Feedback on new gaming build

[mamrey]

Hey everyone! I am helping my brother build his new gaming pc. I built my first one 6 years ago, and I remember this forum being extremely helpful. I just want to thank everyone taking the time to look at this.

Purpose: Gaming
Budget: $1200-$1400 (without software or monitor)
Country: USA
Brand Preference: Intel CPU
Overclocking: Yes
Resolution: 1080p
Plan to Build: Within the next week
Dealbreakers: 16 GB Ram and SSD (these are things he needs to have)


NZXT Phantom 410 $99.99
i5 4670K + ASRock Z87 Pro3 combo $336.98
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 770 399.99
2 x 8 G Skill Ares DDR3 1866 RAM
Rosewill CAPSTONE-750 750W $99.99
Samsung 840 Pro 256 GB SSD $239.99
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 $34.99
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner $17.99

Total: $1,364.91 (before rebates)

Again, thanks very much. Let me know if you need more info!

 

[Essence_of_War]

CPU+MoBo Combo = Great!
GPU = Fantastic!
HSF = :thumbsup:
Case = I'm a little more partial to this guy personally, but I can see why you dig it.

Some suggestions:

The RAM isn't a bad deal w/ the 10% off, but you could save a little money if you'd like:

2x8 GB Crucial Ballistix Sport for $120 shipped
OR
2x8GB Patriot w/ somewhat ludicrous heat spreader for $105 shipped, AR

For SSD, are you sure you need a pro-quality one? The 840 Pro is really meant for people where performance matters: like a high-performance photoshop or video editing scratch space. For a boot/application/maybe a handful of games drive, you should take a look at either the SanDisk Ultra Plus or the Samsung 840 non-pro.

On the storage front, do you have an HDD to pair with that SSD? If not, $60ish will get you a 1 TB WD Caviar Blue for a game storage space.

Finally, that's A LOT of PSU for a single GPU build. I don't think that MoBo supports SLI or Crossfire, so I would probably step down to something like this 650W for $60 AR or like this 500W for $40 AR

 

[lehtv]

Case - OK
CPU + Mobo - mobo a bit weak for overclocking, you can afford better e.g. MSI G45 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1392886 or MSI G43 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1392846
GPU - MSI http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127741 is better
RAM - OK
PSU - Seasonic G650 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151118 $60 AR AP. Definitely don't get a Bronze unit like TX and definitely not CX which has relatively poor capacitors
SSD - for gaming, the Pro = money wasted. Zero practical difference (except cost), compared to e.g. Corsair Neutron http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233403
Cooler - Arctic i30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186058 is better

 

[mamrey]

Thanks for the great advice so far. I see the PSU as a main area for improvement. Are there any crucial differences between the SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W and Rosewill Capstone 650 M

Also, why exactly is the MSI GTX 770 better than the Gigabyte version?

Finally, concerning RAM bus speed. Does it make sense to go with 1600 Mhz if there are 1866 MHz RAM available?

Thanks guys!

 

[Essence_of_War]

Link to the Rosewill one is broken, but SeaSonic is basically the top-tier PSU manufacturer, and that PSU is an incredible deal while it lasts.

I believe the MSI is voltage unlocked (if you'd ever like to OC it) while the Gigabyte is not. Also the MSI is free shipping .

For gaming, I don't think you'll see any appreciable difference in faster clocked RAM.

 

[mamrey]

Ok great! I fixed the broken Rosewill link btw.

 

[lehtv]

Having 1866 RAM would make no noticeable difference even if your usage scenario involved heavy RAM applications.

The MSI cooler is pretty much on par with Gigabyte in performance (quieter, slightly less cool), but it takes less space and looks better.
Guru3D MSI 770 review
Guru3D Gigabyte 770 review
Techpowerup MSI 770 review
Techpowerup Gigabyte 770 review
Legitreviews MSI 770 review
Legitreviews Gigabyte 770 review

     Guru3D: Temp C, dBa   TPU: Temp C, dBa   Legit: Temp C, dBa
MSI          69, 39             79, 29               71, 44.7
Giga         67, 39             76, 33               70, 47.0

The differences between Seasonic G and Rosewill Capstone are mainly the price. Other than that, Seasonic is slightly higher quality, but not enough to matter at all in most cases. Both are very stable, high efficiency, powerful and covered by 5 year warranty.

 

[mamrey]

Great! I will go with the MSI GTX 770 and that SeaSonic PSU.

I am still finalizing the motherboard. I ran across this Gigabyte GA-Z87X at Microcenter. Seems like a great deal. What do you guys think?

 

[Essence_of_War]

Do you have a microcenter nearby?

If you do, I'd probably just go with the MSI bundle on the Z87-G41.

 

[mamrey]

I do have a microcenter nearby. I can't find that MSI Z87-G41 bundle, tough.

 

[Essence_of_War]

You don't see it as the first bundle in the i5-4670k here?

 

[lehtv]

Z87-G41 is also a bit weak on the overclocking side... on this budget I'd pick the Asus Z87-A

 

[mamrey]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. We have ordered most of the parts. Now we are trying to decide on a case. My brother saw the NZXT Phantom 410 at microcenter and didn't like how it looked. He is fond of the Corsair 500R, but it doesn't have a windowed side panel.

What's the best mid tower case with a windowed side panel? We are looking to spend no more than $150.

Also, is size the main difference between full and mid towers? Would a full tower be overboard for our build?

Again, thanks so much!

 

[Essence_of_War]

There is a windowed version of the 300R for $80.

There is a windowed Fractal Design R4 for $80 as well.

There is also a carbide 500R for 80, which is certainly worth a look just for the value, but it doesn't have a window. :\

 

[mamrey]

I made a slight mistake in my post, I meant that he likes the Carbide 500R. It is perfect, except it doesn't have the window. We're going to look at the Design R4.


Thanks!

 

[Essence_of_War]

Yeah, that R4 is a very nice case. I don't know exactly how it compares w/ the 300R, but I feel like $80 is high for a 300R on sale, so I think I like the R4 better at the price point.

 

[mfenn]

The mesh on the 500R is pretty much a window. The windowed 300R that Essence mentioned is a great alternative if you must have plexi.

 

[Agent11]

It would be literally insane to get a GeForce 770 over the AMD 7970.

Certifiable.

The 7970 is a superior card in all respects.

Hell, if you budget in another 250 for the video card you could get a 7990.

 

[mfenn]

The 7970 is a superior card in all respects.

All respects except for playing games like Shogun 2, Far Cry 3, Battlefield 3, Civ V, Bioshock: Infinite, and Crysis 3. The 7970 is certainly a better deal at current prices, but saying that the 7970 is superior in all respects is just plain wrong.

 

[Agent11]

http://www.overclockers.com/hd7970-gaming-benchmark-results-update
'The HD 7970 still clearly beats or matches the GTX 770 in all of the benchmarks except for Civ 5 and HWBot Heaven Xtreme. So, my personal opinion of the GTX 770 doesn’t change in light of the new results. The GTX 770 costs the same, but performs worse than the HD 7970 on average. If one needs some of NVIDIA’s exclusive features in the $400 price range, then the GTX 770 is the card to get. Otherwise, a little more performance can be had from the HD 7970.'

Perhaps Anand needs to retest.

 

[mfenn]

http://www.overclockers.com/hd7970-gaming-benchmark-results-update
'The HD 7970 still clearly beats or matches the GTX 770 in all of the benchmarks except for Civ 5 and HWBot Heaven Xtreme. So, my personal opinion of the GTX 770 doesn’t change in light of the new results. The GTX 770 costs the same, but performs worse than the HD 7970 on average. If one needs some of NVIDIA’s exclusive features in the $400 price range, then the GTX 770 is the card to get. Otherwise, a little more performance can be had from the HD 7970.'

Perhaps Anand needs to retest.

That's a 7970 GHz edition, not a 7970. Much different cost.

 

[mamrey]

Hey everyone, I have the final update. Putting together the machine was a joy--the most difficult step was installing the heatsink. Eventually, my brother wants to add custom sleeves and LED lights inside. Thanks for all the help and feedback! We really appreciate all the responses.

Here are the final specs and a few pics:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz
CPU Cooler: XIGMATEK Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" SSD
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 Twin Frozr 2GB
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W
Sony Optiarc High Speed SATA DVD RW

 

[mfenn]

Looks nice, glad you like it!