Help requested with gaming PC build

[Jakobjump]

Hi. My friend has asked me for some help regarding a gaming PC build.

Below I have linked a pcpartpicker page where I have listed the components, I am currently at the verge of breaking his budget but there are a few parts I am a bit dodgy on.

Is the motherboard any good? I have been looking at the "MSI PC Mate mobo" it is a tad cheaper and any thoughts are very appreciated.

Also, are there any other budget cases that are better? The gpu blocks some driver bays which might not be a problem, but as I said, any alternatives or thoughts are appreciated.


My friend has no intentions of overclocking or anything along those lines, and therefore that does not need to be considered.

Thanks beforehand


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($27.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $959.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 12:22 EDT-0400

 

[sharndowg]

There is no need for an aftermarket CPU cooler, the Intel stock fan will be more than enough. That said, there is also no need to purchase thermal compound too as Intel's fans are shipped with it pre-applied. So $30 saved!

 

[stl522013]

Hi. My friend has asked me for some help regarding a gaming PC build.

Below I have linked a pcpartpicker page where I have listed the components, I am currently at the verge of breaking his budget but there are a few parts I am a bit dodgy on.

Is the motherboard any good? I have been looking at the "MSI PC Mate mobo" it is a tad cheaper and any thoughts are very appreciated.

Also, are there any other budget cases that are better? The gpu blocks some driver bays which might not be a problem, but as I said, any alternatives or thoughts are appreciated.


My friend has no intentions of overclocking or anything along those lines, and therefore that does not need to be considered.

Thanks beforehand


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($27.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $959.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 12:22 EDT-0400

I don't know a whole lot about mobos, but if you aren't overclocking you should be fine, at least from my knowledge. And if you got maybe an AMD CPU, you could afford a better GPU. The R9 390 is a very good GPU. It is about the same price as the GTX 970 but performs better on 9/10 games. And it will be able to max any if not almost any game out right now at 1080p 60fps with anti-ailiasing.

 

[stl522013]

There is no need for an aftermarket CPU cooler, the Intel stock fan will be more than enough. that said, there is also no need to purchase thermal compound too as the Intel's fans are shipped with it pre-applied. So $30 saved!

Yeah, as long as you aren't getting an OEM processor, the thermal compound should come pre-applied.

 

[tiny voices]

Get an h97 board because you are not overclocking. For this reason ditch the cooler and paste.

SSD is crap. Change for a Crucial BX100.

You want a better GPU, but that 960 is fine.

No need for those fans. theyare meant for radiators. Change for AF series fans.

 

[stl522013]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6RCd7P It doesn't say the price for the cooler for some reason, but just add whatever they are going for on Newegg for the price. And the colors aren't random on this. I thought it would look cool with an white case and all red insides. Sadly there isn't a Caviar Red HDD. Lol.

 

[tiny voices]

^ don;t bother with the 6350. It is a 3 year old CPU and showing it's age. an i3 beats it is most games. The PSU is not good quality at all and needs to be changed.

The 6350 will bottleneck the 390 in most all games. An i5 4460 is vastly superior and VERY recommended.

 

[stl522013]

^ don;t bother with the 6350. It is a 3 year old CPU and showing it's age. an i3 beats it is most games. The PSU is not good quality at all and needs to be changed.

The 6350 will bottleneck the 390 in most all games. An i5 4460 is vastly superior and VERY recommended.

EVGA isn't good?

 

[tiny voices]

EVGA makes some good and some bad units. The G2,B2,GS,P2 units are good. the G1/B1 units are crap.

 

[stl522013]

EVGA makes some good and some bad units. The G2,B2,GS,P2 units are good. the G1/B1 units are crap.

Ok. Could he still get an Intel CPU and the R9 390? And I don't think the FX-6350 would be that much of a bottleneck. I have seen tests done with FX CPUs and there wasn't much of a difference.

 

[stl522013]

Sorry that posted twice. There was a glitch or something.

 

[tiny voices]

Yes the 6350 will be much worse than the i5 in any CPU intensive game and deliver MUCH lower minimum FPS which is what you feel. Even if an i5 and 6350 both average 50fps in a game, the 6350 will have MUCH lower minimum fps making for a much less enjoyable experience.

Plus it is 3 years old and has no upgrade path.

 

[tiny voices]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($314.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($31.64 @ Amazon)
Total: $1010.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 12:54 EDT-0400

This is the right way to do it.

 

[stl522013]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($314.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($31.64 @ Amazon)
Total: $1010.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 12:54 EDT-0400

This is the right way to do it.

Awesome build bro, he should go with yours. I found a solution to the FX-6350 being older. Overclock it 9001 THz and cool it with liquid Helium.

 

[tiny voices]

In all reality, even a very overclocked 6350 or any overclocked FX CPU will lose to an i5 in minimum framerates.

 

[Jakobjump]

Wow, lots of answers. Thanks everyone for the help! Going with the build Tiny Voices made, though all though have been appreciated

 

[Jakobjump]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.47 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($314.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($31.64 @ Amazon)
Total: $1010.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 12:54 EDT-0400

This is the right way to do it.

Just a question, what is the difference between having a bronze cert. psu and a gold cert. psu?

 

[tiny voices]

Efficiency. The amount of power wasted. The difference between bronze and gold is small. Too small to really see.

 

[Jakobjump]

Efficiency. The amount of power wasted. The difference between bronze and gold is small. Too small to really see.

Thank you for clarifying and all of your help

 

[tiny voices]

No problem!