Upcoming Build Questions

[Duz7]

Hello everyone. I am wanting to build a mini itx based Gaming PC that can run all the latest AAA titles on the highest settings, 1080p and 60 fps. This is the build i came up with: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7Lk6ZL

Questions:
1. Will this meet my desired requirements or will i need to go ahead and get a 980?

2. There is a compatibility note that states "Some Intel Z87 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs" will this be a major issue?

3. Is the PSU enough? (Kind of tight on the budget)

4. With all the fans i am looking to buy, will there be enough connectors for each one or will i need to buy an adaptor of some sort?

5. Could any of these parts possibly go on sale around the 4th of July or should i just go ahead and start buying now?

P.S. Im kind of new to all of this so im sorry for all the questions. Thanks!

 

[rowdymoody]

1.) It will be enough for most games, but on a few you may need to lower settings a bit or deal with lower than 60fps, but still perfectly playable. (GTAV, Witcher 3, AC unity, etc.)

2.) You should be fine. In the event there is an issue, updating BIOS is pretty simple and painless.

3.) The 550W PSU is fine for this build as it is now, but if you want to run SLI later you will need an upgrade.

4.) You did not state how many fans you plan on buying. This case can hold 2 120mm fans in the front, 2 on the top, and 1 in the rear, these can all be swapped for 140mm fans. and you have the option of running 1x 200mm fan in the front instead of 2x 120mm or 140mm fans.

5.) They might, but it is hard to say. the 4th of july isn't really a big time of year for sales.

 

[martinch]

I'd echo what rowdymoody said.

2. There is a compatibility note that states "Some Intel Z87 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs" will this be a major issue?

It's potentially an issue, depending on how the board handles BIOS updates - some require a POST-able system (which, unless you've got a spare "compatible" CPU, won't work if it can't see the CPU), and others don't.

For example, I had to update the BIOS on my ASUS Z97-Pro in order for it to work with my i7-4790K - as ASUS have their USB Flashback, I could do this with just the motherboard connected to the PSU, and a USB stick connected to the correct port - I didn't even need to have the CPU in the socket!

Your best bet would be to e-mail/phone EVGA and ask them what the process is for updating the BIOS on a new build to support a new CPU. In my experience, they're very helpful. It may be that all the boards shipping now have a sufficiently new BIOS, so it's not actually needed.

 

[Onus]

1. You will be able to play any games at 1920x1080 with "very good" settings. The difference between that and "highest" may not be noticeable unless you really try.
2. A BIOS upgrade may be needed. Or, select a Z97 or H97 board.
3. Since SLI is not an option for Mini-ITX, this PSU will be sufficient.
4. You may want one additional fan for the rear, but the case comes with a large 200mm front fan, so you shouldn't need lots of fans.
5. Pricing is unpredictable. There may be deals around 7/4; there may be deals when AMD's 300-series cards come out; one never knows.
Also...
6. The stock cooler is likely better than the one you've chosen. If you think you need a better cooler, select from http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2478892/alternatives-hyper-212-evo-budget-cooling.html or perhaps look for a less-expensive ($15-$20) 92mm tower cooler.
7. Use the $82 you won't spend on fans to get a minimum of a 120GB-128GB SSD to use as your system drive. It won't improve FPS, but it will reduce level-load times and make bootup, shutdown, and application-loading a lot snappier.

 

[Tyler Hammond]

If I were you, what I would do is get the i5-4690k processor. If you're doing strictly gaming it will be more than enough to game with. The i7 has no advantage over the i5 when it comes to pure gaming. I would take the money you saved from that and find a z97 motherboard. I would also recommend buying an ssd to use as your boot drive. You can get a 120 gb samsung ssd 850 evo for around $80 I believe.

Your power supply will be plenty. I would try finding a different cpu cooler though. Gaming will heat up your cpu like no other, and from the looks of your cpu cooler I don't think that it is going to be able to keep your temps down enough.

As for part prices. There may be some fourth of July promo discounts but in all honesty part prices fluctuate constantly and there is really no "good" time to buy parts. For example: I bought my parts for my computer on November 31, 2014. Had I waited a few more months I could have gotten the parts about $200 cheaper than what I had paid. In short, buy the parts when its most convenient for you and your budget.