Suggestions on my PC Build.

[IxWolfie]

So I don't particularly really like the idea of overclocking. However, I just decided to get the ASUS Z170-A and the 6600k in the long run in case I do decide I want to overclock. That being said, since I don't really prefer overclocking, I'm not really too sure where to go from here. The 6600 (non-k) is like, $20-$40 less than the k version, so there's really no point in not getting it. However, I originally planned on getting a 6500 which is around $50 less or something.

I do a lot of gaming, and I also stream and record sometimes. Recording also comes with processing, which is another reason I decided to bump the 3.2ghz (6500) up to 3.5ghz (6600k). My current processor in this old PC has 3.8, but I did compare the 3.2(6500) to the one I have now and it's insanely better... You can see how much better here, if you're curious to see how much of a Potato my PC is right now...

Either way, I've made my point on what I use it for. I also use it for personal use obviously. I want some suggestions to know if what I have is too much for my needs, to little, or what. My budget is give or take what it is now. I don't need a keyboard or a mouse, and I need to get an OS, since this PC came with it pre-installed and from what I've heard you can't transfer pre-installed Windows 10 copies to other PCs... Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

Suggestion and comments are much appreciated.

--

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mL2ZBm
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mL2ZBm/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.99 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Deepcool TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.89 @ OutletPC)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 High Performance Edition (2-Pack) 62.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($21.99 @ Amazon)

Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Micro Center)


Total: $985.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available



EDIT: I want to get a EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply, not sure why it didn't save... Oh well.

 

[BadActor]

Very nice build, I see nothing that needs to changed. I would encourage you to get an SSD. They make an incredible difference in the responsiveness of the system.

What power supply are you going to use?

 

[IxWolfie]

Very nice build, I see nothing that needs to changed. I would encourage you to get an SSD. They make an incredible difference in the responsiveness of the system.

What power supply are you going to use?

Hm... My Power Supply got removed for some reason... I was going to use the "EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply", since the estimated wattage is like 330. Should I go lower, higher, or what?

I already have a 1TB Hard Drive in this computer, is it safe to assume if I get a 120gb (or should it be bigger?) SSD, that I can use this current hard drive..? I'm assuming it'll work but I'm not too sure.

edit: I was going to buy a whole new 1TB Hard Drive, and use this one so I have 2TB collectively. I could just scrap this 1TB and get a 120GB of the same price... Not sure how good it is, but the 120GB SSD is the Kingston SV300S37A/120G... I have no clue what Hard Drives are good, and what SSDs are good... So this is really beyond me, haha.

 

[Leshard]

what about dual drives?

 

[IxWolfie]

what about dual drives?

You mean having two Hard Drives? I have this 1TB one that's in my current PC, and I have a budget build so I can either get a the one listed, or a 120GB SSD. As I said my budget is where it is, and I don't want to go over it.

 

[BadActor]

Very nice build, I see nothing that needs to changed. I would encourage you to get an SSD. They make an incredible difference in the responsiveness of the system.

What power supply are you going to use?

Hm... My Power Supply got removed for some reason... I was going to use the "EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply", since the estimated wattage is like 330. Should I go lower, higher, or what?

I already have a 1TB Hard Drive in this computer, is it safe to assume if I get a 120gb (or should it be bigger?) SSD, that I can use this current hard drive..? I'm assuming it'll work but I'm not too sure.

edit: I was going to buy a whole new 1TB Hard Drive, and use this one so I have 2TB collectively. I could just scrap this 1TB and get a 120GB of the same price... Not sure how good it is, but the 120GB SSD is the Kingston SV300S37A/120G... I have no clue what Hard Drives are good, and what SSDs are good... So this is really beyond me, haha.

You only need a 430 watt PSU for your build. but I think the 600B would be OK for your setup though, there aren't many good quality PSU's at that wattage level and price point. I have a Kingston SSD in a laptop, and while not the fastest SSD I own, it it's still a huge improvement over the old HDD. If your current HDD is big enough, i would say go ahead and keep using and add the SSD.

 

[IxWolfie]

Very nice build, I see nothing that needs to changed. I would encourage you to get an SSD. They make an incredible difference in the responsiveness of the system.

What power supply are you going to use?

Hm... My Power Supply got removed for some reason... I was going to use the "EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply", since the estimated wattage is like 330. Should I go lower, higher, or what?

I already have a 1TB Hard Drive in this computer, is it safe to assume if I get a 120gb (or should it be bigger?) SSD, that I can use this current hard drive..? I'm assuming it'll work but I'm not too sure.

edit: I was going to buy a whole new 1TB Hard Drive, and use this one so I have 2TB collectively. I could just scrap this 1TB and get a 120GB of the same price... Not sure how good it is, but the 120GB SSD is the Kingston SV300S37A/120G... I have no clue what Hard Drives are good, and what SSDs are good... So this is really beyond me, haha.

You only need a 430 watt PSU for your build. but I think the 600B would be OK for your setup though, there aren't many good quality PSU's at that wattage level and price point. I have a Kingston SSD in a laptop, and while not the fastest SSD I own, it it's still a huge improvement over the old HDD. If your current HDD is big enough, i would say go ahead and keep using and add the SSD.

I got the 600 to future proof it, I could go down to the 500B which is a bit less, if that'd be better. The only thing I'd do on the SSD is just install Windows on it. Speed doesn't really matter to me, so at that point can I just scrap the SSD? Are there other benefits? I'd install some drivers on it, but again that'd be about it... Which I don't really even know how I'd go about that one, and still have my desktop folder on the other HDD... I haven't really ever had two Hard Drives before, I've only used one haha.

 

[BadActor]

I would use the SSD to install Windows on and all your frequently used programs. It's not really about speed, it's more about responsiveness, how it makes anything you do on your PC "feel." I know of no one who has ever said "I'm going back to a regular HDD, SSD's suck." Most people can never go back after having one, myself included.

 

[IxWolfie]

I would use the SSD to install Windows on and all your frequently used programs. It's not really about speed, it's more about responsiveness, how it makes anything you do on your PC "feel." I know of no one who has ever said "I'm going back to a regular HDD, SSD's suck." Most people can never go back after having one, myself included.

Drivers go on the HDD, then? If I use things like Sony Vegas, I'm assuming that'd go on the SSD, too?
So many questions for an SSD scrub, lol.

 

[BadActor]

Drivers install to the operating system, yes. And any frequently used programs. The HDD would be used for file storage and less frequently used programs. When you install a program, instead of letting it install to the default directory, which is usually on the "C" drive, you would change it to install it into the "D" drive (or whatever drive letter is assigned.)

 

[IxWolfie]

Drivers install to the operating system, yes. And any frequently used programs. The HDD would be used for file storage and less frequently used programs. When you install a program, instead of letting it install to the default directory, which is usually on the "C" drive, you would change it to install it into the "D" drive (or whatever drive letter is assigned.)

Wouldn't anything on my desktop still be located at c:\users\<name>\desktop\ ? -- That would surely cause the amount of usage in the SSD to rise, because I have a lot of shit on my Desktop that I need there, such as pictures for thumbnails, videos I plan on editing, etc.

--
I did some minor edits, and since you seem very helpful, how's this http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RzC9jX
I'm assuming all components will fit, like the fan the video card, etc... Not sure if that site is 100% accurate.

I decided to get the Cryorig H7 for a CPU Cooler but idk if it's any better than the CM Hyper 212 EVO. Fan max RPM is the same, but the 212 EVO has 600 - 2000 RPM... The 212 EVO is cheaper, but people say the H7 is better.

Should I overclock right off the bat, or use it base for awhile then OC it when I'm 100% sure the fans work and stuff? (I've never Overclocked so I guess you could say I'm pretty stupid when it comes to OCing too..)

 

[BadActor]

You don't need to overclock at all really, but it's fun learning how and it may extend the useful life of the CPU as it gets older and apps become more demanding. The H7 is a better cooler than the EVO, but either one will probably manage the same overclock. The rest of the build looks good and is compatible. The only thing I would suggest is to upgrade the power supply to a Tier 1 or Tier 2, such as the XFX TS 550. It's just better quality and cheap insurance that the rest of your components will lead a long happy life.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[IxWolfie]

You don't need to overclock at all really, but it's fun learning how and it may extend the useful life of the CPU as it gets older and apps become more demanding. The H7 is a better cooler than the EVO, but either one will probably manage the same overclock. The rest of the build looks good and is compatible. The only thing I would suggest is to upgrade the power supply to a Tier 1 or Tier 2, such as the XFX TS 550. It's just better quality and cheap insurance that the rest of your components will lead a long happy life.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Bb2fMp -- Now is it good? I don't really like the price point, but the only thing I could think of doing is not buying an SSD right now, and buy one later that's better.

Also, the fan (Cryorig H7) isn't actually showing me a price on Partpicker, I'm not sure if that's an issue. If it is, are there any other fans for ~$35?

 

[BadActor]

The Cryorig is not showing up on PCPP, but it's available at Newegg. If the build price is getting to high, you can always drop the RAM to 8 GB or add the SSD later, those are simple upgrades.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4UF2DZ6565

 

[IxWolfie]

The Cryorig is not showing up on PCPP, but it's available at Newegg. If the build price is getting to high, you can always drop the RAM to 8 GB or add the SSD later, those are simple upgrades.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4UF2DZ6565

Will I see any huge differences from 8GB to 16GB? Yeah I was thinking of dropping SSD for now, but idk yet.

EDIT: Suggestions for 8GB ram whether it's 2x4 or 1x8? I want a specific card if possible?

 

[BadActor]

You will not see any difference going from 16 GB to 8 GB unless you actually need more than 8. The vast majority of users use less than 8 GB's. A matched kit of RAM (2 sticks), will perform better than a single stick of the same size, which allows the RAM to be run in dual channel mode. Some will say a single stick is fine if you intend to upgrade later, but you may find you won't need to add any or could potentially have problems later trying to match the existing stick.

Stay with the GSkill V series, it's designed to work with Skylake CPU's.

 

[IxWolfie]

You will not see any difference going from 16 GB to 8 GB unless you actually need more than 8. The vast majority of users use less than 8 GB's. A matched kit of RAM (2 sticks), will perform better than a single stick of the same size, which allows the RAM to be run in dual channel mode. Some will say a single stick is fine if you intend to upgrade later, but you may find you won't need to add any or could potentially have problems later trying to match the existing stick.

Stay with the GSkill V series, it's designed to work with Skylake CPU's.

So for right now, getting the 8GB of RAM and not getting an SSD until I have more money to perhaps get a better SSD... Is this final? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DfzRNG

Any better suggestion for RAM?
EDIT: I mean, should I get higher speed RAM, or will that be fine?

 

[BadActor]

The speed is fine although some apps and games will work better with faster RAM. You can use faster if your budget allows.

 

[IxWolfie]

The speed is fine although some apps and games will work better with faster RAM. You can use faster if your budget allows.

Hm.. Okay. Thank you, you've been a big help!

One last thing, I'm assuming Windows 10 will use your Motherboard to "lock" the copy to your PC... If I'm getting the ASUS Motherboard, which I'm assuming I won't need to upgrade it any time soon, is it safe to assume with this setup that I can get the OEM version of Windows 10 Home? I'm also assuming that 64-bit will work with these settings. So then could I get Windows 10 Home OEM (64-Bit)? From what I've been told, OEM will only allow it to be installed on a single Motherboard. With that, I should be safe to install it on this PC, and reinstall it as much as I want?

 

[BadActor]

Correct on all counts.

 

[IxWolfie]

Correct on all counts.

Edit (reworded): So just clarifying, if I buy this $80 OEM Copy of Windows 10 Home 64-Bit, and install it on this HDD that I have now, then after let's say, a month, buy the SSD. I'd be able to format the HDD, and install Windows 10 on the SSD with no issues as long as I keep the motherboard, correct? Again, sorry if this is redundant but this is my first PC build and I don't want to screw it up somehow.

Just making sure because I still plan on buying an SSD at some point, but at first it'll be installed onto a HDD. Also, I'm assuming all HDDs are compatible? This has an AMD Processor, which means it has an AMD-compatible Motherboard, and an AMD Graphics Card... Will that cause issues if I take out the HDD?

 

[BadActor]

Correct on all counts.

Edit (reworded): So just clarifying, if I buy this $80 OEM Copy of Windows 10 Home 64-Bit, and install it on this HDD that I have now, then after let's say, a month, buy the SSD. I'd be able to format the HDD, and install Windows 10 on the SSD with no issues as long as I keep the motherboard, correct? Again, sorry if this is redundant but this is my first PC build and I don't want to screw it up somehow.

Just making sure because I still plan on buying an SSD at some point, but at first it'll be installed onto a HDD. Also, I'm assuming all HDDs are compatible? This has an AMD Processor, which means it has an AMD-compatible Motherboard, and an AMD Graphics Card... Will that cause issues if I take out the HDD?

Yes, and the HDD will swap right over.

 

[IxWolfie]

Correct on all counts.

Edit (reworded): So just clarifying, if I buy this $80 OEM Copy of Windows 10 Home 64-Bit, and install it on this HDD that I have now, then after let's say, a month, buy the SSD. I'd be able to format the HDD, and install Windows 10 on the SSD with no issues as long as I keep the motherboard, correct? Again, sorry if this is redundant but this is my first PC build and I don't want to screw it up somehow.

Just making sure because I still plan on buying an SSD at some point, but at first it'll be installed onto a HDD. Also, I'm assuming all HDDs are compatible? This has an AMD Processor, which means it has an AMD-compatible Motherboard, and an AMD Graphics Card... Will that cause issues if I take out the HDD?

Yes, and the HDD will swap right over.

Alright, I guess it's all settled then. Thanks for your help!

 

[BadActor]

Good luck with your build!