New build, games & editing, €1600/$2000, thoughts?

[Flying Zebra]

Hi. I know I'm new here, but anyway... I want to build/buy a new PC in the coming weeks and although I have a general idea what parts I want to use, I would welcome any input from you guys.

My current PC, running the legendary 8800GTX since its launch, is at the very end of its cycle and it's time to move on. I want my new setup to last ideally as long as the one I have now - which is 6 years. But anything that will last at least 3 years without the need to upgrade will do. Something somewhat future-proof.

Although I'll be using the new build also for basic stuff like documents and online, I'll be mainly using it to play games (Full HD/max. settings) and also to edit videos (Full HD/Premiere/After Effects) & pictures (Photoshop).

I already have a monitor (1920x1080@60Hz/3D support).
I don't want to overclock - at least not initially.
SLI? Maybe in the future.

My budget is around €1600, I'm in Europe, which is roughly converted to $2000. Prices in regions may vary.

These are the parts I managed to pick thus far. Some of them I am sure of, others not so much and stuck between several options.

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core 4.0GHz

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S
or ???

Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z97X-UD5H
or GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
or MSI board (which one?) if I go with the MSI video card

Memory: HyperX Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

Storage A: Intel 530 Series 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Storage B: WD BLACK SERIES 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
or ??? (a comparable Seagate... simply something fast and reliable)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 G1 Gaming (GIGABYTE GV-N970G1 GAMING-4GD GeForce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5)
or MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G GeForce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5

Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 FD-CA-DEF-XL-R2-BL Black/Pearl
or Cooler Master HAF X 942 (KKN1)
or Cooler Master Cosmos SE (KWN1)
or ???

Power Supply: Seasonic X Series 750 (SeaSonic SS-750KM3 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply)

Optical Drive: I need a DVDRW/Blu-Ray combo. Deciding between LG, Pioneer and ASUS. It can be a BD burner, but it has to at least read them.

Card reader: I also need a memory card reader (SDXC/MS). Thought about something from AXAGO like the CRI-S3.

Additional fans: ??? (Arctic/CoolerMaster/Noctua)

OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

As I said, I already have a monitor and I am going to be buying the mouse & keyboard soon as well (already pickem them).

Oh, and I don't need the rig to be super silent. I am expecting some noise.

If someone could help me with finalizing my build I'd really appreciate that. Or if you'd recommend something completely else, go ahead. The more opinions the better.

Thanks!


EDIT: This is what I have/had in mind (using PCPartPicker)

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

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($322.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($172.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($153.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($128.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($368.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case ($142.84 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($141.26 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard: HP PS/2 Keyboard (QY774AA) Wired Standard Keyboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G400s Wired Optical Mouse ($50.70 @ Amazon)

Total: $1942.11

 

[Eli Little]

Here is my take on what I would personally do with a budget that large. Let the creativity flow!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($322.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($152.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card ($585.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1953.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-19 14:58 EDT-0400

 

[Eli Little]

Could someone else please reply as well?

Although, I would recommend something cheaper, as this is overkill for 1080P gaming. Unless you own a 1440P or 4k monitor, I would recommend spending less money. I will list another build when I am not on my phone and can use PCPartPicker.

 

[Flying Zebra]

Could someone else please reply as well?

Although, I would recommend something cheaper, as this is overkill for 1080P gaming. Unless you own a 1440P or 4k monitor, I would recommend spending less money. I will list another build when I am not on my phone and can use PCPartPicker.

Hey man, thanks for both replies. Yeah, for 1080p it might be a bit too much, but as I said... I want it to last. Either for times when more demanding games come out (more effects/better textures) or when I get a 1440p monitor. I already put aside all of this money for it and wanted to buy such a setup for some time.

Any experience with Asus/Pioneer BD/DVD drives?
And will the Noctua keep the CPU cool enough?

 

[Eli Little]

Could someone else please reply as well?

Although, I would recommend something cheaper, as this is overkill for 1080P gaming. Unless you own a 1440P or 4k monitor, I would recommend spending less money. I will list another build when I am not on my phone and can use PCPartPicker.

Hey man, thanks for both replies. Yeah, for 1080p it might be a bit too much, but as I said... I want it to last. Either for times when more demanding games come out (more effects/better textures) or when I get a 1440p monitor. I already put aside all of this money for it and wanted to buy such a setup for some time.

Any experience with Asus/Pioneer BD/DVD drives?
And will the Noctua keep the CPU cool enough?

Yeah, Noctua has a very good reputation for good quality fans and coolers, so I am confident that it will keep it cool (despite the horribly ugly fans). However, for a very similar price, you can pick up the H1000i, or better yet the H105, and you'll be able to overclock more with the water cooling. Plus, just pick up some Red Corsair SP120MM fans and you can match it to your case, instead of having a huge chunk of aluminum. I even matched red and black in my build recommendation. Example-

As for the CD/DVD/Blu Ray Writer, there isn't much where you can go wrong. As long a you know that it has good quality, through reviews and such, then it doesn't really matter. Odds are, you will barely use it, which is why a good proportion of PCs don't even have them, with some cases not even having 5.25" Bays to mount them in.

 

[Flying Zebra]

Yeah, Noctua has a very good reputation for good quality fans and coolers, so I am confident that it will keep it cool (despite the horribly ugly fans). However, for a very similar price, you can pick up the H1000i, or better yet the H105, and you'll be able to overclock more with the water cooling. Plus, just pick up some Red Corsair SP120MM fans and you can match it to your case, instead of having a huge chunk of aluminum. I even matched red and black in my build recommendation. Example-

As for the CD/DVD/Blu Ray Writer, there isn't much where you can go wrong. As long a you know that it has good quality, through reviews and such, then it doesn't really matter. Odds are, you will barely use it, which is why a good proportion of PCs don't even have them, with some cases not even having 5.25" Bays to mount them in.

OK. Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a look. Corsair looks like a cool brand. You really like them, though, don't you? 😉

I agree that the Noctua coolers ain't the nicest.

Yeah. I guess it's not that big of an deal, but I still want to get something that won't die a year later. I know drives/burners are being phased out, but imho we're not there yet and I still need one, so... 😀

Other than that, would you say it would be a balanced/good build? I imagine it will be a huge jump.

 

[bsod1]

That's a great build and I believe the Noctua D15 is better than H100i.

 

[bsod1]

For the SSD, I think Crucial MX100 256 GB might be better.

 

[logainofhades]

Here is a build in Euros. Just add keyboard and mouse of your own choosing.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (€217.64 @ Amazon Deutschland)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (€32.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€129.89 @ Home of Hardware DE)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€71.90 @ Caseking)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€72.90 @ Caseking)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB AMP! Omega Edition Video Card (2-Way SLI) (€353.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB AMP! Omega Edition Video Card (2-Way SLI) (€353.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case (€81.40 @ Hardwareversand)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€75.72 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (€13.85 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (€128.80 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €1533.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-22 18:17 CEST+0200

 

[g-unit1111]

As for the CD/DVD/Blu Ray Writer, there isn't much where you can go wrong. As long a you know that it has good quality, through reviews and such, then it doesn't really matter. Odds are, you will barely use it, which is why a good proportion of PCs don't even have them, with some cases not even having 5.25" Bays to mount them in.

Yeah unless you need one for backups the drives just aren't worth purchasing anymore. Just about everything including music, movies and games are made available through online streaming services now and it's made the practice of buying expensive optical drives obsolete. Games don't use the format, and soon movies won't either.

OP - if you are in Europe, links to Newegg will not be of much use. What country and store are you buying from? Knowing local availability of parts will help to suggest a better rig.

 

[Flying Zebra]

That's a great build and I believe the Noctua D15 is better than H100i.

Thanks! Happy to hear that. I chose the components myself - as usual It's just that right before buying them I start to question things. I don't really consider myself "pro", rather "enthusiastic". And that's basically why I posted - to be 100% sure all the components will be compatible and work together efficiently and to avoid any "faulty" parts.

Do you think then the U14 will be enough or should I go with the D15? I reckon the D15 could keep the CPU 5-8°C cooler? The thing with the D15 is it seems too big. Not sure if I'll fit it in the case with all the other stuff. U14 seems more managable.

 

[Eli Little]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

 

[Flying Zebra]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

Right. Hm. Well... Could you check with the RAM (Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory), case (Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) and mobo (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H) I posted in the OP? 85% I'll go with those.

BTW, you think it's worth getting a faster ram (like 1866/2xxx)? I know the mobo will support it, but still. 1600 seems to be the norm what people usually get. Not sure about the price difference. Shouldn't be that much.

 

[Eli Little]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

Right. Hm. Well... Could you check with the RAM (Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory), case (Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) and mobo (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H) I posted in the OP? 85% I'll go with those.

BTW, you think it's worth getting a faster ram (like 1866/2xxx)? I know the mobo will support it, but still. 1600 seems to be the norm what people usually get. Not sure about the price difference. Shouldn't be that much.

The difference between 1600 and 1866 won't make much of a performance difference, and hence 1866 RAM costs basically the same as 1600 RAM. What you should be looking at is the CAS Latency of the RAM. This is time it takes to access memory from the RAM Module, and is more important when it comes to gaming. You should get a 1866 speed RAM module which has a CAS of 9, which is considered the norm. The faster your RAM, the higher your CAS will be, so it is a trade off.

 

[Flying Zebra]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

Right. Hm. Well... Could you check with the RAM (Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory), case (Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) and mobo (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H) I posted in the OP? 85% I'll go with those.

BTW, you think it's worth getting a faster ram (like 1866/2xxx)? I know the mobo will support it, but still. 1600 seems to be the norm what people usually get. Not sure about the price difference. Shouldn't be that much.

The difference between 1600 and 1866 won't make much of a performance difference, and hence 1866 RAM costs basically the same as 1600 RAM. What you should be looking at is the CAS Latency of the RAM. This is time it takes to access memory from the RAM Module, and is more important when it comes to gaming. You should get a 1866 speed RAM module which has a CAS of 9, which is considered the norm. The faster your RAM, the higher your CAS will be, so it is a trade off.

Aight. Well, I can get one of the following:

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1866 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX FURY Series 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 1866MHz CL10 DIMM Memory Module Kit - Blue
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 2133 MHz DDR3 CL11 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

It will have to be one of these four. Personally, I'm deciding between the first two. The difference for me is $25.

 

[Eli Little]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

Right. Hm. Well... Could you check with the RAM (Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory), case (Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) and mobo (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H) I posted in the OP? 85% I'll go with those.

BTW, you think it's worth getting a faster ram (like 1866/2xxx)? I know the mobo will support it, but still. 1600 seems to be the norm what people usually get. Not sure about the price difference. Shouldn't be that much.

The difference between 1600 and 1866 won't make much of a performance difference, and hence 1866 RAM costs basically the same as 1600 RAM. What you should be looking at is the CAS Latency of the RAM. This is time it takes to access memory from the RAM Module, and is more important when it comes to gaming. You should get a 1866 speed RAM module which has a CAS of 9, which is considered the norm. The faster your RAM, the higher your CAS will be, so it is a trade off.

Aight. Well, I can get one of the following:

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1866 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX FURY Series 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 1866MHz CL10 DIMM Memory Module Kit - Blue
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 2133 MHz DDR3 CL11 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

It will have to be one of these four. Personally, I'm deciding between the first two. The difference for me is $25.

I thin your links are broken (lol). Anyway, I recommend you pick up the HyperX Savage 1866 CAS 9, as it has faster speed while maintaining a good CAS Timing. Strange that is costs $25 more though, as usually they only have a few dollars difference. NOTE, almost forget to tell you to remember Activating the XMP profile in the BIOS. Here is a tutorial- http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/2.

 

[Flying Zebra]

If you pock up a Fl-Tower case, you shouldnt need to worry about the size of the cooler. You do need to make sure that you PCIe slots are not to close to the CPU socket if you want SLI, and that your RAM isnt too tall (G.Skill Sniper series, I recommend). You can do manual measurements of your motherboard if you want to be sure. Once you know what Ram, case, and Mobo you want, I can do measurements.

Right. Hm. Well... Could you check with the RAM (Kingston Fury Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory), case (Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) and mobo (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H) I posted in the OP? 85% I'll go with those.

BTW, you think it's worth getting a faster ram (like 1866/2xxx)? I know the mobo will support it, but still. 1600 seems to be the norm what people usually get. Not sure about the price difference. Shouldn't be that much.

The difference between 1600 and 1866 won't make much of a performance difference, and hence 1866 RAM costs basically the same as 1600 RAM. What you should be looking at is the CAS Latency of the RAM. This is time it takes to access memory from the RAM Module, and is more important when it comes to gaming. You should get a 1866 speed RAM module which has a CAS of 9, which is considered the norm. The faster your RAM, the higher your CAS will be, so it is a trade off.

Aight. Well, I can get one of the following:

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 1866 MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

HyperX FURY Series 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 1866MHz CL10 DIMM Memory Module Kit - Blue
http://

HyperX Savage 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 2133 MHz DDR3 CL11 DIMM XMP Memory Module
http://

It will have to be one of these four. Personally, I'm deciding between the first two. The difference for me is $25.

I thin your links are broken (lol). Anyway, I recommend you pick up the HyperX Savage 1866 CAS 9, as it has faster speed while maintaining a good CAS Timing. Strange that is costs $25 more though, as usually they only have a few dollars difference. NOTE, almost forget to tell you to remember Activating the XMP profile in the BIOS. Here is a tutorial- http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/2.

Oops. But you managed to find the parts anyway, so... good 😀

Yeah, I think I'll go with that one. 1866 CAS9 sounds nice. I don't think I need more. Plus they look pretty cool.

Yeah, about the price... Let's just say that components in Central Europe aren't exactly cheap LOL. Going by Newegg I'd be paying around $1950 for this build total in the States, but here... oh man. You don't want to know LOL. It's going to be roughly $500 more. VAT and all that, plus exchange rates... sucks. But whatever. I'm just glad I'll be finally getting a new PC that will be light years better than the one I have now and hopefully it'll last a long time as well.

My last question is about that BD burner... I'm deciding between that LG and a Pioneer. They cost and perform the same, but have different interfaces.

The Pioneer BDR-209EBK has a SATA 2.6 interface.
http://www.pioneer-optical.eu/Products_Detail.asp?sn=179&class1=BD%20RW&ck=BD%20RW

Whereas the LG BH16NS40 has a SATA 150 interface.
http://gear-up.me/bd-rw-lg-16x-sata-black-bh16ns-bulk-sw.html

Any major difference between the two? Maybe speed? Both are supported by the mobo, right?

 

[Eli Little]

Sorry I am taking so long to respond, had to take my ACT and build an architectural model for my Engineering class. When it comes to Disk Drives, I will always recommend a SATA 3.0 interface, (otherwise known as SATA 6GB/S), as it is the most up-to-date and fastest connection. Both SATA 1.5 and SATA 2.6 are outdated, and won't offer the speed of SATA 3.0. Here is a good one I can recommend-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136268

 

[Flying Zebra]

No worries man. I'm happy for all the replies that I received!

Well, today I ordered the build/parts and this the final one I decided to go with:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F4kVLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F4kVLk/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Savage 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($193.25 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($362.92 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($147.26 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($19.99 @ Mwave)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($19.99 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: HP PS/2 Keyboard (QY774AA) Wired Standard Keyboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G400s Wired Optical Mouse ($53.49 @ Amazon)
Other: AXAGO CRI-S3 Card Reader ($18.00)

Total: $1982.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-28 12:03 EDT-0400

To go with it, I'll be using the monitor that I already have - Samsung SyncMaster SA700
http://www.samsung.com/ae/consumer/computers-peripherals/monitors/led/LS23A700DS/ZN

I bought it a year ago and IMHO it should suffice for the time being.

I'm just wondering wheter to hook it up through HDMI or DVI. I heard 120Hz on HDMI doesn't work.

Hopefully I decided well and it will be a good build.

Fingers crossed I don't get any faulty parts *prays*

Thanks everyone for the help! You really did help with the finalization.

I'll keep you updated

 

[Eli Little]

In order to be able to utilize 120Mhz, you will need a Category 2 HDMI cable, which is the rating on it's data transfer rate. Category 2 is supposed to be able to handle any combination of refresh rate, color, and view modes. If you are not sure which Category your cable is rated, then pick up this one and you should be fine. (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Cable-Category-1080P-Capable/dp/B000AA2RCY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414583169&sr=1-1&keywords=category+2+cable).

 

[Flying Zebra]

Hey guys, just want to give you an update.

The build is finished and I've been using it for a day. Before that, during desting, there were some frequency/voltage issues with the CPU and RAM that crashed the system, but it got sorted out. Other than that everything seems to be fine (thank God!) *knocks on wood*

I have the exact same components I listed, except that I added another SSD (technically it's a NGFF).

What I love about the build the most are five things:
a) the case is huge and has a premium feeling to it
b) the system is very quiet (even during load)
c) the system is pretty fast (boot-up from button to desktop = 30s/restart to desktop = 20s)
d) it's cool (literally - cpu/gpu at idle are 28C, highest temp is 40C (sata drive)
e) it chews anything I throw at it

If you want a better idea...
WEI = 7.8
3DMark = 10100 points
Tomb Raider Benchmark @1080p/Ultimate (w/TressFX + w/out AA) average 62fps, min 57fps, max 80fps
Skyrim @Highest settings is smooth as well.
Will try more games later.

I have to say that I am honestly very positively surprised and thankful to be able to finally experience gaming at its finest.

I can recommend this build

 

[Eli Little]

Hey guys, just want to give you an update.

The build is finished and I've been using it for a day. Before that, during desting, there were some frequency/voltage issues with the CPU and RAM that crashed the system, but it got sorted out. Other than that everything seems to be fine (thank God!) *knocks on wood*

I have the exact same components I listed, except that I added another SSD (technically it's a NGFF).

What I love about the build the most are five things:
a) the case is huge and has a premium feeling to it
b) the system is very quiet (even during load)
c) the system is pretty fast (boot-up from button to desktop = 30s/restart to desktop = 20s)
d) it's cool (literally - cpu/gpu at idle are 28C, highest temp is 40C (sata drive)
e) it chews anything I throw at it

If you want a better idea...
WEI = 7.8
3DMark = 10100 points
Tomb Raider Benchmark @1080p/Ultimate (w/TressFX + w/out AA) average 62fps, min 57fps, max 80fps
Skyrim @Highest settings is smooth as well.
Will try more games later.

I have to say that I am honestly very positively surprised and thankful to be able to finally experience gaming at its finest.

I can recommend this build

Great to hear that everything worked out! As a last thing you should do though, can you list the components that you used? Just curious what your final choice was. Also, you should check at which speed that your RAM is running at (use a program called CPU-Z [DOWNLOAD- http://www.download-free-soft.net/listing/327251/CPU-Z?did=11288&pid=1&pid=1&ppd=search,6867112235,cpu-z,e,,c,0,,,&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cpu-z%20-%20search%20-%20kw%20-%20us&utm_term=cpu-z]), and check this screen-

Go ahead and take a screenshot of what it looks like. Want to check something pretty important.

 

[Flying Zebra]

Thanks! Sure thing, here it is:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($186.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Savage 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($175.99 @ Directron)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow M.2 120GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ Directron)
Storage: Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($131.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($63.59 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($140.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($19.99 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: HP PS/2 Keyboard (QY774AA) Wired Standard Keyboard ($35.99 @ Mac Mall)
Mouse: Logitech G400s Wired Optical Mouse ($59.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: AXAGO CRI-S3 Card Reader ($18.00)
Total: $2027.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-07 06:27 EST-0500

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT

Basically I ditched one of the Noctua case fans and added a 120GB Kingston M.2 SSD. Other than that it's pretty much the same.

I just measured the boot-up again and this time it was just 7 seconds. Probably some startup app I forgot to remove.

I tried CPU-Z, but it doesn't work as it gives me an error. However GPU-Z works fine. What did you want to check?

I looked at the temperatures again in HWInfo and this is what it shows:

CPU Core Max: 29C
System: 29C
PCH: 32C
Temperature 3: 22C
Temperature 4: 29C
Temperature 5: 46C
Temperature 6: 46C
VR T1: 38C
VR T2: 63C --------------------> the only thing I'm concerned about and I don't understand (shows up under IRF IR3563B in HWInfo)
VR T1 #2: 34C
VR T2 #2: 34C
Storage 1 (WD Black): 31C
Storage 2 (Kingston M.2 SSD): 40C
Storage 3 (Intel SSD): 28C
GPU Temperature: 28C

I think the temperatures as well as the airflow in the Fractal are pretty good. I've left the side and top of the case sealed as it came for the time being, which makes the system really quiet, and should there be any temp issues I'll unseal them to allow more air in/out. But right now it should be fine.

I've been playing yesterday for 3 hours. I'm sure if there was any serious problem somewhere it would've showed up.

Here's what Speedfan is showing:

 

[Eli Little]

Thanks! Sure thing, here it is:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($186.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Savage 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($175.99 @ Directron)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow M.2 120GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ Directron)
Storage: Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($131.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2 (Black Pearl) ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($63.59 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($140.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($19.99 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: HP PS/2 Keyboard (QY774AA) Wired Standard Keyboard ($35.99 @ Mac Mall)
Mouse: Logitech G400s Wired Optical Mouse ($59.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: AXAGO CRI-S3 Card Reader ($18.00)
Total: $2027.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-07 06:27 EST-0500

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pPV9FT

Basically I ditched one of the Noctua case fans and added a 120GB Kingston M.2 SSD. Other than that it's pretty much the same.

I just measured the boot-up again and this time it was just 7 seconds. Probably some startup app I forgot to remove.

I tried CPU-Z, but it doesn't work as it gives me an error. However GPU-Z works fine. What did you want to check?

I looked at the temperatures again in HWInfo and this is what it shows:

CPU Core Max: 29C
System: 29C
PCH: 32C
Temperature 3: 22C
Temperature 4: 29C
Temperature 5: 46C
Temperature 6: 46C
VR T1: 38C
VR T2: 63C --------------------> the only thing I'm concerned about and I don't understand (shows up under IRF IR3563B in HWInfo)
VR T1 #2: 34C
VR T2 #2: 34C
Storage 1 (WD Black): 31C
Storage 2 (Kingston M.2 SSD): 40C
Storage 3 (Intel SSD): 28C
GPU Temperature: 28C

I think the temperatures as well as the airflow in the Fractal are pretty good. I've left the side and top of the case sealed as it came for the time being, which makes the system really quiet, and should there be any temp issues I'll unseal them to allow more air in/out. But right now it should be fine.

I've been playing yesterday for 3 hours. I'm sure if there was any serious problem somewhere it would've showed up.

Here's what Speedfan is showing:

I wanted to check what speed that your RAM was running at, to make sure it was working fine (RAM or motherboard problems, luck of the draw stuff). Also, it would show me whether or not you had XMP Profiles activated in your BIOS. XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) is a setting which sets the RAM to the speed at which it is rated (overclocks it basically, except the RAM is made to be overclocked to the rated speed). Without it, your RAM will run at 1333 instead of 1866 like it should.

Here is a tutorial on activating it- http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/2

 

[Flying Zebra]

@Eli Little: I see. What other app I can use for that other than CPUZ? Seems different apps show some things differently. I have Aida, Speedfan and HWInfo installed.

I found out that IRF IR3563B has something to do with the cpu and mobo... and that it shouldn't be an issue unless the temperatures are above 80C.

I've read that some people with some mobos had problems with 4790K.

Are voltages important to know? I mean... for you? I can post what the apps are showing.

Also, could you recommend me an app to see how much load/temperature the cpu and gpu have while gaming?

And lastly, how can I let other see my build so they can check it out and perhaps recommend it to them? Just through PCPP?

I promise to click you a solution in the end 😉