Is this a good build for gaming?

[labmonkey398]

Im looking to upgrade my PC. I want an overall good PC that is used mainly for gaming, web browsing and microsoft office. I don't render videos, or use adobe creative suite products. Here are the components that I have chosen. I don't know anything about cpu coolers. I just chose a random one, so can someone recommend one to use?

CPU: Intel 4690K Devils Canyon
CPU Cooler: Antec Kuhler H20 950
Motherboard: ASUS z97-E
Memory: G.Skill Ares 16gb DDR3-1333
Storage: Baracuda 1TB
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 120Gb
GPU: EVGA GTX 970 ACX 2.0 2-Way SLI
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White)
PSU: EVGA Supernova 850W G2
Monitor: Dell P2415Q

 

[AlexSaff]

For your CPU I would recommend the i7 4790k because it has 4 GHz instead of 3.5 with a $100 price difference. If it is too expensive you should probably go with the i7 4770k for around the same price range. For your RAM I would recommend at least 1666 MHz but 2133 is really what you should go for because after that the price per % increase in performance doesn't really add up. For a cooler I would recommend a Corsair H90 for a 140mm cooler but if you want something bigger you can go with the H100 or H100i although those can get a bit louder. Whatever you do though don't get an H110 or H105 because they basically sound like vacuum cleaners. For your PSU I would recommend the equivalent with a Corsair product not because I am sponsored by Corsair but because I think their products are better than some EVGA ones including the PSUs. For storage I would personally go with a WD black but a Barracuda will work as well, you might also want to maybe get 2TB but not really sure how many games you play. Your SSD is spot on with the EVO and is probably the best one in that price range. I'm not too familiar with ASUS motherboards but I would recommend an MSI board because of their extremely superior customer support. If you have any more questions ask me and hopefully I can answer them. Cheers

 

[ZeroGravity780]

For your CPU I would recommend the i7 4790k because it has 4 GHz instead of 3.5 with a $100 price difference. If it is too expensive you should probably go with the i7 4770k for around the same price range. For your RAM I would recommend at least 1666 MHz but 2133 is really what you should go for because after that the price per % increase in performance doesn't really add up. For a cooler I would recommend a Corsair H90 for a 140mm cooler but if you want something bigger you can go with the H100 or H100i although those can get a bit louder. Whatever you do though don't get an H110 or H105 because they basically sound like vacuum cleaners. For your PSU I would recommend the equivalent with a Corsair product not because I am sponsored by Corsair but because I think their products are better than some EVGA ones including the PSUs. For storage I would personally go with a WD black but a Barracuda will work as well, you might also want to maybe get 2TB but not really sure how many games you play. Your SSD is spot on with the EVO and is probably the best one in that price range. I'm not too familiar with ASUS motherboards but I would recommend an MSI board because of their extremely superior customer support. If you have any more questions ask me and hopefully I can answer them. Cheers

I recommend not getting an i7 as the i5 4690k is sufficient for gaming. Your PSU brand is fine, you just dont need a 850, id get a 750W Gold rated. Also you can go with Seasonic, Antec or XFX. Your baracuda is fine or western digital is another good manufacturer. SSD is a great choice, As for the motherboard its really up to the features you want as long as its a good brand with good reviews. For the ram get only 8 gb its all youll need for gaming and get them in pairs for dual channel memory and get 1600 mhx + not 1333.
A good coolermaster evo 212 will do just fine for $35 its one of the best.

 

[labmonkey398]

For your CPU I would recommend the i7 4790k because it has 4 GHz instead of 3.5 with a $100 price difference. If it is too expensive you should probably go with the i7 4770k for around the same price range. For your RAM I would recommend at least 1666 MHz but 2133 is really what you should go for because after that the price per % increase in performance doesn't really add up. For a cooler I would recommend a Corsair H90 for a 140mm cooler but if you want something bigger you can go with the H100 or H100i although those can get a bit louder. Whatever you do though don't get an H110 or H105 because they basically sound like vacuum cleaners. For your PSU I would recommend the equivalent with a Corsair product not because I am sponsored by Corsair but because I think their products are better than some EVGA ones including the PSUs. For storage I would personally go with a WD black but a Barracuda will work as well, you might also want to maybe get 2TB but not really sure how many games you play. Your SSD is spot on with the EVO and is probably the best one in that price range. I'm not too familiar with ASUS motherboards but I would recommend an MSI board because of their extremely superior customer support. If you have any more questions ask me and hopefully I can answer them. Cheers

How does the i7 4770k compare to the i5 4690k? For the ram, is the G.Skill Ares a good product? What is the difference between the WD black and a Barracuda? I play a lot of games, so I think i'll go with a 2TB. I've heard that MSI motherboards tend to not be as reliable as ASUS. Is there any truth to that? Thanks for your help!

 

[ZeroGravity780]

i7 is only needed for photo/video editing and programs that use hyperthreading.

RAM:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428&cm_re=g_skill_ripjaw-_-20-231-428-_-Product

Your choice in HD is fine.

And yes asus is a very reliable brand, but ive had some msi motherboards and i like them also.

 

[AlexSaff]

For your CPU I would recommend the i7 4790k because it has 4 GHz instead of 3.5 with a $100 price difference. If it is too expensive you should probably go with the i7 4770k for around the same price range. For your RAM I would recommend at least 1666 MHz but 2133 is really what you should go for because after that the price per % increase in performance doesn't really add up. For a cooler I would recommend a Corsair H90 for a 140mm cooler but if you want something bigger you can go with the H100 or H100i although those can get a bit louder. Whatever you do though don't get an H110 or H105 because they basically sound like vacuum cleaners. For your PSU I would recommend the equivalent with a Corsair product not because I am sponsored by Corsair but because I think their products are better than some EVGA ones including the PSUs. For storage I would personally go with a WD black but a Barracuda will work as well, you might also want to maybe get 2TB but not really sure how many games you play. Your SSD is spot on with the EVO and is probably the best one in that price range. I'm not too familiar with ASUS motherboards but I would recommend an MSI board because of their extremely superior customer support. If you have any more questions ask me and hopefully I can answer them. Cheers

How does the i7 4770k compare to the i5 4690k? For the ram, is the G.Skill Ares a good product? What is the difference between the WD black and a Barracuda? I play a lot of games, so I think i'll go with a 2TB. I've heard that MSI motherboards tend to not be as reliable as ASUS. Is there any truth to that? Thanks for your help!

The 4770k is a 3.5 ghz quad core and the 4690k is a 4ghz quad core. For gaming more ghz is better and the 4690k is only around $30 more expensive so I think is is worth the money. The WD black has better performance than the barracuda and has better reliability so it won't fail on you. As for the mother boards some people might say Asus is better than MSI but in my experience with 2 MSIs and 3 ASUS the MSIs are a lot better with 2 ASUSs dying on me (not really sure if it was my fault or not though).

 

[Bossyfins]

Actually, the Black has more failure rates the then Seagate..

 

[labmonkey398]

For your CPU I would recommend the i7 4790k because it has 4 GHz instead of 3.5 with a $100 price difference. If it is too expensive you should probably go with the i7 4770k for around the same price range. For your RAM I would recommend at least 1666 MHz but 2133 is really what you should go for because after that the price per % increase in performance doesn't really add up. For a cooler I would recommend a Corsair H90 for a 140mm cooler but if you want something bigger you can go with the H100 or H100i although those can get a bit louder. Whatever you do though don't get an H110 or H105 because they basically sound like vacuum cleaners. For your PSU I would recommend the equivalent with a Corsair product not because I am sponsored by Corsair but because I think their products are better than some EVGA ones including the PSUs. For storage I would personally go with a WD black but a Barracuda will work as well, you might also want to maybe get 2TB but not really sure how many games you play. Your SSD is spot on with the EVO and is probably the best one in that price range. I'm not too familiar with ASUS motherboards but I would recommend an MSI board because of their extremely superior customer support. If you have any more questions ask me and hopefully I can answer them. Cheers

How does the i7 4770k compare to the i5 4690k? For the ram, is the G.Skill Ares a good product? What is the difference between the WD black and a Barracuda? I play a lot of games, so I think i'll go with a 2TB. I've heard that MSI motherboards tend to not be as reliable as ASUS. Is there any truth to that? Thanks for your help!

The 4770k is a 3.5 ghz quad core and the 4690k is a 4ghz quad core. For gaming more ghz is better and the 4690k is only around $30 more expensive so I think is is worth the money. The WD black has better performance than the barracuda and has better reliability so it won't fail on you. As for the mother boards some people might say Asus is better than MSI but in my experience with 2 MSIs and 3 ASUS the MSIs are a lot better with 2 ASUSs dying on me (not really sure if it was my fault or not though).

Thanks a lot for your help. I ended up keeping the 4690k because it is actually over $100 cheaper. The 4960k is $215 and the 4770k is $340. Based on Zerogravities advice, I went with the Coolermaster 212 Evo, because it is sufficient and for a much cheaper price point. With that, I made a little room for an MSI Z97S Krait, to go with the black and white theme. I upgraded my memory to Kingston Fury 16gb DDR3-1866, a happy medium between 1600 and 2133 Mhz. I also changed the PSU to a NZXT HALE90, to also fit the theme. I wanted to go with corsair, but it is much more expensive then the one I had. Once again, thanks for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.