Need help with a build.

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HarlemGamer1986

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Feb 19, 2017
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Good evening everyone just looking for some feedback or hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Looking to get back into pc gaming. Majority of the time will be spent playing overwatch, hearthstone, WoW, the new mass effect and Tom Clancy wild lands. Looking for a build that will lady me a good amount of time without having to worry about upgrades within the next year.

This is the unit I was looking at

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/alienware-aurora-r5-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-256gb-solid-state-drive-2tb-hard-drive-silver/5648000.p?skuId=5648000

Overall my budget is about $2200 this will also include my monitor (I was going to go for an Asus 24 inch 144hz 1080p, along with a mouse and keyboard)

I've tried to ask a friend for his thoughts he immediately jumped and yelled you can build something better for less money alas I have never even opened a pc let along built one and truth be told neither can he lol so I'm just trying to see if this prebuilt system is good or should I like try and watch videos or something and attempt to build one.

Thanks for the feedback in advance.

I should add that I will at some point add a second monitor the same as the first to this build hoping the gpu can do both monitors the second monitor will be to control playlist etc while I game.
 
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MrN1ce9uy
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You could certainly build a PC that performs better for less money. I'm not going to pick out a complete build with exact numbers, but off the top of my head I can say your could save around $200-$300 on a custom build with slightly better performance.

But that Alienware is a high-end PC with an i7-6700 and a GTX 1080. So performance would be great either way and that one will definitely last you a couple years or more without needing an upgrade; that is if the un-named and un-mentioned power supply holds up.
 
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I don't like seeing you get an open box PC for that price when you'll be happier with this rig,

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yd7dtJ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yd7dtJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($238.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Extreme7+ ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($192.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES.3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($98.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($599.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Noctis 450 ATX Mid Tower Case ($125.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($88.58 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Nixeus NX-VUE24A 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor ($271.01 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Turtle Beach IMPACT 100 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($70.15 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Corsair Raptor M45 Wired Optical Mouse ($59.99 @ Corsair)

Total: $2076.38
 
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You're build is missing an SSD - Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam

I also would not pay $100 for a 1TB 7,200RPM HDD - Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard ($88.88)
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/gwBv6h/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000dm001

Personally, I would much rather have an i7 and 16GB of RAM than an i5 and 32GB of RAM.
 
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Solution


I must say I dislike Best Buy. They are overpriced and underwhelming with their service 99% of the time. In the past 5 years I think I have pointed someone in their direction once. What exactly scares you away from building your own? Afraid you will put the CPU in upside down? It and the motherboard come with instructions. The RAM can't be installed upside down or backwards due to a notch in its tummy. There isn't any soldering involved. The most complicated procedure involves inserting wires from the case onto leads(fancy word for wire pins) on the motherboard. The wires are individually labelled so it's truly not complicated. There is an 8pin connection on the motherboard and possibly an 8pin and 6 pin connection for the GFX card. What if I plug in the wrong 8 pin? They are labeled. One will say PCIe(the GFX card is plugged into a PCIe slot) and the other is labelled CPU. Which 8pin connector goes where? You decide. Thre is an insane amount of how-to videos. They show you exactly how to perform each installation procedure. Regardless of that each piece of hardware will come with instructions. I purchased an EVGA GFX card. There is only one way to install it so that the TV or monitor's HDMI or display port cable can connect to it. Incredibly simple. But I'm too scared darnit. What if I do something wrong. I watched videos and am still unsure. I could call EVGA customer service(24/7) phone number and they will walk me through installing their product. Okay. Enough :bounce:

Consider this
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.79 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($112.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.33 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($559.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z1 Neo ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($88.89 @ OutletPC)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($88.58 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($549.00)
Keyboard: Thermaltake Commander Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Speakers: Logitech Z506 155W 5.1ch Speakers ($69.95 @ B&H)
Total: $2180.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-20 09:02 EST-0500
 
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There is no distinguishable difference in gaming situations between using an HDD and an SSD. Also the ambient heat of a WD Caviar Blue is much higher than a Seagate Constellation.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/12/10/hdd_vs_ssd_real_world_gaming_performance

There is no difference between gaming with an i5 7600k, and an i7 6700k, in fact the i5 has better single core performance, which matters more for most games.

http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-6700K-vs-Intel-Core-i5-7600K/3502vs3885

The 32GB of DDR4 3000MHz RAM vs the 16GB of DDR4 2133MHz RAM, may not make a noticeable difference in most alike systems, but having more, faster RAM should remove any GPU bottlenecking. Abolishing any shred of difference for gaming between an i7 Skylake, and an i5 Kaby Lake.

The ASRock Z170 Extreme 7+ should be able to drive a substantial overclock for the i5, whereas the MSI 170-A PRO will not do the same for an i7.

The cases and cooling solutions are not comparable at all. The NZXT Noctis is far superior to the Zelman Z1 in every regard, and the Corsair H60 insures a more stable temperature for the i5 than the Cryorig H7 does for the i7.

I have a Turtle Beach Impact 100 and Corsair Raptor M45 combo, and I would not trade them for a Thermaltake Commander bundle. The optical mouse is way better than the laser mouse.

I have a lot more to say on the comparisons, but this post is already starting to sound combative enough with all of these arguments. So I'll just leave it there.
 
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Certainly once a game is loaded, the storage it resides on is unimportant. For a PC used for anything other than gaming, an SSD makes a huge difference.

Game benchmarks disagree with your statements about the i5 vs i7. Here are some of the most recent game reviews on GameGPU, where we see a 2nd generation i7 performing about the same as a 6th generation i5:

w3_proz.png


b1_proz.png


m_proz.png


s6_proz_12.png



There is evidence to suggest that, at least with an i7, RAM faster than 2133mhz can make a very small but non-zero difference. Having more RAM than needed is pointless though, as it will just sit unused and empty, and is often money better spent elsewhere.

metro-ll1-645x508.jpg



I'm curious about your statements regarding the z170-A PRO. I'm not aware of any reviews of it that quantify its overclocking ability. What are they based on?
 
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Nothing combative about it. A discussion or sharing of opinions isn't inherently combative.

I do have to strongly disagree with your assertion that "There is no distinguishable difference in gaming situations between using an HDD and an SSD.". Hitching is VERY real. Moving over from an HDD to an SSD which higher read and write times that can react a LOT faster than a platter driven drive can eliminate the microstutters that hitching was causing. Balance needs to be made with all the components including the drive.

Better cooling can help with the temps..

There are games that can utilize HT tech.. Meaning the i7 does have a real difference. First difference I see is the 6700K owners have, on average, a 9% advantage over the 7500. Looks like your site begs to differ.

but having more, faster RAM should remove any GPU bottlenecking

What does that mean? The CPU doesn't interact with the RAM? That's a very broad statement. Someone has 16GB RAM. Get more RAM just to make sure? When I game and see I am gigabytes under my RAM amount I won't go out and buy more. I need a verifiable reason. My RAM is only 1866MHz. I see someone gaming with an almost identical system. The only difference is RAM speed. All Windows', Nvidia, Windows Services and every other settings is identical. His system has 2400MHz RAM. He always has 10FPS more. Increasing RAM to remove a GPU bottleneck? Possible to be sure. Not sure why you only mentioned that. The GPU could be slowing down the show because it's much weaker than the CPU.

Corsair H60 insures a more stable temperature for the i5 than the Cryorig H7 does for the i7?

The user can change the fan curve with the Cryorig or the H60. The ambient temperature will also affect both water and air. The fact that the i7 creates more heat is true. The assertion that the H60 will be more stable isn't exactly a fact.

I welcome correction. Constructive criticism or opposing or dissenting views aren't necessarily bad. I learn something most every day. The CPU benchmark? Bookmarked. Will help in the future.
 
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I did miss the 2133MHz RAM. Some benchmarks recently showed a 7600K performing better at stock speed paired with 3000MHz RAM than it did at 4.8GHz paired with 2133MHz RAM. Watch this video starting @ 02:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYb0y8LNAVI&t=166s

I wonder if that's only Kaby Lake??? I would also imagine RAM speed would matter more with high-end GPUs rather than low or mid-range GPUs.

That doesn't mean I'd get the 7600K, nor does it mean I'd want 32GB of RAM. But I would say 3000MHz RAM would be the better choice.

*And getting in the game quicker is considered performance, at least to me it is. @SSDLoadTimes
 
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I agree with you Ecky on your comment about SSD vs HDD, but considering OP only cares about gaming, I think storage capacity suits them more. And as to aquielisunari's point about hitching, I admit you are totally correct. But I don't think the minor boost we're getting to combat stuttering makes up for the loss incurred by storage-capacity/cost. If we want OP to get maximum performance in his storage we should steer him toward using an M.2 SSD (which both boards are capable of btw).

As to Ecky's benchmarks I don't see the i5 7600k listed here. I get that you are making an inference, but I don't think we have to infer performance, given there is a handful of reviews which include both these CPU's.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10969/the-intel-core-i57600k-91w-review-the-more-amenable-mainstream-performer

The theory behind what I'm suggesting for the RAM option hinges on the concept that more empty memory addresses reduces RAM fragmentation. It's a concrete issue in assembly language, but more esoteric in C++ programming. Essentially it means that with greater RAM capacity each program starts with a larger range of available addresses within a single module. With this there are fewer jumps to far away addresses. It's clearly evidenced by a 3D rendering program like After Effects, but more obfuscate in video-gaming. Long story short, using an i5 7600k @4.7GHz with 32GB of 3000MHz RAM and a 7200rpm HDD, should match or outperform an i7 6700k @4.4GHz with 16GB of 2133MHz memory and a mid-level SSD. All other considerations being equal.

As to Ecky's question about the MSI motherboard: it uses fairly standard Nippon 100uF capacitors made from aluminum cores, whereas the ASRock board uses custom Nichicon combo 100uF/820uF capacitors made from platinum cores. The Nichicon caps will regulate V-core power much better than the Nippon's will. Also, when comparing chokes from the MSI "Dark Choke" system with 20A saturation current, to ASRock's "Premium Power Choke" with 60A saturation current, you have more V-core power efficiency at higher wattages. And ASRock's dual-stack MOSFET system improves the efficiency of DSM impedance, reducing ambient temperatures. The list goes on and on here for the specs. But qualitatively, in my own research of overclockers using these boards, the MSI board just generally garners less enthusiasm for it's durability, and more complaints with their bios than the ASRock does.

And as for the Corsair h60 vs the Cryorig h7, the mid-range air cooler is going to dump a lot of heat inside the case, whereas the low-range water cooler will move all the heat out of the case. That means when you are over-clocked with the air cooler, other components are being warmed by the inefficient heat-spreaders. Likely the two coolers will keep the CPU itself the same temperature, but the ambient heat will cause greater instability within the whole eco-system. I have an FX 9590, and I've had a lot of experience with trying to manage temps. I've tried a lot of different solutions. Finally settled on the NZXT Kraken x61, and replaced my Noctua DH-15. The CPU itself is no colder on liquid cooling than it was on air, but ambient temps inside the case (and in the whole room honestly) are much, much lower.
 
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I appreciate the sentiment MrN1ce9uy, but it's unnecessary. I noted my own concern in a previous post that I might be coming off as sounding overly defensive. But I think we can all agree that a pinch of condescension and bias is always going to be present when we tackle these "build suggestion" threads, no matter how congenial we actually are in real life.

I get the Battlefield lamentations, and it's a valid point to be sure. Let's settle in and fine tune this price range.

Kingston Savage 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 RAM is probably the most sensible option for memory going i5 or i7, getting anything larger or faster than this is obviously difficult to argue for.

The EVGA 1080 "Superclocked" edition from newegg listed in aquielisunari's build, or Zotac's version on jet, are the best priced 8GB GTX 1080's I've seen.

The Samsung 960 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive is only $250 on superbiz and comes with free shipping. It's astronomically faster in read/write applications over the SATA3-restricted 850 EVO.

OP could get a Dell S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor for $400 from bestbuy if they want 2k, or maybe the LG 24GM77 for 1920x1080 gaming which is a $100 less on amazon.
 
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