as 5960X and such ($1K~ CPUs) is not my style though,but whatever is the general user best, put it that way I guess. The 5820K and 5930K might be alright though, although I assume 6-Core CPUs are for additional threading.



I notice alot of people seem to do that as a logical choice for their builds but although it is cost-efficient, I'd rather not. I'm not someone who needs multiple hard drives. Ideally, if I go with 500GB SSD, I'll end up getting a 1TB SSD later and just giving the 500GB to my sister most likely since multiple SSD's don't really benefit much performance I believe from what I read. One idea I had though, was maybe a SSD + a 120GB HDD or SSD. The second being hidden on the OS and only used for installing another os for testing or just messing around purposes, but that's not something I'm focusing on for the moment, that'll be a upgrade, I don't need to have it in my build plan.

Also, one question. I just learned of the 'BH' Optical Drive Line from LG (My Optical BD Drive Choice). I don't really understand the differences so I was wondering if you could tell me which is better generally.
Thread discussing differences ~ http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/296276-32-differences
I was going for a Optical CD-DVD Drive but I decided to go for BD in the event I want to burn to blu-ray disc in the far future. I rarely use CDs as is,I usually watch my movies and such on my PS3, so the drive is for burning/any retail discs I may get with products. Also went with BD for future-proofing, in the event over the years, CDs end up discontinued and BDs are used. (you never know,right?)
 
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Gsync is one of those things where you have to ask yourself if it's worthe $200 premium. It wasn't for me. With my 144hz monitor I get a few dips here and there and I notice it, but it isn't worth $200 to fix.

The SSD situation is up to you. I still recommend the 500gb SSD and 1tb HDD solution but if you want the 1tb SSD then go for it.
 
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The $200 Premium is because the G-Sync Kit is worth $200 from my understanding, so I find it understandable as this means the Manufacturers are making the monitors then purchasing the Kit from NVIDIA which is extra costs taxed onto the product price, but far as buying the monitor then buying the kit (no longer sold) and installing yourself, I don't want to take that method or risk. Plus then your at a bit of a loss, the Monitor Menu is replaced with NVIDIA's G-Sync where as the monitors that are built with these by the Manufacturer's themselves will probably modify the MB of the G-Sync (Whatever) and implement the nice features we love without loss of G-Sync's features.

Also, that is a logical idea but I just want to keep my maximum performance received from the ssd / use one drive. I'm still unsure if I actually want to get a second SSD and or a HDD on the side for testing/playing with other OS. Is possible to have a drive that won't be read by the current os/main drive?



The cost is within my defined budget so I'll stick with 500GB (My thing is just making sure I can afford ARMA III Deluxe + DLC at full price in the event it doesn't go on sale). Also generally no, but since I understand the reasoning for the taxed on price I'm perfectly fine with paying for it. In short ~ paying for the Monitor ($200) + The Kit ($200). Maybe NVIDIA gets a cut for their tech being used so they have to charge full price, who knows. :pt1cable:


I updated the OP with my newly updated list. (Going through final revisions)
Unleashed Gamer Build | Final Rev.5 (2015)

Thoughts? (Aside from already shared thoughts on Monitor/SSD :lol:)
 
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Im not exactly understanding what you mean when you say is it possible to have a drive that wont be read by the current OS. If you get two drives you can install the OS and programs on the SSD and install only games on the HDD. You don't need to mess with another OS. Dual booting is a totally different situation.

If you really want to save money try this build. Same performance. Very similar aesthetics. The big difference is the GPU. The EVGA may clock a little higher than the Asus which will translate to a few fps more. But for $60 extra I don't think a few fps will matter. This is the build I would recommend.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($123.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($329.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: AOC G2460PG 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($449.99 @ Best Buy)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.71 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.71 @ OutletPC)
Headphones: Logitech G35 7.1 Channel Headset ($129.99 @ Logitech)
Other: Corsair Carbide Series® SPEC-03 Red LED Mid-Tower Gaming Case ($0.00)
Total: $1653.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-14 03:26 EST-0500

 
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