Need help with my first build

SFGiantsfan55

Reputable
Feb 26, 2015
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0
4,510
Hello everyone, I am switching over from console gaming to pc gaming and I was wondering if this is a good build. Please let me know If I should tweak anything to get maximum performance from my system.

Approximate Purchase Date: June, 2015

Budget Range: (1500-2000)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (gaming)

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I want to play games (Battlefield 4, Arma 3, etc) with high textures and a high frame rate (60-100fps)

Gaming Chasis: Corsair Carbide Series Spec-01 w/ USB 3.0, Side Panel Window
CPU:Intel® Core™ i7-4790K 4.0 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150
Processor Cooling Fan:Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Extreme Cooling
Motherboard:GIGABYTE Z97X-SLI ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 1 x M.2, 1 x SATA Express, or 6x SATA 6Gb/s
RAM:8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory
Video Card:MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4G 4GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16
Power Supply:550 Watts - Corsair CSM Series CS550M 80 Plus Gold Certified Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply
Hard Drive:1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

Thanks!
 
Solution
Yes it's good just get a better psu. Make sure you get 1.5v RAM. No need to try for 2133mhz as there will not be any performance gain over 1600-1866mhz.


What psu would you recommend? Also, how do I make sure to get 1.5v RAM?
 
That 1.5 volt RAM and the no performance gain for faster RAM rumor just will not die. The 1.5v thing comes from the JEDEC standard. When DDR3-1600 came out , every set of 1600 sold was 1.65 volts. Every RAM package you look at has it's speed advertised and that speed is the RAM's XMP profile, not the JEDEC profile. Like your CPU, the RAM uses more voltage at it's overclock profile just like the CPU uses more voltage when "turbo boost" kicks in. Look here for info on Intel's XMP profile, If you don't want to use XMP, then the RAM you buy that says DDR3-1600 on it, you will have to run at 1333.

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

Click on the PDF or Excel spreadsheet and you will see that well over half of the "Officially Certified Intel Compatible RAM" is over 1.5 volts.....

As for the "Faster RAM has no impact", another untrue myth. This comes from a misinterpretation of reviewers statements from when DDR3 first dropped, that it was not cost effective to buy faster RAM, not because there was no improvement, but because it was deemed that the improvement wasn't worth the increased cost. The logic went a 3% performance improvement wasn't worth a 50% increase in RAM cost from $90 to $135. The problem is that the improvement can range from 0% in metro 2033 to 11% in games like F1 nad more importantly, it's not just your RAM that goes faster, it's the whole system. So that 3% average performance improvement must be weighed against not only that $35 increase in RAM cost but the $35 increase in system cost....so in your $1750 build say, is a 3% performance improvement worth a 2% increase in system costs. The other problem was average fps and single cards was most oft used for testing whereas the impact of faster RAM is of much greater significance on min fps and SLI / CF systems.

177/159 = 11.3%
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I'll be back in a bit with a $2k build





 
This would run what you asked and has room to add a second gpu while still being at the very bottom of your budget if you know your cooler is better keep that but i couldn't find anywhere to get it so swapped it out for one i know is readily available and an alternative to 970's in sli is a single 980 for more upgradability.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NXpG6h
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NXpG6h/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($118.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.48 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($347.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1139.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-26 15:06 EST-0500
 
$1700 build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.75 @ OutletPC)
The 4790k does little for you gaming wise ..... it does get you a little so if budget there, don't feel like ya get nothing at all but of budget is a concern, the 4690k gets you 99% of the 4690k in gaming. If you are going to also uuse apps that benefit from hyperthreading, the 4790k is the way to go.

CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220-X 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Simply put, the best and easiest to install all in one cooler on the market. Do you need it / No. But you had the budget so I threw it in. PCpartpciker seems to have problems finding on NCIX USA or Swiftech's own site so ass $140 to the total below. If you feel ya don't need it it, grab this for $65
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/phanteks-cpu-cooler-phtc14pe

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($169.98 @ OutletPC)
Functional equivalent of Asus Hero which costs $40-50 more.

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.98 @ OutletPC)
Yes it is faster, cost difference is too small to think about and voltage issue is a red herring. 2133 CAS 9 RAM Intel Certified to work with all Intel i5 and i7 CPUS. 2 x 8GB is better and since ya have a 2k max budget should certainly be considered. Also look at 2400 CAS 10 which at certain times is within $2-3 of 2133 CAS 9

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($76.98 @ OutletPC)

I have the 120GB SSD and 1 TB SSHD here to hit close to ya $1500 min budget. I'd certainly recommend the 250 GB SSD for +$50 and 2 TB SSHD for +$17 more

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($347.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($347.99 @ NCIX US)
MSI and Gigabyte rule the roost in the 970 world but Gigabye is long at 12.28" and ya oft have to remove HD cages to ge it to fit.

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Perty case with more features than anything in its price range

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
SLI Capable 10.0 performance / 9.5 build quality jonnyguru rating

Total: $1552.63 ($1692) with Swiftech H220-X
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-26 15:09 EST-0500

http://www.swiftech.com/H220-X.aspx



$1870 Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220-X 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($169.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($118.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($347.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($347.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1719.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-26 15:26 EST-0500

Add $150 http://www.swiftech.com/H240-X.aspx

Other Considerations.....

In next week or so we should see the MSI Krait Addition 970s come out which were just shown at CES. Combined with the MSI Krait MoBo, in a Enthoo Luxe C, would make a visually striking build with either the white phanteks cooler or Swiftech .

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97sslikraitedition

Ya might want to add an internal LED strip....the case switch controls it as well as the already installed strip that is user switchable 10 colors.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811984003&cm_re=Phanteks_LED-_-11-984-003-_-Product


As for the original parts....

-Corsair CSM is very poor quality as is every Corsair PSU witha "C" in model name.
-Case is More suited for a $900 build
-THG has Blue at 4.01 MB/sec in gaming test .... the one in above builds is 9.78