My mates PC, have a look

[JesseC123]

What do you guys think of this build for a friend?
He wants to spend 1300-1400 AUD
this is what i have so far
please chuck me some suggestions
everything will be bought off pccasegear.com
[PCPartPicker part list](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/VgXCqs) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/VgXCqs/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54590) | $249.00 @ CPL Online
**Motherboard** | [MSI B85-G43 GAMING ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-b85g43gaming) | $125.00 @ CPL Online
**Memory** | [G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8gbsr) | $108.00 @ CPL Online
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) | $98.00 @ Centre Com
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Dual FTW ACX Video Card](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp43784kr) | Purchased For $300.00
**Case** | [Cooler Master K281 ATX Mid Tower Case](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-rck281kkn1) | $49.00 @ CPL Online
**Optical Drive** | [LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsb0) | $19.00 @ CPL Online
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615) | $119.00 @ Mwave Australia
**Monitor** | [BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor](http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/benq-monitor-rl2455hm) | Purchased For $175.00
**Other**| Be Quiet! Pure Power L8 600W Power Supply| $99.00
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1341.00
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-08 13:05 EST+1100 |

 

[JesseC123]

I ran into a problem the card he was getting is from another friend but he is not selling it anymore, if you guys could suggest any cards that will not mess up the price to much that would be great

 

[tsuneo6]

gtx 970 or r9 290x with the gtx 970 just being that much better in general
the rest looks good

 

[Sturmgewehr_44]

Yeah, ditch the 780. Great card, but it just gets bettered by the 970.

Also, I would go for a 4690k if getting an i5. It's a very similar price, and is unlocked. Will definitely perform better on stock as well.

You can Windows 7 for cheap. I'm stubborn, and would never go for Windows 8, even if it wasn't my own money.

Get a better case. I suggest the HAF 912 if you do not want to spend much more on it than the one you already are thinking about going with.

I would add an SSD. 120GB is okay. This is relatively cheap, and should perform very well: http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT128MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGD88/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420685037&sr=8-2&keywords=crucial+m500+120gb

I would also go with 16GB of Ram. Same type is fine.Don't get a be quiet! Power Supply. You don't need 600w. Here: http://www.amazon.com/SeaSonic-550-Watt-CrossFire-Certified-SSR-550RM/dp/B00918MEZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420685114&sr=8-1&keywords=seasonic+500w

 

[tsuneo6]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

as for going for a i5 4690k, if you are planning on overclocking, sure get that one. if not just stick with the one you already selected. it's a great CPU and will last you a good long while.

as for the PSU, yes 600 watts is a bit to much, you can go for a 500-550 watt PSU aswell, I was just thinking of some extra headroom for possible future upgrades😉

and chosing the SSD is entirely up to you! if it means you'll have to cut costs somewhere to get an ssd, then dont get one. it'll just lower loading times and such.

 

[JesseC123]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

as for going for a i5 4690k, if you are planning on overclocking, sure get that one. if not just stick with the one you already selected. it's a great CPU and will last you a good long while.

as for the PSU, yes 600 watts is a bit to much, you can go for a 500-550 watt PSU aswell, I was just thinking of some extra headroom for possible future upgrades😉

and chosing the SSD is entirely up to you! if it means you'll have to cut costs somewhere to get an ssd, then dont get one. it'll just lower loading times and such.

What do you think of this PSU? http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=22270 or this http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_226&products_id=27175
also ill stick with the 4590 as they are similar and trying to save money he says. Not overclocking and only gaming as well
I am getting an SSD i forgot to put it in the list

 

[smeezekitty]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

It really isn't. There is nothing wrong with buying an older OS if it is better.
Yes there are workarounds to 8.1's borked GUI but you are better off with 7

 

[JesseC123]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

It really isn't. There is nothing wrong with buying an older OS if it is better.
Yes there are workarounds to 8.1's borked GUI but you are better off with 7

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=22270 is that a good psu?
or this? http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_226&products_id=27175

 

[smeezekitty]

I would say they are both a solid "meh"

Not the worst units in the world but there are a lot better out there

 

[tsuneo6]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

It really isn't. There is nothing wrong with buying an older OS if it is better.
Yes there are workarounds to 8.1's borked GUI but you are better off with 7

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-8-gaming-performance,3331.html
this also is an old article. So given allt he updates etc, there should be a slightly bigger difference.
the only difference UI wise between windows 7 and 8 is the "start button screen". I find windows 8 handier than 7 even. it's easier to find things.

 

[tsuneo6]

as for the power supplies, have a look at this http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html
I'm no expert on power supplies but in ther liest you should pick one from tier 2b and up.

 

[Icaraeus]

I find Windows 8.1 to be better than Windows 7 at basically everything - it is faster and the Start Menu is good (NOT Windows 8 Start Menu, Windows 8.1 Start Menu).

Most of the stuff I run on my PC is through the task bar, and if not then anything else is through the Start Menu which is really good in Windows 8.1 and significantly faster than Windows 7.

 

[Icaraeus]

I find Windows 8.1 to be better than Windows 7 at basically everything - it is faster and the Start Menu is good (NOT Windows 8 Start Menu, Windows 8.1 Start Menu).

Most of the stuff I run on my PC is through the task bar, and if not then anything else is through the Start Menu which is really good in Windows 8.1 and significantly faster than Windows 7.

 

[tsuneo6]

also, I removed best answer by accident 😉

 

[smeezekitty]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

It really isn't. There is nothing wrong with buying an older OS if it is better.
Yes there are workarounds to 8.1's borked GUI but you are better off with 7

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-8-gaming-performance,3331.html
this also is an old article. So given allt he updates etc, there should be a slightly bigger difference.
the only difference UI wise between windows 7 and 8 is the "start button screen". I find windows 8 handier than 7 even. it's easier to find things.

Woot one frame per second difference. Totally worth it!

More bothersome was the compatibility issue we ran into in Sleeping Dogs, which affected Windows 8, but not Windows 7. When we chose the High detail preset, most of the in-game models simply disappeared. Fortunately, that geometry shows up again if you dial down the graphics quality. Hardly a favorable solution, but it's what we have for now.

Aside from those couple of idiosyncrasies, performance under Windows 8 is indistinguishable from Windows 7. Any speed-up or slow-down would be almost impossible to identify during game play, and we expect compatibility issues to get patched quickly by game developers.

'
My experience is that it is the worst OS I have ever used.

 

[smeezekitty]

okay. first... windows8.1 is better in every aswepc than windows 7. nowadays you can even make it look like windows 7 so there is no point in buying an older OS. second. the 16 gigs of RAM will only be better if the user is going to do serious video edditing etc. so of it is for daily use, gaming, and streaming videos, then he's more than good with 8 gigs.

It really isn't. There is nothing wrong with buying an older OS if it is better.
Yes there are workarounds to 8.1's borked GUI but you are better off with 7

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-8-gaming-performance,3331.html
this also is an old article. So given allt he updates etc, there should be a slightly bigger difference.
the only difference UI wise between windows 7 and 8 is the "start button screen". I find windows 8 handier than 7 even. it's easier to find things.

Woot one frame per second difference. Totally worth it!

More bothersome was the compatibility issue we ran into in Sleeping Dogs, which affected Windows 8, but not Windows 7. When we chose the High detail preset, most of the in-game models simply disappeared. Fortunately, that geometry shows up again if you dial down the graphics quality. Hardly a favorable solution, but it's what we have for now.

Aside from those couple of idiosyncrasies, performance under Windows 8 is indistinguishable from Windows 7. Any speed-up or slow-down would be almost impossible to identify during game play, and we expect compatibility issues to get patched quickly by game developers.

'
My experience is that it is the worst OS I have ever used.

 

[tsuneo6]

hm yes, people dont like change. the only difference is the *metro view*
also, noone knows yet if windows 7 will support dx12 there has been talk it's only for windows 8 and higher. not sure how things are now.

dont settle for older software when there is newer and better!

 

[Sturmgewehr_44]

hm yes, people dont like change. the only difference is the *metro view*
also, noone knows yet if windows 7 will support dx12 there has been talk it's only for windows 8 and higher. not sure how things are now.

dont settle for older software when there is newer and better!

That's heavily debatable. Windows 8 it just confusing for me. I hate change and I'm stubborn as all hell. Not my bloody fault.

Besides, many prefer Windows 7.

DX12 better come on Windows 7. It probably will. Microsoft has pulled too many gimmicks in the past few months and this won't slide if they exclude Windows 7 from DX12. Nope.

 

[tsuneo6]

well I'm looking forward to windows 10 though!

 

[Sturmgewehr_44]

I also am stubborn, but I find windows 7 handy because it 'works'.
I have lost count of the posts I have seen on here regarding W8 compatibility.
Being fair, I havent seen one this week.
I believe windows O/S's are like star trek movies.
Every other one is a dud.People dont like change.
When microsoft get this through their heads and stop messing about with stuff that works well maybe people will stop buying consoles.
But anyroad. With a 60htz monitor you could get away with a 280X if you see a price drop shortly. Bitmining has fallen out of favour and they should be dead cheap when the 960 comes out.

280x? Nah. OP said that they had a 1400-1500 dollar budget. The 970 is not much more. It would be in their best interest to go that route.