System Builder Marathon Q3 2015: Gaming PC

[mwryder55]

I know that a lot of people feel that the DVD drive is no longer necessary, but I still use mine for older games, like Daggerfall. I know that I could get most of them from Steam or another service but I would pay more for each game than the price of the DVD drive to read the media I already paid for.

 

[firefoxx04]

I just rip game ISO files to my file server and then mount them as a virtual DVD player. There really is no need for cd/dvd media anymore.. at least not tot the extent that towers have to have one built in.

What is wrong with a nice thin, low profile USB Bluray or dvd player?

 

[RedJaron]

I think trying to fit the seidon into the AMD build could have helped it alot though, but may have punished it's graphics performance with a lower chip requirement.

If I wanted to make it a more "balanced" system, it's an interesting idea. But the only place you're pulling $50 is from the GPU, and getting a premium GPU like the 970 was a big point of it. I'm not convinced a highly OC'd 860K can beat a stock i3, but it would be an interesting experiment.

I was not question your build. As far as I am concerned this was a well thought and executed gaming build. I just point out that this particular cpu cooler would be a good match for this build and the suggested oc testing.

Wait, use the Seidon on Chris' i3 build? I'm not sure why that helps things.

know what... if i win this rig i will send you the Seidon for the test! Deal?

I'm on board!

This machine did very well, which I think is a suspicion that most readers would have had at the outset; an excellent build, but uninteresting data points from it.

True. In terms of a build that I would more like to have for personal uses, I'd rather get Chris' machine than my own Munchkin.

 

[littleleo]

i would love to see the amd build from yesterday overclocked just for the academics of it. give it away as is but since you don't normally have such a system in the comparisons, why not cool it right and oc it just to see how it does with the 970.

again just for the academics of it more than anything. just curious how it would hold up to this i3 build.

I did OC it, I was just very limited due to a small, hot environment. In light work, the CPU stays between 4.0 and 4.3 GHz ( stock speeds were 3.7 - 4.0 GHz. However, once a heavy workload sets in, it will throttle itself back to 3.5 - 3.7 GHz as temps climb. That threshold is around 63° - 67° C ( total, not over ambient ). What you're suggesting would require putting the Munchkin internals on a bench and strapping a massive cooler to it. I don't know if we have that much time before it gets sent out to the winner. It would be an interesting experiment though.

Dropping the SSD on this i3 build and upgrading the GPU to a GTX 970 then comparing it with the FM2 mini-ITX build would have been interesting.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I own the EVGA 500W power supply in your build. I'm running it with a 750Ti. It started buzzing a few days ago, only after 9 months of owning it and on low-power consumption components. So I am now replacing it with an 850W G2.

 

[Crashman]

I just rip game ISO files to my file server and then mount them as a virtual DVD player. There really is no need for cd/dvd media anymore.. at least not tot the extent that towers have to have one built in.

What is wrong with a nice thin, low profile USB Bluray or dvd player?

Nothing, the Q2 mini system had one. Well, I guess you could say "the extra $5" is what's "wrong" with them.

You're going to be thrilled with the next one. I switched from Micro ATX to Full ATX because I didn't have the extra $5 for an external drive.

 

[littleleo]

I own the EVGA 500W power supply in your build. I'm running it with a 750Ti. It started buzzing a few days ago, only after 9 months of owning it and on low-power consumption components. So I am now replacing it with an 850W G2.

I don't think you need a 850w to power a 750Ti that's a little over kill. Are you planning a GPU upgrade?

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I own the EVGA 500W power supply in your build. I'm running it with a 750Ti. It started buzzing a few days ago, only after 9 months of owning it and on low-power consumption components. So I am now replacing it with an 850W G2.

I don't think you need a 850w to power a 750Ti that's a little over kill. Are you planning a GPU upgrade?

Yes, I'm looking at a 390.

 

[spentshells]

20 less spent on the case by 20 drop the cooler and save 20 by going with a reasonable B85 could have landed you a r9 290 and a slightly better psu to power it.
In general though it would be a great machine and I applaud your move away from a standard HDD, sometimes and especially in this case less is more.

On a side note, moving away from an optical drive is crazy talk.

 

[RedJaron]

Mod Edit to delete off-topic postGenerated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-28 20:17 EDT-0400

...because this:
SBM must be Newegg only since they sponsor the builds.

 

[LucaFire]

I don't know about everyone else... but I like an optical drive in my build xD I don't really understand why.
In the end, I really enjoyed this entry to medium level gaming build. For the most part, I agree with this build and everything has been balanced well while also leaving grand space for expansion.

Great job!

 

[bskchaos]

Ditch DVD/Cooler and go for an i5

Or ditch DVD/OS and go for an i5 plus 1tb hdd

 

[g-unit1111]

I just rip game ISO files to my file server and then mount them as a virtual DVD player. There really is no need for cd/dvd media anymore.. at least not tot the extent that towers have to have one built in.

What is wrong with a nice thin, low profile USB Bluray or dvd player?

I guess the problem would be that a low profile DVD player is that if you don't use an external you would need a drive bay that would accommodate for such. I just built a mini ITX rig based around a Silverstone Raven Z01 and I'm planning to add a low profile DVD to it, it will be interesting to see how that goes, particularly since I don't have a screwdriver that accommodates the really tiny screws that were included.

Ditch DVD/Cooler and go for an i5

Or ditch DVD/OS and go for an i5 plus 1tb hdd

You're not going to ditch the OS here, that's for sure. I did price a micro ATX rig earlier that had an i5 + OS + GTX 960 that came in under $800.

 

[Wisecracker]

In this or any build you should always check the Egg combo deals. Be sure to join the E-Blast newsletter for additional bargains and promo code discounts.

AMD FX-6350
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P
8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1866
Combo Deal: $238

XFX Radeon R9 280X: $225 before $30 rebate
Samsung 850 250GB SSD: $80 with code AFSAMSSD928B

Winner. Winner. Chicken. Dinner.

With the cash saved you are within shouting distance of the Western Digital Blue 1TB HDD even before the $30 rebate 'comes home' ...

 

[Wisecracker]

In this or any build you should always check the Egg combo deals. Be sure to join the E-Blast newsletter for additional bargains and promo code discounts.

AMD FX-6350
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P
8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1866
Combo Deal: $238

XFX Radeon R9 280X: $225 before $30 rebate
Samsung 850 250GB SSD: $80 with code AFSAMSSD928B

Winner. Winner. Chicken. Dinner.

With the cash saved you are within shouting distance of the Western Digital Blue 1TB HDD even before the $30 rebate 'comes home' ...


edit: I fergit ...

The Samsung 850 120GB SSD is $60 with code AFSAMSSD928A if yah wish to snag the 1TB Blue and save a bit more cash

 

[James Mason]

One of my smartest purchases of the last few years was an external self powered DVD burner, because I so rarely need an optical for anything, if I do I can just hook it up to which ever computer needs it at the time. Which is basically only for windows re/installs.

 

[Onus]

While I don't think rebates should be included, I don't have a problem with a rules "flex" to allow using a combo or other special deal available at time of purchase. After all, builders look for such deals, may delay (or jump early) to take advantage of them, and there is almost always such a deal to be had. I like the hard ceiling on the budget, in this case perhaps reflecting a $750 budget with $50 of "wiggle room" (but no more) in it.

 

[Karadjgne]

Optical drives are idiot proof. Takes no special talent or tech savvyness to use one. Even windows install is so easy that my 11 yr old daughter could do it. A USB with Windows ISO? That's a little different and doesn't exactly come with instructions.

An optical drive is insurance, if you don't need it, fine, if you might need it, fine. It's a personal choice.

 

[RedJaron]

While I don't think rebates should be included, I don't have a problem with a rules "flex" to allow using a combo or other special deal available at time of purchase. After all, builders look for such deals, may delay (or jump early) to take advantage of them, and there is almost always such a deal to be had. I like the hard ceiling on the budget, in this case perhaps reflecting a $750 budget with $50 of "wiggle room" (but no more) in it.

Instant rebates, combos, and discounts are allowed right now. That's the only way I was able to piece the Munchkin together. I had a 10% discount on Windows, 40% off the DVD drive, 10% off the PSU, and 10% off the RAM. Altogether it was about $30 saved.

 

[Aspiring techie]

This build looks great. However, most of the builds that I have seen in SBM for the past year or two have gone heavy on the graphics and light on the CPU. Yes, I know this is a gaming machine, so graphics should be the biggest part, but I want to see what happens when a big part of the budget is put onto the CPU and a smaller part on the GPU.

 

[Chris Droste]

i really liked seeing a more experimental build, mostly because within the norm of shifting prices Most people will tend to spec out very similar systems within the confines of Newegg. yeah, there's a few out there that'll split hairs on say nvidia vs AMD and more commonly go for intel build. with all the integrated stuff becoming good quality it's rather rare to pop in an add-on network or even soundcard anymore. this makes me hope with AMD's HBM and integrated graphics on the FM2 platform that we see some killer single-chip solutions soon, like Fury lite R9 graphics in a CPU that's got comparable IPC to intel.

 

[Math Geek]

This build looks great. However, most of the builds that I have seen in SBM for the past year or two have gone heavy on the graphics and light on the CPU. Yes, I know this is a gaming machine, so graphics should be the biggest part, but I want to see what happens when a big part of the budget is put onto the CPU and a smaller part on the GPU.

part 3 is exactly that as i am sure you have seen by now. went with an i5-6600k and a 750 ti instead of the gpu heavy build the first 2 were.

it did pretty well all things considered as i am sure you have read by now

 

[stalker7d7]

Why not spend less on the Case?

CASE ROSEWILL | FBM-05 Dual-Fan Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case is $30, saves $40. You can put that towards one of two items to significantly improve the longevity of this build.

1: 8->16GB RAM. Some games out now are already using significant amounts of memory, especially games to come in the future. 8GB RAM here will be a limiter very soon if not already.

2: 250 -> 500GB SSD. more storage and performance for the higher capacity SSD -> more games on a GAMING machine.

If you really want cooler case that you like, you can upgrade it later, the difference isn't hugely significant for the performance part of a gaming PC, just don't get a solid box case.

 

[Chris Droste]

Why not spend less on the Case?

CASE ROSEWILL | FBM-05 Dual-Fan Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case is $30, saves $40. You can put that towards one of two items to significantly improve the longevity of this build.

1: 8->16GB RAM. Some games out now are already using significant amounts of memory, especially games to come in the future. 8GB RAM here will be a limiter very soon if not already.

2: 250 -> 500GB SSD. more storage and performance for the higher capacity SSD -> more games on a GAMING machine.

If you really want cooler case that you like, you can upgrade it later, the difference isn't hugely significant for the performance part of a gaming PC, just don't get a solid box case.

by their metrics and all the testing that they do, i think there's only 1, maybe 2 tests that more than 8GB of ram play ANY significant role in. since most times you're talking $30-50 MORE to double that ram, that money show MUCH better value placed in better graphics or an SSD. Unless you're a heavy multi-tasker 8GB is still more than enough to do the job.

I personally have a 512GB SSD on my main rig and put my game installs on there. but this is another value proposition based on their testing suite. 120 is too little for them to adequately accomplish their tasks and even an older 480GB SSD still has too much of a price impact on their SBM budget to become a necessity. I've found a few, mostly questionable options under $80 for a 256GB SSD, so, again, this is another hair-splitting point where $50-60 for 1TB mechanical drive, or that extra $30 might push them into the next tier for graphics or CPU. the test suite tests ALL of these facets but usually a slight bias to gaming tends to emerge unless they have a specific task target.

 

[Bossyfins]

Le Spam Comment removed yey