What do you think of this gaming rig, is it good?

[MaxChasis]

Hello, this will be my first time building a gaming rig, so I am a novice when it comes to picking parts. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.
- Is their any part that is to overkill/underkill
- Should I get sli 980. If not now then is my system good enough to support the sli?
- is overclocking hard to do, I have never done it.
- is this system good enough for 1440p?
-Did I pick the best 980 brand?
I don't own a 1440p monitor (yet), is it worth it? I have a pretty cheap 1080p right now. If I should get one then could you recommend a brand?
Thank you so much for your time.



-Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-MSI ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97 GAMING 5
-MSI Graphics Cards GTX 980 GAMING 4G
-Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory
-Noctua Ultra Silent CPU Cooler Cooling NH-U9B SE2
-Samsung 850 EVO 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E120B/AM)
-Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive
-EVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 80PLUS Gold Certified

 

[McDuncun]

Dude that is the ultimate gaming rig!! You chose everything very much wisely!! That`s going to be a very goo gaming experience!

 

[Matt Dobe]

Looks like a nice build. I really don't recommend SLI 980s at the minute. If you are going to do it then go with 2 970's they blow a single 980 out of the water in any SLI supported games. You can overclock some 970's as far as a stock 980 anyway (and they are like $200 cheaper!).

A 980 would be overkill for playing at 1080, a 960GTX is more of a sensible match if you're staying at 1080! (I'm still maxing my games at 1080 with a 2 year old GTX 760!)

I suggest you buy a nice 970 such as ASUS or MSI and overclock it a bit more. You'd save a lot of cash, get more than the performance you'd need at 1440p and have similar performance to a 980 anyway. I would also buy an aftermarket CPU cooler such as a 212 EVO (they are like $30) and you could easily overclock to 4.2-4.5ghz for that extra juice.

Good luck bro.

 

[Dunlop0078]

Yes it is a very nice system. The 980 is overkill for 1080p but is perfect for 1440p. On that system overcloking is a breeze. I dont see why you would need sli 980s but yes you can support it, 2 980s would be good for 4k but is overkill for 1440p. MSI makes a very good 980 most people seem to like the gigabyte g1 gaming version the best but that msi will be every bit as good they are all pretty much the same with diffrent coolers and slightly different clocks and pcb layouts. 1440p is definitely worth it for that system i would recommend a 970 or r9 290 if your going to stick with 1080p.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

1. 2133 RAM is about the same price as 1600 so I'd move up (2nd set has Hynix modules and slightly better timings if that interests you)
$75 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231689
$86 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231689

2. I'd grab the MSI GD65 as it's a more long established, proven line

GD65 is $120 cheaper at $140 after $10 MIR and $30 Combo Discount on 4690k
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2203101

3. The MSI and Gigabyte cards definitely rule the roost for the 9xx series. Each review I look at has them either ranking 1 or 2 on the speed / overclocking tests but the MSI is smaller (less fit issues) and is an aesthetic match for the MoBo.

4. If doing SLI, I'd consider the $700 970 SLI option (now or later) over a single $550 980..... $1,100 for GFX cards seems a bit much for the performnace difference.

5. 750 is fine for twin 970s even when you overclock the bejeezes outta CPU and GPUs. With the 980s, I'd want n 850 watter

6. I'd double the size of the SSD and HD with the money saved

7. I'd use an SSHD instead of a HD for game storage. The SSHD algorithm will automatically move what game you are currently playing to the faster (SSD) portion of the drive.

$80 1 TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178381
$102 2 TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178380

8. I'd want better cooling. That Noc generally comes in > 10C above the venerable DH-14

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Noctua/NH-U9B_SE2/5.html

For $40 less you could grab a cooler color matched to your case which slightly outperforms the DH-14
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008000&IsNodeId=1&Description=phanteks&bop=And&SrchInDesc=PH-TC14PE&Page=1&PageSize=30

Or for the same price you could get the DH-15.

Tho if it were me, I'd op for the Swiftech H220-X or 240-X

9. Overclocking is very easy....if ya need I can give you a quick and easy OC guide.

Some benchies for 970- SLI w/ some of the most demanding games out there

10. Yes 1440 rocks..... the Asus Swift is expensive but w/ G-Sync and 8-bit color it's an unbelievable gaming monitor.... I'd invest here before spending an extra $400 on twin 980s.

 

[maddogfargo]

That's a nice rig.

970 is good for 1440p. So the 980 will be great, but no it is not overkill.

You would only need SLI 980s for 4k gaming. At that point you want an i7 instead of an i5 because i7 scales better with SLI/Crossfire.

Maybe try for CL8 DDR3 1600 RAM. CL9 is OK but 8 will be slightly faster.

Can't really think of anything else to add. Looks like a nice setup. Enjoy.


* Addendum *

+1 for Jack Naylor's 970 SLI recommendation above. Better bang for the buck. Still 4k capable.

 

[MaxChasis]

1. 2133 RAM is about the same price as 1600 so I'd move up (2nd set has Hynix modules and slightly better timings if that interests you)
$75 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231689
$86 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231689

2. I'd grab the MSI GD65 as it's a more long established, proven line

GD65 is $120 cheaper at $140 after $10 MIR and $30 Combo Discount on 4690k
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2203101

3. The MSI and Gigabyte cards definitely rule the roost for the 9xx series. Each review I look at has them either ranking 1 or 2 on the speed / overclocking tests but the MSI is smaller (less fit issues) and is an aesthetic match for the MoBo.

4. If doing SLI, I'd consider the $700 970 SLI option (now or later) over a single $550 980..... $1,100 for GFX cards seems a bit much for the performnace difference.

5. 750 is fine for twin 970s even when you overclock the bejeezes outta CPU and GPUs. With the 980s, I'd want n 850 watter

6. I'd double the size of the SSD and HD with the money saved

7. I'd use an SSHD instead of a HD for game storage. The SSHD algorithm will automatically move what game you are currently playing to the faster (SSD) portion of the drive.

$80 1 TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178381
$102 2 TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178380

8. I'd want better cooling. That Noc generally comes in > 10C above the venerable DH-14

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Noctua/NH-U9B_SE2/5.html

For $40 less you could grab a cooler color matched to your case which slightly outperforms the DH-14
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008000&IsNodeId=1&Description=phanteks&bop=And&SrchInDesc=PH-TC14PE&Page=1&PageSize=30

Or for the same price you could get the DH-15.

Tho if it were me, I'd op for the Swiftech H220-X or 240-X

9. Overclocking is very easy....if ya need I can give you a quick and easy OC guide.

Some benchies for 970- SLI w/ some of the most demanding games out there

10. Yes 1440 rocks..... the Asus Swift is expensive but w/ G-Sync and 8-bit color it's an unbelievable gaming monitor.... I'd invest here before spending an extra $400 on twin 980s.

Really great advice, I did some revisions. What do you think of this?

-Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-ASUS Z97-A ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97-A
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL8 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin
-Noctua NH-U9B SE2 CPU Cooler
-Seagate 1TB Desktop SSHD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST1000DX001)
-Samsung 850 EVO 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E120B/AM)
-Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Performance Full Tower Case CC-9011035-WW

The total comes out to around 1700, I could probably bring it down to 1600 with some bargin hunting.
What do you think? Is this better than my fist build?
Could I do better?
I plan on overclocking so should I get a better cpu cooler, like water cooling, its only 30-40$ more, is it worth it?
Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H100i
Thanks

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-ASUS Z97-A ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97-A
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL8 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin
-Noctua NH-U9B SE2 CPU Cooler
-Seagate 1TB Desktop SSHD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST1000DX001)
-Samsung 850 EVO 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E120B/AM)
-Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Performance Full Tower Case CC-9011035-WW

1. The equivalent board to the MSI GD-65 is the $205 Asus Hero .... that's $55 more money. The Z97 A is a significant step down. Though I almost exclusively used Asus MoBos for 10 years, their Z87 / Z97 performance and reliability has been disappointing. The most common annoyance of the BIOS clock freeze bug which has popped up on almost every model. Search the RoG Forums on BIOS Clock Freeze and you will find dozens of threads. Here's some reviews on the Z87 MSI Board ... the Z97 is same board, different chipset

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_z87_gd65_gaming/12.htm

MSI has been using components that meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G for some time as part of its Military Class build philosophy. Parts such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 degree Celsius lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections as part of the "Military Essentials" package......In the end MSI's Z87-GD65 is a board that comes with an expansive feature set that includes all your basics and the extras that set them apart such as the V-Check points, upper end audio, Dual BIOS ROMs, KIller Network package, Military Class IV package, and a three-year warranty. Couple that with good looks that carry the dragon theme through the board, and you have a winning combination at $189.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z87_gd65_gaming_review/15

Now and again a motherboard appears that is so obviously brilliant, and so affordable, that we wonder if anything will be able to top it. For a while that crown was held by the ASUS Sabertooth, both in X58 and then P67 variants. Then MSI stole the crown with the Z77 MPower. Looking at the Z87 GD65 Gaming we think it's going to take something extraordinary to top it, such is the perfect storm of price, performance, features and looks.

The switch to Military Class 4 has given us an extremely ready overclocker too. You're always thermally limited when overclocking and the i7-4770K is one of the most demanding around. Considering the amount of cooling we're using we think that although the GD65 is capable of bringing 5GHz from our i7-4770K you'd need a proper water loop to make the most of it.

Performance is outstanding. The stock results were a particular highlight. We know a lot of people still just like to put their CPU in and go, without overclocking it first. Despite how easy it is these days we know that the fear factor still exists. So you'll be glad to know that the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming really rocks hard even at stock settings. Naturally the overclocking is blistering too, with some OC3D records broken.

MSI have laid the gauntlet down to all the other manufacturers. Gorgeous to look at, blistering performance and all at a very affordable price, the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming is not only the new benchmark for Z87 motherboards, but probably for all motherboards.

2. I still don't see the attraction of the slower memory given the relative costs.

3. I don't see why you would pay $40 more for a cooler that leaves your CPU 14C hotter. The H100i is an annoyingly loud cooler. The DH-15 destroys it in both noise (1/12th as loud) and thermals.

4. The 750D don't hold a candle to the Enthoo Luxe.




Here's how I'd spend the $1700: ($50 in MIRs)

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.89 @ OutletPC)
No change

CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220-X 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Micro Center)
Huge upgrade over the H100i, runs 7C cooler while H100i is 6 times louder and inlike the H1ooi it's all copper, no cheap aluminum, no mixed metals AND it's an open loop system. You can add water blocks for GFX cards, RAM blocks, MoBo blocks, radiators whatever.

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.98 @ OutletPC)
See above

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.98 @ OutletPC)
$12 cheaper for much faster RAM.... the Muskins have better timings and are same price as the Ballistics

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
No change

Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
No change but i'd spend the $20 for the 2 GB

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
No change

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case - White ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Again, huge upgrade. If ya watch / read the reviews just about every one comments 'unmatched in its price range" Has built in PWM fan controller capable of driving 11 fans, built in SSD mounts, PSI shroud, best cable and management system. If ya want in Black it's $10 cheaper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQOPK-OgvnM

Add an interior color strip .... 1 meter ($20) and 2 meter ($25) options.... see what they look like here at 25:40 mark)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kayq0Ad8A0Y

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
No change

Total: $1693.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-13 13:26 EST-0500

You can save $10 buying the H220-X direct from Swiftech or upgrade to the H240-X for same price.
http://www.swiftech.com/

I'd expect 4.7 - 4.8 Ghz on CPU and 25% OC on GFX cards and 23% or so on GFX Memory) overclocking wise.

 

[MaxChasis]

Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-ASUS Z97-A ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97-A
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G Graphics Cards GTX 970 GAMING 4G
-Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL8 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin
-Noctua NH-U9B SE2 CPU Cooler
-Seagate 1TB Desktop SSHD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST1000DX001)
-Samsung 850 EVO 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E120B/AM)
-Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Performance Full Tower Case CC-9011035-WW

1. The equivalent board to the MSI GD-65 is the $205 Asus Hero .... that's $55 more money. The Z97 A is a significant step down. Though I almost exclusively used Asus MoBos for 10 years, their Z87 / Z97 performance and reliability has been disappointing. The most common annoyance of the BIOS clock freeze bug which has popped up on almost every model. Search the RoG Forums on BIOS Clock Freeze and you will find dozens of threads. Here's some reviews on the Z87 MSI Board ... the Z97 is same board, different chipset

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_z87_gd65_gaming/12.htm

MSI has been using components that meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G for some time as part of its Military Class build philosophy. Parts such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 degree Celsius lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections as part of the "Military Essentials" package......In the end MSI's Z87-GD65 is a board that comes with an expansive feature set that includes all your basics and the extras that set them apart such as the V-Check points, upper end audio, Dual BIOS ROMs, KIller Network package, Military Class IV package, and a three-year warranty. Couple that with good looks that carry the dragon theme through the board, and you have a winning combination at $189.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z87_gd65_gaming_review/15

Now and again a motherboard appears that is so obviously brilliant, and so affordable, that we wonder if anything will be able to top it. For a while that crown was held by the ASUS Sabertooth, both in X58 and then P67 variants. Then MSI stole the crown with the Z77 MPower. Looking at the Z87 GD65 Gaming we think it's going to take something extraordinary to top it, such is the perfect storm of price, performance, features and looks.

The switch to Military Class 4 has given us an extremely ready overclocker too. You're always thermally limited when overclocking and the i7-4770K is one of the most demanding around. Considering the amount of cooling we're using we think that although the GD65 is capable of bringing 5GHz from our i7-4770K you'd need a proper water loop to make the most of it.

Performance is outstanding. The stock results were a particular highlight. We know a lot of people still just like to put their CPU in and go, without overclocking it first. Despite how easy it is these days we know that the fear factor still exists. So you'll be glad to know that the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming really rocks hard even at stock settings. Naturally the overclocking is blistering too, with some OC3D records broken.

MSI have laid the gauntlet down to all the other manufacturers. Gorgeous to look at, blistering performance and all at a very affordable price, the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming is not only the new benchmark for Z87 motherboards, but probably for all motherboards.

2. I still don't see the attraction of the slower memory given the relative costs.

3. I don't see why you would pay $40 more for a cooler that leaves your CPU 14C hotter. The H100i is an annoyingly loud cooler. The DH-15 destroys it in both noise (1/12th as loud) and thermals.

4. The 750D don't hold a candle to the Enthoo Luxe.




Here's how I'd spend the $1700: ($50 in MIRs)

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.89 @ OutletPC)
No change

CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220-X 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Micro Center)
Huge upgrade over the H100i, runs 7C cooler while H100i is 6 times louder and inlike the H1ooi it's all copper, no cheap aluminum, no mixed metals AND it's an open loop system. You can add water blocks for GFX cards, RAM blocks, MoBo blocks, radiators whatever.

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.98 @ OutletPC)
See above

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.98 @ OutletPC)
$12 cheaper for much faster RAM.... the Muskins have better timings and are same price as the Ballistics

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
No change

Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
No change but i'd spend the $20 for the 2 GB

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
No change

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case - White ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Again, huge upgrade. If ya watch / read the reviews just about every one comments 'unmatched in its price range" Has built in PWM fan controller capable of driving 11 fans, built in SSD mounts, PSI shroud, best cable and management system. If ya want in Black it's $10 cheaper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQOPK-OgvnM

Add an interior color strip .... 1 meter ($20) and 2 meter ($25) options.... see what they look like here at 25:40 mark)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kayq0Ad8A0Y

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
No change

Total: $1693.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-13 13:26 EST-0500

You can save $10 buying the H220-X direct from Swiftech or upgrade to the H240-X for same price.
http://www.swiftech.com/

I'd expect 4.7 - 4.8 Ghz on CPU and 25% OC on GFX cards and 23% or so on GFX Memory) overclocking wise.

Awesome, I'm going to follow your build, just one question. Do you think the Swiftech H220-X 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler or should I go with Noctua NH-U9B SE2. Also is it easy/worth it to overclock the i5 and the 970 sli? Is their a way I would screw it up, or will a novice like me be able to get the hang of it? Thank you so much for your time.