Looking for a $2,000 Gaming Desktop Build

JaysonW

Reputable
Oct 3, 2014
5
0
4,510
Hey guys, I'm looking to build a new Gaming PC this winter. I need some suggested builds from you guys pricing around $2,200 with Monitor. Don't need Mouse, Keyboard, or Speakers as I have those. I'm looking to use an I7 chip as I can use the hyperthreading for multitasking and video editing as well. Thinking about a Single GTX 980 or dual 970 Asus Strix. I will mainly be using this build to game on FFXIV: ARR on Highest Settings while streaming Twitch. Sometimes running Dual Clients. Let me know your ideas!
 
It is a little over budget but its well worth it:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($336.74 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($165.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($152.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($434.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($434.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2244.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 22:10 EDT-0400

It has an i7 4790K with SLI 780tis. You maybe wondering "WHY 780Tis?" Well because the difference in price between the 780ti and 980 is around $120 and the 980 only outperforms the 780Ti by around 5-6 FPS in most games. A small overclock on the 780Ti can match the performance. I would say its not worth the $120. Monitor has a good refresh rate and it is high quality. The build WILL BE more than enough for what you plan on doing. Have fun!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, and I hope I helped you out 😉
 


The cards I put in the build are 780Tis not 780s. The 780Tis is much better than the 970 and from a price/performance standpoint, a lot better than the 980, too.
 

Gear down cow boy. They are not a better price/performance ratio. Please prove it if you think otherwise. Not to mention the 970's less power consumption, which in turn means less heat. Lets not forget about the directx compatibility in the future.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-970-g1-gaming-review,15.html

2 FPS difference in 1440p. And they are $85 more with 1 GB less VRAM
 


That is a good choice. Never noticed how close they were to each other in benchmarks. Apologies and thanks for the benchmarks.

And OP: You can go with the 970s if you can find them in stock. Otherwise just go with 2 780tis. They have good overclocking capabilities and will do you pretty well.
 
Agreed that you should definitely go with the latest, well-priced 900 series. All else being equal, you should grab a single fast GPU over 2-cheaper SLI'd cards. More heat, noise, and driver issues, and not all games support SLI perfectly. That and buying one card now, gives you the option to add a 2nd in the future.

Next, in this price range, you can consider a 1440p monitor, or a 144HZ monitor, depending on your own preference. There are monitors just now coming to market that are both, but they come at a price premium.

CLC (closed loop water coolers) are a mixed bag. You get slightly cooler temps on the CPU itself, but some of the other components on the mobo don't get cooled as well, and you end up with a loud radiator on your case. I prefer the quiet (though bulky) Noctua D14 in this price range.

Here's my recommendation, just add a monitor. You can add another 980 down the road (although might want to bump up the PSU to 850W). The Case is kind of subjective. The Corsair Carbide, NXZT Phantom, and Fractal R4 series are all solid choices for a case.

If you have wiggle room, bump up to a larger SSD, or to a slightly faster Samsung 850 Pro. Also, if you have free money, look into a mechanical keyboard. It can make a huge difference in your every-day use, and gaming.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($94.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.25 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1613.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 17:42 EDT-0400