New PC Build - $2000-$2500 Budget

[jimbothejester]

Hello everyone. I am looking to build a PC capable of 1440p/60fps max settings in every upcoming game. Streaming my gameplay will be another important aspect of this machine. I have started a build but am unsure on quite a few things to say the least. Here are the components so far.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9jdTd6

This is an alternative set of RAM for debate

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yt648d/corsair-memory-cmk32gx4m4a2666c16b

Lastly, my concerns are listed below.

• Corsair Hydro H115i or NZXT Kraken X62?

• Which 1080ti is the best of the bunch?

• Best case suggestions?

• 1TB SSD or 250GB SSD/2TB HDD combo?

• 32GB DDR4 2666 RAM or 16GB DDR4 3200 RAM for streaming and gaming?

• Opinions on the motherboard I have chosen? Better alternatives?

• Best monitor recommendations? 1440p/60hz IPS or higher refresh rate TN panel? (excluded from budget)

Thank you so very much friends for reading and any/all advice. It is greatly appreciated. I apologize in advance for the very long post but I just want to be sure that I am making the best possible component selections for my new build.

 

[jgustin7b]

Looks like you’re headed for the top of the line.

The CPU is a great selection, and with 6 cores at a high speed, you shouldn’t have a problem streaming and gaming.

Again, gpu is a great selection, and really, they all have the same tech, but some companies do a tad bit of overclocking at the factory, but of course, you can change that, so you can take your pick here.

I’d say SSD and hdd combo as you can choose which goes where and is still a good amount of storage. Heck, I only have 120 gb and 500 gb

32gb is really excessive for ram, so go for the 16gb

Take your pic on the case. I found the coolermaster litebox series to be pretty good and some Nzxt cases, but make sure all specs are good.

 

[jimbothejester]

Thanks a lot jgustin! You are awesome. Yeah, I kind of held back a little bit on my first PC that I built a few years ago. I promised myself that I would go all out with my next build, so it would last me longer. How’s my motherboard and cpu cooler btw? Monitor recommendations too if you have any? Also, if anyone else would like to weigh in here please do. I want to gather as many opinions as possible.

 

[g-unit1111]

• Which 1080ti is the best of the bunch?

• Best case suggestions?

You can't go wrong with any of them really. EVGA, MSI, Zotac, Asus - they are all good.

As far as case suggestions go there's lots of great ones at the high end level. Right now the best of the best are the NZXT H700i and the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv. But there are plenty to pick from.

I would do this for a rig in that price range:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($404.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($147.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370 AORUS Gaming 5 (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($186.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($127.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card ($748.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT - H700i ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Titanium 650W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($137.59 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $2340.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-21 11:53 EST-0500

 

[jgustin7b]

That’s a pretty solid idea of a setup, but I would say to back off on the SSD and get more storage on the hdd. 120 gb on an SSD will cover windows and the most frequent apps, plus, games will fill up faster than you think. Maybe get any good 120 gb SSD and the Western Digital 2 tb Black hdd (not sure if it is just black or “caviar black”. Just so you are fully “futureproofed”

 

[g-unit1111]

That’s a pretty solid idea of a setup, but I would say to back off on the SSD and get more storage on the hdd. 120 gb on an SSD will cover windows and the most frequent apps, plus, games will fill up faster than you think. Maybe get any good 120 gb SSD and the Western Digital 2 tb Black hdd (not sure if it is just black or “caviar black”. Just so you are fully “futureproofed”

The thing about storage is that you can always add more drives as you need them. You can always start out with 1TB and then add a second 1 or more TB hard drives as you need them. I would not, however, advise people to go cheap on the primary storage drive. Just saying any SSD will do is not good advice because there's a lot of terrible SSDs out there (Kingston SSDNow for instance). I personally wouldn't get anything but Samsung, but there's a few drives out there that are better than others. Storage is one area where you really do get what you pay for. And storage is one area where storage needs really do vary from person to person. But typically for a new gaming rig I always find that a 250GB SSD + a 1 or 2 TB hard drive is a good starting point.

 

[jgustin7b]

It’s the holidays, so things will be cheaper...so ya...what he said

 

[jimbothejester]

Thank you g-unit and jgustin for the informative responses. It is much appreciated. @g-unit Can you explain your reasoning behind the different motherboard, RAM, and PSU that you chose? Just curious is all. Also, what’s the difference between the two motherboards that we picked out and this one?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CkCrxr/gigabyte-z370-aorus-gaming-7-rev-10-atx-lga1151-motherboard-z370-aorus-gaming-7-rev-10

I love the look of the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv btw. Thank you so much for recommending it to me. I also am fond of this case. Your thoughts?

https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16811139087?nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction-CS&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-CS-_-Cases+(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Corsair-_-11139087&AID=11886886&PID=7706533&SID=pcg-custom-tracking

How’s this EVGA 1080ti compared to the one you have selected?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KBtWGX/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-11gb-ftw-gaming-icx-video-card-11g-p4-6696-kr

 

[g-unit1111]

Thank you g-unit and jgustin for the informative responses. It is much appreciated. @g-unit Can you explain your reasoning behind the different motherboard, RAM, and PSU that you chose? Just curious is all. Also, what’s the difference between the two motherboards that we picked out and this one?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CkCrxr/gigabyte-z370-aorus-gaming-7-rev-10-atx-lga1151-motherboard-z370-aorus-gaming-7-rev-10

Most higher end Z370 boards are about the same when you get right down to it. The only real difference is things like build quality and manufacturer included accessories.

I love the look of the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv btw. Thank you so much for recommending it to me. I also am fond of this case. Your thoughts?

https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16811139087?nm_mc=AFC...(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Corsair-_-11139087&AID=11886886&PID=7706533&SID=pcg-custom-tracking

I like both of those cases - you can't go wrong with either one. Only thing I will warn if you get the Corsair Crystal is that the glass must be handled carefully. There's less glass used in the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take the same precautions prior to installation and handling thereafter. One thing I will say is that I have a Phanteks Enthoo Pro and that case is built like a tank. I have had very good luck with Phanteks.

How’s this EVGA 1080ti compared to the one you have selected?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KBtWGX/evga-geforce-gt...

They're all about the same performance wise. The main difference is the cooler and the PCB. EVGA generally uses the NVIDIA reference design where others like Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI will use custom PCBs for their graphics cards which will make a lot of difference when you go to overclock.

 

[jimbothejester]

Ah, I understand. Yeah, I think I’m prob. just going to go with the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv then. I assume the Corsair Crystal will be a lot heavier as well with so much glass. Thank you for bringing that point up.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YgMtVY

I think I will go with the NZXT cooler over Corsair and Gigabyte motherboard over Asus. What do you think? I’m not sure which set of RAM sticks to go with however. I’m only considering 32GB for headroom with gaming and streaming in mind. If 16GB, G.Skill Trident Z RGB or Flare X series? Sorry for so many questions btw.

 

[g-unit1111]

Ah, I understand. Yeah, I think I’m prob. just going to go with the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv then. I assume the Corsair Crystal will be a lot heavier as well with so much glass. Thank you for bringing that point up.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YgMtVY

I think I will go with the NZXT cooler over Corsair and Gigabyte motherboard over Asus. What do you think? I’m not sure which set of RAM sticks to go with however. I’m only considering 32GB for headroom with gaming and streaming in mind. If 16GB, G.Skill Trident Z RGB or Flare X series? Sorry for so many questions btw.

That looks good. I would say go for the Trident Z. It's definitely some of the best RAM out there that you can buy right now. It's pretty much the only RAM i use and recommend right now.

Although if you pick a case like the Corsair Crystal or Phanteks Enthoo Evolv, be aware that they do not have 5.25" drive bays, so buying a CD burner will be useless unless you make it an external drive.

 

[jimbothejester]

Great! Thanks. So, 16GB for sure instead of 32GB for gaming and streaming? I just don’t want to have any issues there. Oh man. Well that kind of sucks regarding the cases. I mean the only reason I would use an optical drive anyway would be for O/S installation and Xbox controller initial setup but maybe it would be worth it to have one just in case? Mhm, I might have to think about this?

 

[g-unit1111]

Great! Thanks. So, 16GB for sure instead of 32GB for gaming and streaming? I just don’t want to have any issues there. Oh man. Well that kind of sucks regarding the cases. I mean the only reason I would use an optical drive anyway would be for O/S installation and Xbox controller initial setup but maybe it would be worth it to have one just in case? Mhm, I might have to think about this?

The only reason to advise against getting 32GB of RAM right now is the price of it. What used to be a $100 RAM kit is now going for well over $250, and 32GB kits are going for well over $500. It sucks, but that is the way it is going to be for the time being and I think it's going to get worse before it gets better.

As far as the optical drive goes, most modern cases are being designed without 5.25" drive bays. Unless you absolutely have to have one, just get an external USB drive. They're cheap and that way they are there when you need them and not there when you don't.

 

[jimbothejester]

You’re absolutely right. I noticed that immediately and couldn’t believe it. Yeah, I remember when RAM use to be the cheapest upgrade you could make for your PC. That no longer is the case sadly. I guess I will have to make a tough choice there.

Speaking of the external usb drive, that’s a great idea. I will opt for that instead. I think I’ve found one on bestbuy.com for $19.99.

Okay. Lastly, I would love your assistance in choosing a 1440p monitor. I’m thinking of 60hz IPS over 144hz or higher TN. Your thoughts and suggestions?

 

[justinj]

I went with this one a couple weeks ago (see below). The only thing I'd say is that the cooler is large but it works well. There is minimal difference between most of the 1080 Ti's and the SC Black was $40 cheaper and came overclocked already. I wanted the 5-yr warranty on the hard drive because I've had one fail on me. One other callout is that I used the same thumb drive for memtesting and installing Windows.

One quick bit of advice - When I tried to create the Windows thumb drive, it wouldn't work right so I had to completely wipe the thumb drive and then put Windows on it. Maybe others have more luck or know how to do it without issue, but I'd suggest that if you have two thumb drives, it might be easier.

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($207.65 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($141.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($233.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($116.39 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card ($749.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT - Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.89 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell - S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($406.30 @ Amazon)
Total: $2514.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-05 14:47 EST-0500

 

[jgustin7b]

Has anyone ever thought that decent 1440p to 4k monitors nowadays are practically around the price of a budget Pc system? (500-600). It’s nuts.