New PC builder who wants pricing and compatibility advice

[Peppercornflakes]

Hello, I'm a new PC builder who would like some advice from this forum. I would want some feedback on whether or not my build is going to be cost-efficient or if any parts are incompatible with one another. I'm planning on building a gaming PC with a friend who has experience and I'm hoping for it to run current-gen and early future-gen games at a solid 45-60 FPS max graphics. The budget for my computer is about 1200 dollars. I will most likely not be overclocking either.

Current build (all prices in CAD):

Motherboard: ASUS Z97-K/CSM Socket 1150 Intel Z97 Chipset ($144.99)

Processor: Intel Core i5-4670 Quad-Core Processor LGA 1150, 3.4 GHZ ($249.00)

Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 4GB GDDR5 ($239.97)

RAM: Kingston HyperX Blu HS 8GB (2x 4GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, 240-pin DIMM, 9-9-9-27 CAS Latency, 1.5V, Non-ECC, Unbuffered, Intel XMP Ready ($84.99)

HDD: WD Blue 1TB 3.5" SATA3 7200RPM 64MB Cache OEM Hard Drive (WD10EZEX) ($69.99)

SDD: Kingston SSDNow V300 120GB 7mm SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (SSD), Read: 450MB/s Write: 450MB/s (SV300S37A/120G) ($69.99)

Power supply: Thermaltake Smart Power 750W 80Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply (SP-750P) ($74.99)

Cooling fan: Cooler Maaster Hyper 212 EVO heat pipe ($35.99)

Tower/Chassis/Case: NZXT 410 PHANTOM WHITE MIDTOWER ($99.97)

CD-DVD reader/optical drive: ASUS INTERNAL 24X DVD WRITER ($19.99)

GRAND TOTAL: $1089.85 ~ (after tax $1231.53)

 

[Adam Watson]

That all seems fine to me, although I am not an expert. The main thing to look at when building a gaming PC, is your graphics card. You can take a look here at the R9 270x benchmarks (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7503/the-amd-radeon-r9-270x-270-review-feat-asus-his/5), and decide whether you want to purchase a more beefy card.

 

[Peppercornflakes]

That all seems fine to me, although I am not an expert. The main thing to look at when building a gaming PC, is your graphics card. You can take a look here at the R9 270x benchmarks (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7503/the-amd-radeon-r9-270x-270-review-feat-asus-his/5), and decide whether you want to purchase a more beefy card.

Thanks for the quick reply and I was wondering if you knew how to post a PC build that's more neat then the way I posted it. The parts would be bolded and I can link to where I'm buying the parts

 

[Adam Watson]

You could use PC Part Picker. http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/ You can select your parts and then create a custom link to your machine. There, other people can view it.

 

[BleedingEdgeTek]

You can use http://www/pcpartpicker.com to list the parts. $1,100 is a lot to spend to get a locked i5 and 270x, even for Canada.

Here's a build with a better graphics card which will get you Ultra/Max in everything at 1080p for a lot cheaper:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.77 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Enermax ECA3290A-G ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $865.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

 

[jimthenagual]

I'd make a few changes at this budget level in order to get a better GPU. The GPU is probably the most important part in a gaming machine. Changes I've made below should allow for a faster GPU.

-upgraded you to haswell refresh CPU. This one is also overclockable for better future proofing.
-Took out the SSD, you can add it if you have the budget, but for gaming they help load times but have no effect on FPS. From this standpoint, for a gaming machine, I'd rather spend the money on a better GPU than an SSD.
-Upgraded to a R9-280X
-Higher quality PSU at a cheaper price. It's less Watts but still more than enough for your system.
-included windows, if you don't need it, then there's more money for an SSD.

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 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1027.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

 

[Peppercornflakes]

That all seems fine to me, although I am not an expert. The main thing to look at when building a gaming PC, is your graphics card. You can take a look here at the R9 270x benchmarks (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7503/the-amd-radeon-r9-270x-270-review-feat-asus-his/5), and decide whether you want to purchase a more beefy card.

I'd make a few changes at this budget level in order to get a better GPU. The GPU is probably the most important part in a gaming machine. Changes I've made below should allow for a faster GPU.

-upgraded you to haswell refresh CPU. This one is also overclockable for better future proofing.
-Took out the SSD, you can add it if you have the budget, but for gaming they help load times but have no effect on FPS. From this standpoint, for a gaming machine, I'd rather spend the money on a better GPU than an SSD.
-Upgraded to a R9-280X
-Higher quality PSU at a cheaper price. It's less Watts but still more than enough for your system.
-included windows, if you don't need it, then there's more money for an SSD.

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 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1027.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

Thanks for the reply but I have to ask, are these American prices? Many of these retailers seem to be priced for USD, unfortunately I am in Canada and can't get those type of better prices here. Such as the phantom case, seems to be about 100 at the very least here and I have an OS ready to be used . Thanks for the answer

 

[jimthenagual]

Sorry about that, missed that you are in Canada, hello fellow Canuck.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($319.99 @ NCIX)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.17 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.82 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1112.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 13:15 EDT-0400

 

[Peppercornflakes]

You can use http://www/pcpartpicker.com to list the parts. $1,100 is a lot to spend to get a locked i5 and 270x, even for Canada.

Here's a build with a better graphics card which will get you Ultra/Max in everything at 1080p for a lot cheaper:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.77 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Enermax ECA3290A-G ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $865.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

Thanks for the answer, and I'm noticing that you're choosing a far less pricey motherboard which I have to ask, what does a more expensive motherboard have to offer? If it's too much to say, I can just research it. Thanks for giving me these better prices, I would like to spend as least as I could on this new PC

 

[Vic 40]

I will most likely not be overclocking either.

Most likely or not at all?

This is my option,

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.77 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1015.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 13:23 EDT-0400

a bigger ssd,you seem to have the money for it
520watts should be good enough for those components
Like Jim i put your choice of case in
the watercooler mainly for the looks->window,but also for better temps.It's not necessary btw.
A more expensive motherboard,but with a better audiochip,
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-fatal1tyh97performance
one of the things that can make a difference.The addition of an M.2 slot will add costs,
http://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&sqi=2&ved=0CFQQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FM.2&ei=6iqfU5P_B-LjywPepoGwBA&usg=AFQjCNFeS1Tq6OKZOTv_wyOsRTFhpGjvog&bvm=bv.68911936,d.ZWU&cad=rja
is quicker than normal sata 3.0.You'll find these (M.2) on Z97 motherboards (not all).

 

[BleedingEdgeTek]

You can use http://www/pcpartpicker.com to list the parts. $1,100 is a lot to spend to get a locked i5 and 270x, even for Canada.

Here's a build with a better graphics card which will get you Ultra/Max in everything at 1080p for a lot cheaper:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.77 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Enermax ECA3290A-G ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $865.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

Thanks for the answer, and I'm noticing that you're choosing a far less pricey motherboard which I have to ask, what does a more expensive motherboard have to offer? If it's too much to say, I can just research it. Thanks for giving me these better prices, I would like to spend as least as I could on this new PC

The motherboard listed in my build doesn't have SLI capability, is a little smaller, and doesn't have the 'Enthusiast' features that the more expensive boards do. That said, gaming performance will be identical, and I would go with the 280x over the 770 if you're looking for cost savings, as it is almost the same performance, but a good deal cheaper.

Unless you're planning to overclock (which won't do much for gaming considering you already have an i5 anyway), you'll save a lot of money by not buying overclocking-ready components. As you can see, my build saves $50 on the CPU, $70 on the motherboard, and $35 on the cooler, and will perform within the margin of error for the most part. This money saved can go to a better GPU and an SSD if you want, which would be better for gaming and overall performance than an overclocked CPU. Just wanting to try and get you the best performance for the money

 

[Peppercornflakes]

You can use http://www/pcpartpicker.com to list the parts. $1,100 is a lot to spend to get a locked i5 and 270x, even for Canada.

Here's a build with a better graphics card which will get you Ultra/Max in everything at 1080p for a lot cheaper:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.77 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Enermax ECA3290A-G ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $865.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 12:49 EDT-0400

Thanks for the answer, and I'm noticing that you're choosing a far less pricey motherboard which I have to ask, what does a more expensive motherboard have to offer? If it's too much to say, I can just research it. Thanks for giving me these better prices, I would like to spend as least as I could on this new PC

The motherboard listed in my build doesn't have SLI capability, is a little smaller, and doesn't have the 'Enthusiast' features that the more expensive boards do. That said, gaming performance will be identical, and I would go with the 280x over the 770 if you're looking for cost savings, as it is almost the same performance, but a good deal cheaper.

Unless you're planning to overclock (which won't do much for gaming considering you already have an i5 anyway), you'll save a lot of money by not buying overclocking-ready components. As you can see, my build saves $50 on the CPU, $70 on the motherboard, and $35 on the cooler, and will perform within the margin of error for the most part. This money saved can go to a better GPU and an SSD if you want, which would be better for gaming and overall performance than an overclocked CPU. Just wanting to try and get you the best performance for the money

Hi there, thanks for the advice about motherboards, I'm probably gonna soup up my graphics and my GPU just a bit, put a fan in there too just for the temperature and a more attractive chassis. Thanks for the help!

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.75 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi Window (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.92 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.82 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $986.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 16:37 EDT-0400

 

[badboyrog2]

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/npBxbv
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($236.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty H97 Performance ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($107.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.75 @ Vuugo)
Total: $966.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 17:04 EDT-0400

 

[BleedingEdgeTek]

Hi there, thanks for the advice about motherboards, I'm probably gonna soup up my graphics and my GPU just a bit, put a fan in there too just for the temperature and a more attractive chassis. Thanks for the help!

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.75 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($264.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi Window (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.92 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.82 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $986.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-16 16:37 EDT-0400

Looks like a great overall build Nice case too Will give you great performance for that price, especially with the SSD in there. Enjoy your build man!