Need help with 1st pc build

[spatel240sx]

I am looking to buy my 1st gaming pc and after figuring out what gaming pc's need I think I have finally perfected my possible 1st pc. There are a few things I had questions about but I will save that for the end. First here is the build...keep in mind I will be using cyberpower pc since I found the price very reasonable compared to building my own due to sales going on right now.

CASE: CFI Boreallight w/ USB 3.0, EZ Swap HDD, 2x 120mm & 1x 140mm fans, Side Panel Window

CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified)

FAN: Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Enhance Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)

HDD: 128GB Sandisk SSD + 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+30] (Single Drive)

MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1866MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance)

MOTHERBOARD: MSI Z97-G55 ATX w/ GbLAN, 3 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 1 PCI, 1x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gb/s (All Venom OC Certified

OS: Microsoft® Windows 8.1 (64-bit Edition)

POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Standard 80 Plus Certified Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready

VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti 2GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

The build will also come with the basics such as dvd drive, mouse, keyboard,, and a three year warentee all with free shipping. The final price comes out to $1025 which seams like a great price for the parts I am getting. A couple things I wanted to know about my build. For starters I want to know if it is a decent build I am getting the pc to play the upcoming games such as Project CARS and GTA V as well as older titles. I also wanted to know if overclocking is worth it, especially since it only cost me 49 for a 20% boost. I have already made sure all my parts are OC Certified but figured I would not see enough gains to spend the extra money. Also is my case okay, I wanted to go bigger and this case comes with 3 stock fans and than will have my liquid cpu cooler as well. I'm sure there are going to be more questions but these are the important ones for now. Thanks in advance for the replies and advice.

Oh yeah the sale ends the 4th of July so I really need to pull the trigger to keep most of the parts I have.

 

[3Dns]

1)Expensive case
2)1866mhz ram and you need 1600mhz with intel CPU
3)600Watt PSU but you need more if you plan to OC your CPU
4)1000$ budget pc and got only a GTX750Ti ? You can get a GTX780 with this budget.

You can make a better one with the same money.

 

[3Dns]

For example.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $937.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

[3Dns]

And with GTX780

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 780 3GB AMP! Edition Video Card ($459.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $969.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

[JackNaylorPE]

1. Unless ya really like the aggressive design, I'd save some money and get the case of the year (2014) Phanteks Enthoo Pro (saves $60) or Corsair 500D (saves $80).... Gotta jump when it's in stock as newegg usually sells out in hours. Fans are the best there is and listed too

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854003
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709023

i dunno what cyberpower currently offering as choices atm however.

2. I am concerned that there is no brand nor model listed for the PSU....this is where most system builders cheap out. You want at least

Corsair Model RM or TX V2
Seasonic M12
Antec HCG / HCP
XFX Core Edition

3. The 750 GFX card pulls about 75 watts and you can't SLI it so PSU needs are quite modest.

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 750 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 750 Ti - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit.

If you are going to overclock GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with a bit more stamina.

4. I would try and upgrade to the GTX 760 since your MoBo is cable of SLI and that would allow you to get a 2nd card later on. That would also require a PSU size increase to a 750 watter.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_760_review,5.html

Here is Guru3Ds power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 760 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 760 SLI - On your average system the card requires you to have a 700 Watt power supply unit.

If you are going to overclock GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with a bit more stamina

.

5. 1866, 2133, 2400 are just fine with Intel CPUs. Some games (F1, STALKER) will see as much as 10% increase in frame rates....some will show none (Crysis) most will be in the 2 - 5 % range .... more so with minimum frame rates and when paired in SLI / CF.

As 2133 and 1866 RAm is now the same price as 1600 it would be thoroughly foolish for them not to offer this upgrade as it doesn't cost them a dime..... just be aware that the faster DDR speed doesn't come with a drop in CAS.

6. Since ya budget includes all accessories such as mouse, KB, 3 year warranty, (monitor ?), etc.....and labor to have someone build it for you. the $1,000 limit just about makes a 770 a no go. I'd rather see you in a position to add a 2nd 760 down the road than be stuck with a CPU that's OC crippled. However, you could put in a Seagate SSHD instead of separate SSD and HD ....that might get you into a 770.

7. ya said they were giving you a 20% OC, I assume they were not using stock cooler, what cooler are they using ?

If ya weren't daunted by building yaself, we could do better.

 

[RCguitarist]

For example.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $937.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I 2nd this build. But if I were to buy it today, i'd substitute this ASUS 770 for the EVGA because it is only $290 after you use the promo code and get the rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121770&cm_re=asus_770-_-14-121-770-_-Product

That would bring the build total cost down to $903 and you would have an amzingly better pc that what cyperpower was going to build you.

Cases are very much personal preference, so as long as what you get is the right size and has the features you want, it's hard to go wrong. I personally recommend the case I have, the Coolermaster HAF912. Not a coolermaster fanboy or anything, I just like the build quality, how easy it was to build within, the features and the airflow it is capable of.

 

[spatel240sx]

Here is an update:

Thanks to all the advice given I have changed my mind and have decided to take the time to learn how to build a pc on my own. This being said I have put together a new possible build but have new questions along with it.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PgcJmG

This time i wanted to know if it was worth spending a little extra on a single 8gb RAM card vs two 4gb cards. I am asking this looking into the future as it would be very easy to buy another 8gb card down the line to bump me up to 16 if needed. Also I have a disk drive and a 500 gb western digital i plan on using until I have enough games to need another one. Same goes for the monitors, speakers, keyboard, mouse, gaming controller, & windows 8. I need the PC to have HDMI output, sorry if that is a noobish question but better to know before buying. I will also be using wired connection at all times, should I look into a higher end network card, I have FIOS if that makes any difference.

 

[3Dns]

About your last build.
1)Intel's CPU works good with Dual Channel ram and 1600mhz. (2x4GB 1600mhz) is the best. Also Extreme 3 Mobo has Quad Channel, so you can add another 2x4GB in the future if you want. But 8GB is good for gaming you dont need more.
2)Take the Z97 Asrock Extreme 3 not the Z87. Z97 is a new series and you upgrade your CPU in the future with a 5th Gen intel. Z97 Motherboard can take both generations. 4th and 5th.
3)I saw that you want a beast case. Corsair 500R is a good case for sure, but take a look at NZXT Phantom (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-phan002gr) you can take in White/Black/Red also.
4)And finally your PSU. 850W is way to much. Unless if you wanna make SLI in the near future. I think 650w is good enough. You dont have to spend 120$ for PSU. If you see in the top/right side you will see that your system need only 350w to work. But you wanna OC your CPU maybe so... 650w is good.

 

[spatel240sx]

Thanks to everyone's help I think I may have my final build ready to go. There are a couple things I am still unsure about but here it is: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zVBwkL -- I hope everything is good, I may just buy a simple case right now until the time comes where I need a serious one and spend the extra money on possible getting a better video card.

After dropping the case my build looks like this: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F44yqs
this leaves me with a lot of extra cash that I could save or spend somewhere else within the pc to get the best bang for my buck

 

[JackNaylorPE]

1. 2 x 4GB 1600 is by no means "the best". 2133 is better than 1866 and 1866 is better than 1600....and they can oft be found at the same price.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/32-gb-ddr3-ram,3790-10.html

The best memory kit in today’s round-up must necessarily be the one that runs at the highest data rates and/or supports the tightest timings.

2. http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_review,5.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 770 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 770 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock your GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.

3. The 500R is a great case and a steal at $80 ..... if spending $100 or more, also consider the Phanteks Enthoo Pro which is case of the Year for 2014, $20 cheaper than other fine cases like the Phantom and scores higher in reviews.

4. The MSI Z97 is a far better board and just $4 more
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130776

Has 1 more PCI-E Slot
Has 2 more PCI Express x 1 slots
Has 6 more USB ports
Has better LAN chip

5. The 760 is the weakest of all nVidia 7xx cards but what does make it attractive is its low price.... I don't think techpowerup has given any model above a 9.0 rating ad each of their reviews starts with "Lowest performance per watt of all GK104 cards". You'd be welll served by an upgrade to a 770 if you can squeeze it. One model stands out above the crowd.

9.8 rating / 1137 MHz Core - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_770_TF_Gaming/31.html
9.6 rating / 1046 MHz Core - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_770/31.html
9.6 rating / 1137 MHz Core - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_770_WindForce_OC/32.html
9.6 rating / 1058 MHz Core - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_770_Direct_Cu_II_OC/32.html

 

[spatel240sx]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gjN3mG

Yet another update after JackNaylorPE's reply. I was aiming for the higher speed ram along with a little more juice from the PSU all while trying to squeeze in the GTx 770. I was able to get all these things but did have to cut down the case to the bare minimum so I want to make sure all parts are still compatible.

 

[RCguitarist]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gjN3mG

Yet another update after JackNaylorPE's reply. I was aiming for the higher speed ram along with a little more juice from the PSU all while trying to squeeze in the GTx 770. I was able to get all these things but did have to cut down the case to the bare minimum so I want to make sure all parts are still compatible.

A few things:

Why did you go back to a 850W power supply? You won't need that much unless you SLI graphics cards.

Also, you switched back to a Z87 motherboard, was that a mistake?

Note that unless you plan to overclock your CPU, you won't see any bennifit from running ram with a higher speed than 1600.

A 760 is perfectly capable of playing everything out today at ultra settings at 1080p. Unless you are going for 60+ fps on the most demanding of games, you won't NEED a 770. If you are happy with a constant 50fps on everything, then save some money and get a 760.

 

[RCguitarist]

5. The 760 is the weakest of all nVidia 7xx cards but what does make it attractive is its low price.... I don't think techpowerup has given any model above a 9.0 rating ad each of their reviews starts with "Lowest performance per watt of all GK104 cards". You'd be welll served by an upgrade to a 770 if you can squeeze it. One model stands out above the crowd.

The 760 is not the weakest of the 7xx cards by a long shot. The 750 and 750Ti are weaker.

 

[3Dns]

1. 2 x 4GB 1600 is by no means "the best". 2133 is better than 1866 and 1866 is better than 1600....and they can oft be found at the same price.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/32-gb-ddr3-ram,3790-10.html

The best memory kit in today’s round-up must necessarily be the one that runs at the highest data rates and/or supports the tightest timings.

Its pointless to take more then 1600mhz with Intel CPU.
Because intel doesnt support more then 1600mhz RAM. If you take 2400mhz Ram intel will automatically downclock your RAM at 1600mhz so its pointles.

http://www.newegg.com/global/au/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Take those with -10$ code and you will be ok.

 

[spatel240sx]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3KT84D

Hopefully this is the final build, I figured I would just let you know that I have chosen the single ram card because it is actually 10 cheaper ATM. I can switch back to twin 4gb unit if needed. Also I am looking to play games such as rfactor and GTA V heavily modded, I just want to know if it is worth the extra 60 right now to bump up from 760 to 770 since the Asus one is on sale right now.(See link in one of the above comments, it is 309 right now). Also should I still go lower with my PSU or just leave it at 650, it says I only need 350w and I happen to have a 350watt PSU from my old Dell, should I try to use that and save a little more cash?

 

[RCguitarist]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3KT84D

Hopefully this is the final build, I figured I would just let you know that I have chosen the single ram card because it is actually 10 cheaper ATM. I can switch back to twin 4gb unit if needed. Also I am looking to play games such as rfactor and GTA V heavily modded, I just want to know if it is worth the extra 60 right now to bump up from 760 to 770 since the Asus one is on sale right now.(See link in one of the above comments, it is 309 right now). Also should I still go lower with my PSU or just leave it at 650, it says I only need 350w and I happen to have a 350watt PSU from my old Dell, should I try to use that and save a little more cash?

Good build, but get a pair of memory sticks. 1 stick is what budget boxed pcs have. Get this as it is only $3 more than the single stick you have picked:
http://www.newegg.com/global/au/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428&cm_re=gskill_ripjaws_x-_-20-231-428-_-Product

 

[spatel240sx]

Got it. This is great now to just brush up on my building knowledge. Should I order any other parts I.e. network card, thermal compound, or other things that would help with the build.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gjN3mG

Yet another update after JackNaylorPE's reply. I was aiming for the higher speed ram along with a little more juice from the PSU all while trying to squeeze in the GTx 770. I was able to get all these things but did have to cut down the case to the bare minimum so I want to make sure all parts are still compatible.

That's $454 in your build for MoBo, memory and CPU.

Thrown out for consideration ..... Here you can get the same parts (almost - see below) in a bundle for $433 .... minus $20 rebate - $14 (10% off w/ promo code EMCPDHD94, ends 7/2 on MoBo). That's $55 more to spend over ya $30 case.....looked like the 500R is back on the table....but noooooo sale over.... have to wait till next week or spring for an extra $ for the upgrade to the phanteks

http://www.newegg.com/global/au/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1461030

But that's a 4670k not a 4690k .... the 4690k should really be matched with a Z97 board .... the Z87 w/ 4670k was common pairing pre-Z97

$15 more for $100 Phanteks w/ window http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854003
$ 5 more for $100 Phanteks w/ window http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854004

You can do it !

Also a $30 savings here with MSI Z97 and 4690k but no RAM in there.... ya kind agetting screwed by the timing..... too many kids out there with pocket fulls of HS / Kolludge graduation money .... so combos and sales are down

http://www.newegg.com/global/au/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1716482

And yes....2 sticks or RAM on all 1150 builds

]

Why did you go back to a 850W power supply? You won't need that much unless you SLI graphics cards.

Also, you switched back to a Z87 motherboard, was that a mistake?

Note that unless you plan to overclock your CPU, you won't see any bennifit from running ram with a higher speed than 1600.

A 760 is perfectly capable of playing everything out today at ultra settings at 1080p. Unless you are going for 60+ fps on the most demanding of games, you won't NEED a 770. If you are happy with a constant 50fps on everything, then save some money and get a 760.

1. Probably so as to allow upgrade to SLI

2. I recommend Z97 if ya have the bucks but it's not like you lose anything of note with Z87

3. That is simply not true. You do not have to overclock your CPU to get benefits of higher RAM speed. Increases at same CPU clock speed can range from 0% in games like Crysis to to 10-11% in gamnes like STALKER and F1..... why would you every buy 1600 when 1866 or 2133 is same price ?

4. No a 760 is not capable of running everything on ultra as is quite evident here and that doesn't include new games. With average fps at 30-40..... minimum frame rates will be dropping below 20.:

http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4632/33/geforce-gtx-700-series-sli-review-geforce-gtx-760770780-in-sli-and-3-way-sli-geforce-gtx-760---scaling

Metro 2033 - 1920x1080 - Very High 31 fps
Far Cry 3 - 1920x1080 - Ultra 4xAA 38 fps
Crysis 3 - 1920x1080 - Very High 4x AA 30 fps
Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 - Ultra 4x AA 35 fps

The 760 is not the weakest of the 7xx cards by a long shot. The 750 and 750Ti are weaker.

We have a SLI Capable MoBo and a PSU oversized for future upgrade to SLI..... 750 / 750 Ti not in the picture as they don't do SLI .... an 850 watt PSU for a 2nd 750/750 Ti would be a waste.

Its pointless to take more then 1600mhz with Intel CPU.
Because intel doesnt support more then 1600mhz RAM. If you take 2400mhz Ram intel will automatically downclock your RAM at 1600mhz so its pointles.

Where you get this idea from ? It's absolutely false. Care to explain then:

1. How I am running at 2400 ? at 4.6 Ghz ? And every build I have done in past 18 months is running > 1600 ?

2. This entire article ?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/32-gb-ddr3-ram,3790-10.html

3. Intel Compatibility List.....There are 459 sets of RAM tested and certified by Intel at above 1600 Mhz

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/gaming-computers/core-i5-processor-memory-datasheet.html

4. How about this image ?

5. Google XMP

The JEDEC specification only goes up to 1600 and that is what you MoBo will default to. However, you ** can ** enable the XMP Profile in the BIOS which is fully supported / endorsed by Intel because it is Intel that wrote the specification.


http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/extreme-memory-profile-xmp.html

Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (Intel® XMP) allows you to overclock compatible DDR3 memory to perform beyond standard specifications. It’s designed to enhance the gaming features built into Intel® technology–based PCs. If you like to overclock and squeeze as much performance from your PC as possible, then memory based on Intel XMP gives you that extra edge you need to dominate—without breaking a sweat.

Predefined and tested Intel XMP profiles can be loaded via BIOS or a specific tuning application through a computer’s operating system. ...

Intel has developed a certification program for memory vendors to test their products for compatibility against Intel XMP. To view compatible memory DIMMs from a variety of vendors, select Spreadsheet to download and be able to sort the Excel* datasheet, or PDF to simply view the datasheet:

 

[spatel240sx]

I have two different links this time one to a build on CyberPower and the other from PcPartsPicker. I am not sure which route I am going to go but I will be waiting at least for the holidays to end to see what happens to the prices on CyberPower.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1G6NEH

The first PCPartsPicker link is a identical build as the one on CyberPower to help me evaluate price differences, the second one has beefier RAM and the Coirsair 500R as a place holder to see the total closer to that of my CyberPower build.
1) http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/QbjNnQ
2) http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/TccRsY

 

[RCguitarist]

4. No a 760 is not capable of running everything on ultra as is quite evident here and that doesn't include new games. With average fps at 30-40..... minimum frame rates will be dropping below 20.:

http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4632/33/geforce-gtx-700-series-sli-review-geforce-gtx-760770780-in-sli-and-3-way-sli-geforce-gtx-760---scaling

Metro 2033 - 1920x1080 - Very High 31 fps
Far Cry 3 - 1920x1080 - Ultra 4xAA 38 fps
Crysis 3 - 1920x1080 - Very High 4x AA 30 fps
Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 - Ultra 4x AA 35 fps

You should stop reading that .info site. They're info is probably pulled from you know where. My 660 runs Metro 2033 and Tomb Raider at higher framerates than they are claiming a 760 can. I own those games and I was getting around 50 fps in Metro 2033 and 40-50 fps in tomb raider with all settings maxed out including AA on both.

For that tom's chart about the ram speeds, what cpu were they using?

 

[spatel240sx]

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/4pGnTW

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/TccRsY

I have found a GPU that I am happy with in terms of price and performance. Out of the two builds I tried to keep one as modest as possible by cutting cost where I saw fit while the second one I chose higher end parts that will last longer through at least the first couple of upgrades. I am leaning towards the beefier build but am still open to any ideas. I am definitely going to wait a while and hope that prices dip down to where they were around April.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

You should stop reading that .info site. They're info is probably pulled from you know where. My 660 runs Metro 2033 and Tomb Raider at higher framerates than they are claiming a 760 can. I own those games and I was getting around 50 fps in Metro 2033 and 40-50 fps in tomb raider with all settings maxed out including AA on both.

For that tom's chart about the ram speeds, what cpu were they using?

1. What demo are you using metro 2033 or Last light .... the latter will run much faster. Similar GPU results on every site.... how many sites I gonna have to stop reading ?

Hardwareinfo said 38 fps, Techpowerup says

Hardwareinfo said 35 fps, techpowerup says

Seems like they agree quite closely. The hardwareinfo site is great cause it gives ya all the results for 1, 2 and 3 cards on same page....and 760, 770 and 780 over 3 pages.


2. Test Configuration:

CPU Intel Core i7-4770K (Haswell): 3.50 GHz, 4C/8T
Overclocked to 4.50 GHz (45 x 100 MHz) at 1.25 V Core
CPU Cooler Thermalright MUX-120
Motherboard Asus Z87-Pro: LGA 1150, Intel Z87 Express, Firmware 1707 (12/13/2013)
Graphics PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X 4GBD5-PPDHE: 1050 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5-5400
Hard Drives Samsung 840 Pro MZ-7PD256, 256 GB SSD
Sound Integrated HD Audio
Network Integrated Gigabit Networking
Power Corsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum

 

[JackNaylorPE]

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/4pGnTW

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/TccRsY

I have found a GPU that I am happy with in terms of price and performance. Out of the two builds I tried to keep one as modest as possible by cutting cost where I saw fit while the second one I chose higher end parts that will last longer through at least the first couple of upgrades. I am leaning towards the beefier build but am still open to any ideas. I am definitely going to wait a while and hope that prices dip down to where they were around April.

The 2nd build definitely. However, the PSU is waaaaay oversized and of very poor quality.....tho good for 4th of July as oft know to create fireworks inside ya case.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_770_gaming_review,5.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 770 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 770 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.
GeForce GTX 770 3-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 1000 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock your GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.

$85 750 watts http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207015
$95 850 watts http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207011

2. The MSI card is better rated and much quieter .... but Giga's are on sale atm whereas MSI sale just ended....so would have t wait a few days till MSI went on sale at $299 again.

MSI 9.8 rating / 1137 Core Speed / 29 dbA under load $329
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_770_TF_Gaming/31.html

Gigabyte 9.6 rating / 1137 Core Speed / 33 dbA under load / $309
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_770_WindForce_OC/32.html

I don't see the value of 4GB on a 770 at 1920 x 1080
http://alienbabeltech.com/main/gtx-770-4gb-vs-2gb-tested/3/

This leaves five games out of 30 where a 4GB GTX 770 gives more than a 1 frame per second difference over the 2GB-equipped GTX 770. And one of them, Metro: Last Light still isn’t even quite a single frame difference.

Of those five games, two of them are unplayable at 5760×1080 although in these cases, 4GB GTX 770 SLI would finally make some sense over 2GB GTX 770 SLI. That only leaves Lost Planet 2 and two racing games that gain some advantage by choosing a single GTX 770 4GB card over the single GTX 770 2GB.

 

[spatel240sx]

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/4pGnTW

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/TccRsY

I have found a GPU that I am happy with in terms of price and performance. Out of the two builds I tried to keep one as modest as possible by cutting cost where I saw fit while the second one I chose higher end parts that will last longer through at least the first couple of upgrades. I am leaning towards the beefier build but am still open to any ideas. I am definitely going to wait a while and hope that prices dip down to where they were around April.

The 2nd build definitely. However, the PSU is waaaaay oversized and of very poor quality.....tho good for 4th of July as oft know to create fireworks inside ya case.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_770_gaming_review,5.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 770 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 770 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.
GeForce GTX 770 3-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 1000 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock your GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.

$85 750 watts http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207015
$95 850 watts http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207011

2. The MSI card is better rated and much quieter .... but Giga's are on sale atm whereas MSI sale just ended....so would have t wait a few days till MSI went on sale at $299 again.

MSI 9.8 rating / 1137 Core Speed / 29 dbA under load $329
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_770_TF_Gaming/31.html

Gigabyte 9.6 rating / 1137 Core Speed / 33 dbA under load / $309
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_770_WindForce_OC/32.html

I don't see the value of 4GB on a 770 at 1920 x 1080
http://alienbabeltech.com/main/gtx-770-4gb-vs-2gb-tested/3/

This leaves five games out of 30 where a 4GB GTX 770 gives more than a 1 frame per second difference over the 2GB-equipped GTX 770. And one of them, Metro: Last Light still isn’t even quite a single frame difference.

Of those five games, two of them are unplayable at 5760×1080 although in these cases, 4GB GTX 770 SLI would finally make some sense over 2GB GTX 770 SLI. That only leaves Lost Planet 2 and two racing games that gain some advantage by choosing a single GTX 770 4GB card over the single GTX 770 2GB.

The PSU was the by mistake, I had thought I found a great deal but was mistaken. Here is the build so far boasting a 750w Fully Modular PSU. Also what is a good motherboard besides the one I have chosen, I am slightly over budget and want to see if I can cut some money there without any serious sacrifices.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/3r6qqs

 

[spatel240sx]

Here are two identical builds with the only difference being the GPU.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/TccRsY

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spatel240sx/saved/vwhmP6