good $1250 gaming rig?

[cruddyturtle]

Right now my build consists of....... CPU I7 4790k
GPU: Gtx 970 gigabyte g1 gaming windforce
MOBO: Asus maximums VII hero
CASE: enthoo pro with window
need some help with the ram preferably 16 gbs and also preferably over 2400mh clock speed.
I am also pity lost when it comes to the psu I want something with 750w so I can run sli watercooling etc..... but IV been told you dont want to skimp out on a psu so I need help.
HDD: 1t Seagate barracuda

I am new to pc gaming and building, this pc IS NOT JUST FOR GAMING, it is for video editing, rendering and uploading. Tell me what you gise think as u all probably know a world more then me and please help with the missing parts of you can. Also the "budget" is more of a guild line more then a real "budget" Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Kohwali]

Lovely choices! How will you keep the budget when you want an i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 970? This is my suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.97 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($203.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1302.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 00:12 EDT-0400

LinusTechTips benchmarks in game performance of different RAM speeds: http://youtu.be/dWgzA2C61z4
TL;DW No need to go above 1600 mhz

an i5-4690k will do fine for rendering, but you'd have to a bit longer than with the i7. If you want to keep the i7, you'd have to drop the 970 for a cheaper solution and I'm assuming you'd rather not.

H105 is an excellent AiO liquid cooler for your CPU, it'll do a very good job when you're OCing

If you want to get closer to your budget, you can swap the Maximus VII for a VI. There's not much difference except the VII has support for Intel Broadwell chips (which may release in 2016).

EVGA G2 850W is an excellent PSU and will be enough for 970 in two way SLI + CPU overclocking. I'd have to check up on how much power watercooling takes, because I'm not familiar with it. Anyways, here's JonnyGURU's review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377
He places all PSUs through stress tests and many more things to test how good they are.

TL;DR EVGA G2 850W is really good

Note: Don't skimp on anything. Although the case is probably the most expendable if I had to choose lol. IMO its the most exciting part as well.

 

[cruddyturtle]

Lovely choices! How will you keep the budget when you want an i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 970? This is my suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.97 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($203.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1302.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 00:12 EDT-0400

LinusTechTips benchmarks in game performance of different RAM speeds: http://youtu.be/dWgzA2C61z4
TL;DW No need to go above 1600 mhz

an i5-4690k will do fine for rendering, but you'd have to a bit longer than with the i7. If you want to keep the i7, you'd have to drop the 970 for a cheaper solution and I'm assuming you'd rather not.

H105 is an excellent AiO liquid cooler for your CPU, it'll do a very good job when you're OCing

If you want to get closer to your budget, you can swap the Maximus VII for a VI. There's not much difference except the VII has support for Intel Broadwell chips (which may release in 2016).

EVGA G2 850W is an excellent PSU and will be enough for 970 in two way SLI + CPU overclocking. I'd have to check up on how much power watercooling takes, because I'm not familiar with it. Anyways, here's JonnyGURU's review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377
He places all PSUs through stress tests and many more things to test how good they are.

TL;DR EVGA G2 850W is really good

Note: Don't skimp on anything. Although the case is probably the most expendable if I had to choose lol. IMO its the most exciting part as well.

Ok first of thanks a ton! I just had a few questions, first could I drop the CPU cooler and just jot oc or do you need the CPU cooler even if your not ocing. Also I'm just curious, but why did u go for the msi 970 over the gigabyte version? And do u even need 16gb of ram or does it not really even make a difference? So other then rendering speed is there a difference between the i5 and i7 in terms of gaming (cod, arma, bf4)? Finally is the maximums hero good at all. I found the mobo the hardest to decide on they all seem the same!?? Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Zerk2012]

This puts you right at 1250 and gets you everything you wonted has 2X 1TB hard drives, i7 4790K, 16GB of 1866 memory, high quality 750 Watt power supply with a 7 year warranty. Decent air CPU cooler it will work fine till you upgrade to water.
Add the case you picked and $1250
Here is a Combo on the motherboard and processor the sale will end soon. This motherboard will do about the same as the higher priced one their no reason to spend 200 bucks on a motherboard. You can't beat this price don't pass it up with the $90 off. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1933455
The rest of the parts (add the case ) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zpmtNG

 

[cruddyturtle]

This puts you right at 1250 and gets you everything you wonted has 2X 1TB hard drives, i7 4790K, 16GB of 1866 memory, high quality 750 Watt power supply with a 7 year warranty. Decent air CPU cooler it will work fine till you upgrade to water.
Add the case you picked and $1250
Here is a Combo on the motherboard and processor the sale will end soon. This motherboard will do about the same as the higher priced one their no reason to spend 200 bucks on a motherboard. You can't beat this price don't pass it up with the $90 off. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1933455
The rest of the parts (add the case ) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zpmtNG

Sweet thanks. Can you remove a CPU cooler because of the thermal paste. Also what's the difference between motherboards, why are some more expensive then others and is that Asus one, a motherboards that will last. And is there something I'm missing about the gigabyte gtx 970 because everyone changes it to ether msi or evga? But that list was helpful thanks.

 

[Kohwali]

Getting a K series processor is a waste if you're not OCing, so if you don't OC, you can just get this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($298.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($137.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1224.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 13:13 EDT-0400

Switched back to an i7 because you have space in your budget for one.

If you're not overclocking, you can drop the K-series processor along with the cooler and just stay with the stock cooler. But you had space in your budget so I added this. Why not?

Although the motherboard is still a Z series (for overclocking), none of the non-overclocking motherboards support SLI so I decided to go with this one.

The ASUS one was more expensive because its really good very overclocker (and ASUS is a premium company)

The Gigabyte 970 is a very long card at 312 mm and can have clearance issues. Most people go with MSI, EVGA, or ASUS because its easier to not double check the case on PCPartPicker to see it's maximum video card length to make sure the Gigabyte card will fit.
The Gigabyte card will fit fine in the Enthoo Pro.

EDIT: Updated the build.

 

[sammy sung]

Assuming you're new to gaming/building I'd suggest you stay clear of overclocking at the moment. You can buy parts that aren't unlocked, and still study up on how to do small to moderate overclocks. Even with said parts you can sparingly attempt to do so, after lots of reading/watching, and overclock very small amounts within limits of the factory's lock.

This being said, we can put you within budget with a very adequate machine for both styles of pc life, in gaming and video rendering.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($298.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($141.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($254.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 Snow White ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.36 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cougar Vortex PWM 70.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.97 @ Amazon)
Total: $1254.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 12:57 EDT-0400

We go with a non K processor, but stick with the i7 for better performance in multi-threaded applications which is sounds like you'll be dabbling in. We go with an H motherboard for the very same reason as a processor which isn't unlocked. If you're going to be overclocking; or at least doing so very sparingly, you'll be able to get by with the quality 620W power supply. Now I say quality with tongue in cheek sort of, as this isn't one of Antec's better units and it's geared to budget builds. However I've personally used this very supply in a project with a friend less than a month ago, and it currently powers dual R9-270's with a minor cpu overclock. No issues at all thus far.

We've also opted for windows 8.1 as it's a faster loading OS than windows 7. That's not a selling point, if not for the free windows 10 emerging soon, so it doesn't really matter. Lets just look at performance in the short meanwhile. Dual SSD 128GB for much faster performance with rendering/editing. 16GB ram for what obviously your entry and middle ground needs would be for such tasks. Now here's the main difference between your specifications and my suggestion. The 970 vs the R9-290. While the 970 is the marginal leader in performance, the 290 still trades blows on various games, making it a mild contender at a much smaller price tag. It runs a little hotter which we're addressing with cooling options, and has a larger TDP which we've covered with a fine priced power supply. The drawbacks are essentially handled while the benefit of a much cheaper future dual card solution becomes much more valid. My brother in law has Dual R9-290's, and while he needs to take extra steps with cooling, he sees much better performance and shockingly less scaling issues than I do with my dual 280's.

 

[Kohwali]

@sammy sung I like how much time you put into your answer and how in-depth it is. But I disagree on the 290 vs 970 evaluation.

The GTX 970 not only beats the 290 but the 290X as well, while staying cooler, being more power efficient, and cheaper than the 290x. http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-290X-vs-GeForce-GTX-970

"the consensus opinion was that the $330 GTX 970 often trumped the $400 R9 290 and delivered frame rates dangerously close to the R9 290X in many tests, despite costing so much less than AMD’s cards." - PCWorld

Futhermore on games without Mantle, the 970 beats the 290x. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980-970-maxwell,3941-7.html

 

[sammy sung]

Oh no, I agree with you. Only since then AMD has, in response to the 9xx release, dropped prices tremendously. As noted on my list, the 290 can be had for around $80 cheaper. Or $100 cheaper if you don't mind HIS or Powercolor(I like powercolor actually : D ) for graphics cards. I have lots of personal experience with 290's from the shop I work at, and although we haven't brought in any 970's for builds yet, I've a lot of word of mouth experience from two friends who use them. It's definitely got a performance lead, but I wouldn't call it breathtaking when I go by the benches my friends clocked their cards at.

Real world performance is what always throws me for a loop. I like to get my own benchmarks as opposed to reading lots of reviews. I'm constantly shocked by what I see, but I love what I do for a living : p

If this were strictly a gaming build, I'd have gone with the 4690, no question and suggested the 970. Only in his rendering pursuits the 8 thread processor would be rather valuable as opposed the 4 thread i5. I've never for my own personal tower went i7, aside from a 920 I had for a little over a month. Back then we were still looking hard to find the differences in gaming, and obviously the whole world knows the score now. I would probably amend my build a little though. I just love thermaltake cases lol

 

[Kohwali]

Oh no, I agree with you. Only since then AMD has, in response to the 9xx release, dropped prices tremendously. As noted on my list, the 290 can be had for around $80 cheaper. Or $100 cheaper if you don't mind HIS or Powercolor(I like powercolor actually : D ) for graphics cards. I have lots of personal experience with 290's from the shop I work at, and although we haven't brought in any 970's for builds yet, I've a lot of word of mouth experience from two friends who use them. It's definitely got a performance lead, but I wouldn't call it breathtaking when I go by the benches my friends clocked their cards at.

Real world performance is what always throws me for a loop. I like to get my own benchmarks as opposed to reading lots of reviews. I'm constantly shocked by what I see, but I love what I do for a living : p

If this were strictly a gaming build, I'd have gone with the 4690, no question and suggested the 970. Only in his rendering pursuits the 8 thread processor would be rather valuable as opposed the 4 thread i5. I've never for my own personal tower went i7, aside from a 920 I had for a little over a month. Back then we were still looking hard to find the differences in gaming, and obviously the whole world knows the score now. I would probably amend my build a little though. I just love thermaltake cases lol

Haha I'm hoping I can do something with computers for a living!

I updated my second build to include the i7, but it doesn't have an OS. He didn't say if he needed one or not.

 

[Zerk2012]

Even if your not overclocking right now or no intention to in the future you still cant beat this price and the i7 4790K processor has a faster clock speed turbo to 4.4GHz so really no overclock will bee needed.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1933455

 

[Zerk2012]

This puts you right at 1250 and gets you everything you wonted has 2X 1TB hard drives, i7 4790K, 16GB of 1866 memory, high quality 750 Watt power supply with a 7 year warranty. Decent air CPU cooler it will work fine till you upgrade to water.
Add the case you picked and $1250
Here is a Combo on the motherboard and processor the sale will end soon. This motherboard will do about the same as the higher priced one their no reason to spend 200 bucks on a motherboard. You can't beat this price don't pass it up with the $90 off. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1933455
The rest of the parts (add the case ) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zpmtNG

Sweet thanks. Can you remove a CPU cooler because of the thermal paste. Also what's the difference between motherboards, why are some more expensive then others and is that Asus one, a motherboards that will last. And is there something I'm missing about the gigabyte gtx 970 because everyone changes it to ether msi or evga? But that list was helpful thanks.

Pretty much after getting a quality motherboard it gets more expensive the more features you add for your average person if you spend over $150 on a motherboard your wasting money that could be spent somewhere else unless you need a specific feature of the higher priced board.
For the video card I picked one that was in stock, their all good brands of the card.

 

[cruddyturtle]

I would prefer to stay with a k CPU so that down the road when I'm running sli and I have learned more and want to try and oc and at that point I would buy the water cooler. Also when I said a $1250 "budget" was more of a guideline, so a $100 ether way or something like that wont be horrible. Also on this rough set up (the 970 and the 4790k) run on 2-3 monitor setup? And if so can you have only one screen say using a game and the other ones on the desktop or on the internet? Also I was Planning to wait till black Friday to buy this stuff is that worth it?

 

[sammy sung]

Updated per preference

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($116.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($141.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($254.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 Snow White ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.36 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cougar Vortex PWM 70.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.97 @ Amazon)
Total: $1320.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 22:28 EDT-0400

Water cooling would be preferred, but can wait until you're ready. Meanwhile air will provide a moderate overclock for less price/hassle now. As far as black friday goes, it and cyber monday aren't worth much online with hardware. Hardware prices fluctuate daily/hourly. Prices never stick around, so something you buy for say $150 on black friday could be $140 five days later cause that's just how the market curved at that moment. I never really see good deals. Only at Micro center, and you have to go in store to purchase, sooooo...

 

[Kohwali]

Also on this rough set up (the 970 and the 4790k) run on 2-3 monitor setup?

Yeah that'll be fine, the 970 has 4GB of VRAM. 1GB per monitor.

Waiting until Black Friday won't hurt. Remember: the price of technology like this will always go down in time! Black Friday will definitely feature sales, so keep your eyes open!

 

[Kohwali]

I suggest going with this build and then grabbing the Corsair H105 when you're reading to overclock:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($203.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1292.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 23:10 EDT-0400

The stock cooler on the i7-4790k will be fine for running stock speeds

As for the PSU:

EVGA G2 850W is an excellent PSU and will be enough for 970 in two way SLI + CPU overclocking. Here's JonnyGURU's review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=...
He places all PSUs through stress tests and many more things to test how good they are.

You can save $60 by dropping the motherboard to an ASUS Z97-A which can still SLI:

You really can't go wrong with either of these mobos. If budget is the issue stick with Z97-A and if you can stretch your budget then go for Hero. Both are great mobos from a very good and reliable manufacturer.


ROG Hero is purely for gaming not just overclocking. Z97-A also provides overclocking support.

Your original components were really good tbh.

 

[cruddyturtle]

ROG Hero is purely for gaming not just overclocking. Z97-A also provides overclocking support.[/quote]

So does that mean the hero can't oc? And what's the difference between the hero and the Z97-A? So if I weren't to go with the hero, can someone recommend a motherboard that has alot of ports (like USB 3.0, 2.0, HDMI etc......) and can oc and is good for gaming That's around the same price? Like would the Asus sabertooth Z97 MK1 work in this build with the needed specks?