Need advice on first time build.

R3Qu13m

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Oct 3, 2015
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Hi, i am about to make my first computer and i am still a bit hesitating regarding the parts i am going to go with. I have come up with two build so far and i'd like to have some advices.

Build 1 :

Mobo - Gigabyte GA-Z97-D3H
CPU - i5 4460
GPU - MSI R7 370 Gaming 4G
PSU - Lepa B650 Modulaire
RAM - DDR3 Ballistix Sports 2*8G
Case - Dark Trooper Advance
HDD - Seagate 1To Barracuda 7200 rpm
OS: Windows 10 Home 64x
Price : +/- 830€

Build 2 :

Mobo - MSI Z170A Gaming Pro
CPU - i5 6400
GPU - MSI R7 370 Gaming 4G
PSU - Lepa B650 Modulaire
RAM - DDR4 Hyper Fury X 2*8G 2133MHz CL14
Case - Dark Trooper Advance
HDD - Seagate 1To Barracuda 7200 rpm
OS: Windows 10 Home 64x
Price: +/- 950€

What would you choose? Why? Is there any part you would recommand to completely avoid or pick better one.

I do not plan on overclocking, but i would like to be able to upgrade CPU, RAM and GPU in 5 years, is 1151 socket the better bet? Or am i better of sticking to 1150 build?

Thank you very much in advance for your answers.
 
Solution
Everything CTurbo said is greait. Personally, i would go for skylake build. No use out of 4g GPU, 2gb is enough for 1080p. and

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A PC MATE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($88.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card...
No reason to get a Z motherboard. I would go with the 4460 + H97 motherboard. Surely there is a better video card than a 4GB 370. I guarantee you it's overpriced. Also look for a XFX, Antec, Seasonic, or Super Flower psu in the 550-650w range.
 
Thank you very much, i am going to look into it, my first pick for a MOBO was actually a MSI H97 Gaming 3. For the GPU i was looking at a R9 270x at first but from what i could read here and there it seemed to me that the R7 370 was better, do you have a suggestion you could make for a GPU in the same price range (180-220€)?

Thank for your quick answer it is most appreciated.
 
Alright thank you, the GTX 960 seems awesome.

What about the difference between 1150 and 1151 mobo/cpu and DDR3 vs DDR4 RAM? Is it worth the 100€ increase for performance? Future upgrades?
 
Alright thank you; i just checked the different PSU you recommanded, but i can't tell the difference between any of these, beside "80 Plus" labels for power consumtion is there anything else i want to check when choosing a PSU?

I was thinking about maybe taking a Case with integrated PSU, what are your thoughts on that please?
 
Well, after rethinking my build with the advice you gave me so far (thanks again for that, really helps the first timer i am :) ) i end up with a better idea of what i really need, so my third potential build woud be:

MOBO: MSI H97 Gaming 3
CPU: Intel i5 4460
GPU: MSI GTX 960 Gaming 4G
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2*4Go DDR3 1600 MHz CAS9
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1To 7200.14 series
Case/alim: PC Advance Sphere 8913B

I realised i wouldn't need 16G ram right away, and would be better off starting with 2*4 and adding two other later than getting 2*8 and keeping two empty slots.

And i checked for the power need :

Load Wattage: 304 W
Recommended UPS rating: 600 VA
Recommended PSU Wattage: 354 W

So right now i am pretty sure about all my picks, exept for the case/alim, i don't know if the ventilation is integrated or should be added, in wich case the money saving might not be as good as it seems.

Any final thought before i go with it? =)

Thanks again for all your answers, have a nice day.
 
Everything CTurbo said is greait. Personally, i would go for skylake build. No use out of 4g GPU, 2gb is enough for 1080p. and

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A PC MATE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($88.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Adorama)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Scythe Slipstream 110.3 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.40 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Thermaltake Commander Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($29.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $866.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-04 08:40 EDT-0400
 
Solution
Oh thanks Jesus, i was wondering what kind of keyboard and mouse i would get, these seems pretty nice.

I am looking into the 2G vs 4G GPU issue right now, my main requirement for my computer will be performance (i actually don't even mind playing on low graphics as long as it runs without any latency) so will i see any difference in performance running per say Battlefield 4, or will the difference just be that i can run on high with 2G and ultra on 4G?

I see you added a SSD in addition to the HDD, does this affect gameplay in anyway? Or is it just OS/game installed on SSD boot speed? I don't mind waiting 5 minutes for my PC to turn on, and that a game takes 2minutes to launch, as long as it runs smoothly once it's on.

Do you feel like separate case + PSU is a must, or is a case with built in PSU an acceptable choice?

And finally what makes you choose skylake over 1150 build?

Sorry for all the questions, i had no idea what i was doing not a week ago...and i am still far from really knowing what i do; i looked into a lots of discussions on the forum but many opinions differs from one another; so if you could go into as much detail as you can regarding the "why" of your answers it would be really nice of you. So that in addition to knowing what's the right thing to do...i know why it's the right thing to do. ^^

Thanks again for your time, have a good day. =)
 
oh brother..... :)) my english is not good, so mind the mistakes ,,,,

GTX960 is probably the best choice for 1080p gaming. 4G will not provide you with any additional noticeable performance over 2G. you will be able to run 90% of the games on ultra high settings.

Everything runs better and faster from SSD. Keep your system files, games, various programs in the SSD. movies and stuff in the storage drive.

I guess it depends on case+PSU - if it's a good quality then maybe it's worth it. Usually they're not. i would personally go for the items in my build or as CTurbo told "Also look for a XFX, Antec, Seasonic, or Super Flower psu in the 550-650w range." I would add EVGA to the list as they are seasonic or super flower based. Cooler Master V series are also very good.

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/422/Intel_Core_i5_i5-4460_vs_Intel_Core_i5_i5-6500.html
Besides the cpu being much better and moder it goes on the Intel Z170 chipset - these new mobos support DDR4 ram.

:)





 
Your english seems alright to me ^^ (then again, mine is far from perfect 😀 )

I think i am going to listen to you and pick a SSD, i might not take a HDD at all then, because i don't need much space and i will probably just use my laptop/an external hard drive for movies.

Seems like i underestimated the importance of a quality power supply and i am gonna take your advice on this one aswell and get some reputable brand; i've read somewhere else that the Corsair 550W was a good one, and it's pretty cheap; do you think it is ok or should i go for XFX, Antec, Seasonic or Superflower?

For the case i like the Dark Trooper design and the fact it already have 5 fans built in, should i really get the NZXT or is it more of a personal preference? (what matter the most for me is good ventilation and price, but if i can have both coupled with a design i like that'd be nice ^^ )

Thank for this CPU comparaison site, it's awesome! Makes me indeed want to go for skylake.

What is the difference between Z170 and H170 chipset beside overclocking capabilities? (i don't plan on overclocking)

And one last question would be : what is the difference between MSI PC Mate and MSI Gaming series? Anything usefull for someone using a single CPU and a single GPU?

Thanks again for all your answers; been on this forum for a day and i already feel like i am going to have a much more informed choice. =)
 
Good choice to go with the SSD
Corsair PSUs are reported as bad for gaming builds, not that good quality components as the PSU mentioned by me or CTurbo. I would recommend to with at least bronze 80+ efficiency PSU, single 12v rail, 550W-750W (if you're planning to SLI or maybe use the same PSU in the future)
Depending on the country, you might get different warranty for these PSUs. Seasonic and Fractal Design Edison M goes with 5 year warranty.
I think this system would not produce much heat, but yes - ventilation is part of system maintenance. NZXT case has 2 coolers included, they are pushing the heat out of the case. I've included an extra fan - best in the market for a very low price - it should be mounted in the front of the case and will push fresh clean air - thus placement of the pc is important - intake should not be blocked / hot / dirty etc. NZXT is a cheapest solution - i would personally go with a fractal design black pearl.
Skylake it is.
H170 mobos can run ram on 2133 speed and will downgrade the faster ram to 2133 speed. Z170 mobos are only a little more expensive.
In my opinion - Gaming series motherboards are more of a showoff and will not provide you any increase in performance, they have various additional functions though that are rarely worth the price difference.

Maybe CTurbo could provide more detailed info on the chipset/mobo brand and quality - what to look for etc.
 
Alright thanks again Jesus, i am currently seeking the part from the build you gave me, i can't seem to find the RAM you recommand for shiping in my country, i can find Crucial Ballistix and Kingston HyperX; are these alternative okay?
 
Alright perfect thanks; i see you changed the MOBO for a Gaming instead of PC Mate, added a CPU cooler and changed PSU.

Are these change mandatory or can i stick with the PC Mate, the "free" cpu cooler i get with the CPU and a Seasonic G550?

edit: oh, missed your previous message about skylake no longer giving stock fan
 
You can go with the regular i5-6500 with the PC Mate or the 6600k version with the Gaming mobo (better overclocking possibility etc.)

Seasonic G550 is superb same as the coolermaster.

Yes cooler is mandatory 😀