Building first computer & could use an experienced 2nd opinion on parts. Thanks!!

[Dagarle]

It seems over half (small #) of my posts on MMO-Champ have been in this forum looking for help on building a computer that never ended up getting built! This time, however, my old gaming laptop has officially died so I really HAVE to build one now. Below is the list of parts I have come up with after reading many reviews and ratings. What I could really use though is an experienced eye going over my list to tell me if anything could be optimized.

Some usage background. Honestly 90% of my gaming time right now is spent on WoW. I just enjoy the hell out of the game and, even though I have a full Steam library of various titles they do not get played that often, I always come back to WoW. So I would like to be able to finally play at Ultra settings while still getting playable fps, prefer 60+ of course. The other 10% of gaming is everything from old school Warcraft 1-3, some Final Fantasy Steam Playstation converts, all other Diablo and Starcraft versions, and very limited Overwatch. Other than that is a bunch of Youtube, movie streaming, FanFiction reading/writing, and general browsing.

Just to give a number my budget is a max of $2,000 but would prefer to stay under $1,700. From what I have read forever WoW seems to be much more CPU bound than GPU. Therefore I want the absolute best CPU I can get? From other people building recently it seems I would be foolish not to wait for the new Coffee Lake CPUs from Intel to come out? So I have an i7-7700 as a placeholder in my list below to (HOPEFULLY) simulate the rough price for now. I plan on doing some medium over clocking of whatever CPU I get to increase WoW performance that much more while staying away from stressing the system too much or getting it too hot. Taking suggestions on which of the new CPUs you think would be the best fit for my setup.

You may notice my Storage line is empty. This is because I have a 1.5 year old Samsung 256 GB SSD as my laptops main drive that I would like to yank out and re use for the same purpose in this build. I also JUST bought a Samsung 850 EVO 1 TB SSD that i was going to use to replace a 1 TB old school hard drive that was currently installed in the laptop to try and mitigate some heat issues (looks like I was too late). So my storage should be good. I also have 2 monitors and all other peripherals I should need.

Some questions I have from my experiences with my gaming laptop over the last 6 years (so always dealing with heat):

1 - Is the CPU cooler I picked a good one? I do not want to mess with a liquid cooling set up and this one had many amazing reviews.
2 - I really like the simpleness of the case I picked out plus the dust filters it come with (we have indoor dogs and cats as well as live on a farm so dust is a never ending battle). Does the case have enough fans or do I need to add more?
3 - A crazy idea I have always wondered about. My computer room has an AC floor vent very close. Is it a dumb idea of tray and route some of that cold air to the computer? Will it cause moisture/condensation problems? More trouble than its worth?
4 - This is the first desktop I will have ever owned so is heat even that big of a deal with the larger space volume between parts plus the extra fans so am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Other questions;

1 - Do I need 32 GB of RAM or will 16 work? I went 32 mainly because I had the slots and budget for them but if they give me no discernible improvement then I am always up for saving some $$.
2 - My only connection will be wireless and I tried to pick out a well reviewed mother board with built in WiFi. Will this suffice or will I need a stand alone card?
3 - I am a simple man with simple sound tastes. As long as voices and music are crisp and clear then I am good. Do I need a sound card?
4 - My laptop only supported 2 monitors or itself and one monitor. Will this video card (from the picture of its ports) support 1 HDMI, 3 Display ports, and 1 DVI? To be more precise, could I support 1 HDMI TV, 1 DVI-VGA Monitor, and 1 Display Port Monitor all at the same time?
5 - What is the best way to work with my old SSD to make it ready for the new computer? Put it in an external enclosure to make sure I have any files I want off of it then wipe it? Any specific/good wiping program to make it ready/pristine for a new system?

Other than that please peruse my list and give me some feedback. I am willing to spend some more if you think it will give me more bang for my buck and I am willing to shave off items or go cheaper if you don't think it adds any real value. I could also use you opinion on when to buy these parts. Buy them all now? Buy a couple now and wait to see if some others drop a bit? Thank you very much for slogging through this wall of text and for all your help and suggestions!!!

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4PgxzM) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4PgxzM/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VKx...bx80677i77700k) | $322.88 @ OutletPC
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Fcf...u-cooler-nhu9s) | $58.35 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [Asus - STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2Ph...-z270-e-gaming) | $187.49 @ SuperBiiz
**Memory** | [Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MYH...6gx4m2b3000c15) | $147.88 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MYH...6gx4m2b3000c15) | $147.88 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Tv3...08g-p4-6173-kr) | $479.89 @ OutletPC
**Case** | [Fractal Design - Define R5 Blackout Edition ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nwV...e-fdcadefr5bko) | $89.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Power Supply** | [EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4...ly-220g20650y1) | $75.98 @ Newegg
**Optical Drive** | [Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2v9...rw24b1stblkbas) | $18.69 @ OutletPC
**Operating System** | [Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtg...ft-os-kw900140) | $89.89 @ OutletPC
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1648.92
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| **Total** | **$1618.92**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2017-08-31 13:10 EDT-0400 |

[Kagthul]

It seems over half (small #) of my posts on MMO-Champ have been in this forum looking for help on building a computer that never ended up getting built! This time, however, my old gaming laptop has officially died so I really HAVE to build one now. Below is the list of parts I have come up with after reading many reviews and ratings. What I could really use though is an experienced eye going over my list to tell me if anything could be optimized.

Some usage background. Honestly 90% of my gaming time right now is spent on WoW. I just enjoy the hell out of the game and, even though I have a full Steam library of various titles they do not get played that often, I always come back to WoW. So I would like to be able to finally play at Ultra settings while still getting playable fps, prefer 60+ of course. The other 10% of gaming is everything from old school Warcraft 1-3, some Final Fantasy Steam Playstation converts, all other Diablo and Starcraft versions, and very limited Overwatch. Other than that is a bunch of Youtube, movie streaming, FanFiction reading/writing, and general browsing.

Just to give a number my budget is a max of $2,000 but would prefer to stay under $1,700. From what I have read forever WoW seems to be much more CPU bound than GPU. Therefore I want the absolute best CPU I can get?

Correct.

From other people building recently it seems I would be foolish not to wait for the new Coffee Lake CPUs from Intel to come out? So I have an i7-7700 as a placeholder in my list below to (HOPEFULLY) simulate the rough price for now.

Theyll be roughly the same prices, yes.

I plan on doing some medium over clocking of whatever CPU I get to increase WoW performance that much more while staying away from stressing the system too much or getting it too hot. Taking suggestions on which of the new CPUs you think would be the best fit for my setup.

You may notice my Storage line is empty. This is because I have a 1.5 year old Samsung 256 GB SSD as my laptops main drive that I would like to yank out and re use for the same purpose in this build. I also JUST bought a Samsung 850 EVO 1 TB SSD that i was going to use to replace a 1 TB old school hard drive that was currently installed in the laptop to try and mitigate some heat issues (looks like I was too late). So my storage should be good. I also have 2 monitors and all other peripherals I should need.

Some questions I have from my experiences with my gaming laptop over the last 6 years (so always dealing with heat):

1 - Is the CPU cooler I picked a good one? I do not want to mess with a liquid cooling set up and this one had many amazing reviews.

Yeah, Noctua makes really good coolers. As long as you're not looking for a lot of bling, you're good to go here.

2 - I really like the simpleness of the case I picked out plus the dust filters it come with (we have indoor dogs and cats as well as live on a farm so dust is a never ending battle). Does the case have enough fans or do I need to add more?

Honestly, in a roomy-ish case, airflow is not a huge deal these days. Modern components just dont get that hot. Ideally, you want Positive Pressure (more CFM intake than outflow) because that means that the case wont be sucking debris in through every hole and crack and crevice. 2 140mm in and 1 140mm out should be fine.

3 - A crazy idea I have always wondered about. My computer room has an AC floor vent very close. Is it a dumb idea of tray and route some of that cold air to the computer? Will it cause moisture/condensation problems? More trouble than its worth?

Wont significantly alter temps and could theoretically lead to condensation. Dont bother.

4 - This is the first desktop I will have ever owned so is heat even that big of a deal with the larger space volume between parts plus the extra fans so am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

A good sized hill, perhaps.

Other questions;

1 - Do I need 32 GB of RAM or will 16 work? I went 32 mainly because I had the slots and budget for them but if they give me no discernible improvement then I am always up for saving some $$.

You dont even need 16 for your use-case. I wouldn't go with less just because there's not a lot of savings to be had by going with 8GB; 16GB is the sweet spot right now on price. But 32 is complete overkill and will do you absolutely no good of any kind.

2 - My only connection will be wireless and I tried to pick out a well reviewed mother board with built in WiFi. Will this suffice or will I need a stand alone card?

As long as it has external antennas, you're fine. You could also just get a MoBo without built-in WiFi and get a good, decent aftermarket card or external USB3 WiFi adapter, depending on what is cheaper. They will all work just fine.

3 - I am a simple man with simple sound tastes. As long as voices and music are crisp and clear then I am good. Do I need a sound card?

No. Most built-in Audio is plenty good unless you're an audiophile who can hear minute differences that most of us cant. And most peripherals (like a USB headset) will use their own audio driver anyway. And if you ARE an audiophile, you dont want an internal sound card anyway - they can still pick up electrical interference from the other components. Serious audio guys use an external DAC (Digital Audio Converter).

4 - My laptop only supported 2 monitors or itself and one monitor. Will this video card (from the picture of its ports) support 1 HDMI, 3 Display ports, and 1 DVI? To be more precise, could I support 1 HDMI TV, 1 DVI-VGA Monitor, and 1 Display Port Monitor all at the same time?

It will only use 4 of the outputs at once. Using the DVI plug will disable one of the Display Ports, most likely. But for your proposed use-case, it should work.

5 - What is the best way to work with my old SSD to make it ready for the new computer? Put it in an external enclosure to make sure I have any files I want off of it then wipe it? Any specific/good wiping program to make it ready/pristine for a new system?

Put anything you want to keep on the larger SSD and nuke and pave the smaller boot drive.

Other than that please peruse my list and give me some feedback. I am willing to spend some more if you think it will give me more bang for my buck and I am willing to shave off items or go cheaper if you don't think it adds any real value. I could also use you opinion on when to buy these parts. Buy them all now? Buy a couple now and wait to see if some others drop a bit? Thank you very much for slogging through this wall of text and for all your help and suggestions!!!

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4PgxzM) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4PgxzM/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VKx...bx80677i77700k) | $322.88 @ OutletPC
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Fcf...u-cooler-nhu9s) | $58.35 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [Asus - STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2Ph...-z270-e-gaming) | $187.49 @ SuperBiiz
**Memory** | [Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MYH...6gx4m2b3000c15) | $147.88 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MYH...6gx4m2b3000c15) | $147.88 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Tv3...08g-p4-6173-kr) | $479.89 @ OutletPC
**Case** | [Fractal Design - Define R5 Blackout Edition ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nwV...e-fdcadefr5bko) | $89.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Power Supply** | [EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4...ly-220g20650y1) | $75.98 @ Newegg
**Optical Drive** | [Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2v9...rw24b1stblkbas) | $18.69 @ OutletPC
**Operating System** | [Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtg...ft-os-kw900140) | $89.89 @ OutletPC
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1648.92
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| **Total** | **$1618.92**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2017-08-31 13:10 EDT-0400 |

Other than waiting for Coffee Lake (which i also recommend, if you can wait till early October), which you already pointed out, unless you plan on doing streaming or a LOT of heavy multitasking while gaming, you could save money by going with the Core i5 8600K instead of the i7 8700K.

The new i5s will be six cores, which is plenty for all modern gaming, even with things like Discord/browser tabs/etc open in the background (most of those take up so little CPU power, i dont understand why people think they are an issue even for a cheap i3).

Also, i wouldnt worry about "mild overclocks" - you should be able to hit 4.8-5.0 Ghz on either Coffee Lake CPU with no problems.

And from a personal preference, i prefer Seasonic PSUs (better warranty, some of the best QC and quality on the market). You can get the Seasonic M12II 620W for about the same price as that EVGA. There is nothing wrong with the EVGA (in fact, depending on the series, it may even be made by Seasonic, as EVGA doesn't manufacture their own parts) though.

Also, consider grabbing Win 10 on Kinguin. Save yourself ~60$.

[LaserChild9]

I'm no expert but it all looks fine, my only query would be why so much RAM? Going over 16GB is not really gonna improve your gaming experience, its only really going to be good for things like video editing, I could be wrong but that's my understanding of it. Do you plan on upgrading the parts in the future? I only ask because while the i7 is one of the best cpu's for gaming right now, intel are releasing their next gen stuff soon (no date yet but people think October time) and the new processors will use a different socket so wont fit your current motherboard. If you are desperate for a pc you could always go with a Ryzen which is AMD's next gen processor and while it isn't as good as an i7 and doubtfully as good as the next intel stuff, you will be able to upgrade it later and your processor does not affect your gaming as much as your GPU so even if you dont have the top rated cpu, you probably wont notice it as long as its decent and your GPU is good.

[teamkiller]

1:1 the Cooler is solid. You do not need liquid to dial in a moderate overclock. My only concern is clearance of your ram sticks.
2:1 the Case is fine. you're mostly looking for something you like with at least 1 intake fan in the front and 1 exhuast fan in the back. You want greater than or equal to air in than air out.
3:1 The AC should not dump extra moisture into the case. Most AC units have a built in dehumidifier as this helps with cooling and handling the drop in dew point and increase in relative humidity.
4:1 with the parts you have, heat should not be an issue. Things to remember when building the computer. Base on the pictures it looks as though that case has a vent on the bottom of the case near the PSU. Make sure the PSU is getting air from outside of the case and not from inside the case. The GPU will have plenty of airflow and so will the CPU.

1:2 16GB of ram is all you really need. In most scenarios its overkill.
2:2 built in wireless should be fine. Just realize depending on your router and house set up it may not be as good as a wired connection and cat 5 cables are cheap now a days from amazon.
3:2 Sound is all in the headset. Any usb based headset, will use its own controllers for the sound. If you use R/G conntection or 3.5mm, you should still be fine as higher end boards actually put decent sound chips in. \
4:2 i dont see a reason why you could not use 3 monitors in that set up.
5:2 carry the files you want to save over to a backup drive. Then using windows installation, just delete the partition. (You can do this while installing the OS.)

Other thoughts:
Waiting for coffee lake which should be released in october should result in a better computer for you.
As you dont play any super demanding games, I recommend looking at the Be Quiet line of computer parts. The cases supplies and fans are nice. This could keep the system not only cool but also near silent. The parts cost around what parts you picked out.
Your PSU is debatable. Fully modular is almost a waste of money. Semi modular will save you 10$ and only has the 24 and 4+4 CPU power connector seated in the supply and has the rest of the cables modular. Also, gold rating is not super worth it. Its only 4 to 6% more efficient than a bronze but is 10-20$ more expensive. This is a debatable topic but if your looking to save a little money, this is a place.
Id really stick to 16GB of ram. Take any money you have left over and get yourself a nice 144hz monitor or an ultrawide. The monitor will make a very big difference in your computer experience.

[Thunderball]

First of all, props for writing down such a detailed request.

From what I have read forever WoW seems to be much more CPU bound than GPU. Therefore I want the absolute best CPU I can get?

Right.

From other people building recently it seems I would be foolish not to wait for the new Coffee Lake CPUs from Intel to come out? So I have an i7-7700 as a placeholder in my list below to (HOPEFULLY) simulate the rough price for now.

Right again.

I plan on doing some medium over clocking of whatever CPU I get to increase WoW performance that much more while staying away from stressing the system too much or getting it too hot. Taking suggestions on which of the new CPUs you think would be the best fit for my setup.

i5-8400K (6c/6t) is most likely gonna be plenty for your needs. It's most likely going to be somewhat cheaper than 7700K is now, too.

Answering your questions now:

1. Not for 7700K. Also, it's inferior in all parameters (including price) to 212 EVO.
2. Doesnt have enough cooling, period. The case is created for silence, not cooling.
3. Wont make much difference temperature-wise if the vent is close enough to a PC. Blowing air from a vent directly into the intake is generally a bad idea.
4. Depends on the usecase. If you're going for a serious enough overclock (4.8 and up for the CPU+GPU overclock) it absolutely is.

1) For gaming 32GB is overkill. I would go with 2x6GB if those memory modules existed over 2x8. Workstation tasks are a whole different story.
2) Generally speaking yes. Problem is the limited choice of motherboard with build-in WiFi.
3) No, especially if you dont use a budget board.
4) You cannot use HDMI and Display Port connections at the same time AFAIK.
5) As I understand you have both 256GB and 1TB SSDs in your PC right now. Just back up all the needed files before assembling your new PC and format your SSD with Windows installer later.

Suggested build below.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($322.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Liquid Freezer 240 74.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($81.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($187.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($147.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($518.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($75.98 @ Newegg)
Other: Windows 10 @ Kinguin ($32.00)
Total: $1469.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-31 14:11 EDT-0400

[Dagarle]

Thank you for the very thorough response! I will definitely go with just 16 GB of RAM then instead of 32. I looked into your PSU and it would save me a little bit. The only difference is Gold vs Bronze. From what I have read that isn't much of a difference so I'll change that as well. Where the hell has Kinguin been all my life?! Thanks for that suggestion! After a little more reading it looks like you are correct in that the new i5-8600 should be just what I need. Since they seem to be 4-6 weeks out on those what do you have an opinion on buying time frames for the rest of my parts? I could probably get the RAM, Case, PSU, and Optic drive now/anytime. Is there any word if GPUs will be dropping in $$ in the same 4-6 week time frame? Will the Motherboard I picked out work with the new CPUs? Another reviewer just below said something about the new CPUs using a different slot (or I may have mis read)? The only rush I am in will be "jonesing" for WoW over the next 4-6 weeks lol ( and right during a big patch)!! Thanks again!!

[Thunderball]

I could probably get the RAM, Case, PSU, and Optic drive now/anytime.

Yep.

Is there any word if GPUs will be dropping in $$ in the same 4-6 week time frame?

Most definetely no.

Will the Motherboard I picked out work with the new CPUs? Another reviewer just below said something about the new CPUs using a different slot (or I may have mis read)?

No, 6core parts wont be supported for sure. The socket is the same but apparently there has been some electrical changes to bring support for 6 core parts.

[Tommi]

4) You cannot use HDMI and Display Port connections at the same time AFAIK.

You can. I did this a few weeks ago to find out the reason why my g-sync monitor was locking to 60fps when i had certain programs open on my other monitor.

[Kagthul]

Where the hell has Kinguin been all my life?! Thanks for that suggestion!

Just be sure to pay the 2-3$ for the protection, in case you get a bad key. Theyll replace it until you get a good one. Ive never had a bad key, and ive deployed a few hundred in the last few years, but its cheap and if you DO need it its better to have it than not.

have an opinion on buying time frames for the rest of my parts? I could probably get the RAM, Case, PSU, and Optic drive now/anytime.

Doesn't really matter if you buy any of those early. Though i didnt notice the optical drive... do you actually use optical media?

Is there any word if GPUs will be dropping in $$ in the same 4-6 week time frame?

Unlikely. Prices are higher because of Cryptocurrency mining, and likely to stay that way for a while.

Will the Motherboard I picked out work with the new CPUs?

Nope. Youll need a new Z370 board. They use the same socket, but the newer chips have some of the pin locations swapped, so they wont work in the old boards. Very likely there will be a Z370 version of that board available right around launch. ASUS has had a comparable product in every generation so far since about Z77. Itll probably even be right around the same price.

You could order all the other parts sans Motherboard and CPU right now if you want, though.

[Dagarle]

I really appreciate everyone's responses here so far, keep em coming! After reviewing all of your comments and doing a little more googling I think I have a good idea of what I need and can buy right now:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WRDyM8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WRDyM8/by_merchant/

CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Liquid Freezer 240 74.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($81.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($147.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - M12II 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-12 (Black) 52.3 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Windows 10 @ Kinguin ($32.00)
Total: $936.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-31 14:45 EDT-0400

This looks like it covers all of my current bases on what I can buy right now. A good, cooling, simple case with an extra fan purchased to give me 2 incoming/1 outgoing fan plus good filters for dust control and lots of room for organization and cable management. A highly reviewed PSU at a great price that should give me more than enough juice for what I plan. I was leery of doing a liquid cooled setup but this CPU cooler seems pretty simple and very good at cooling. One question, since this is my first time dealing with liquid cooling, what kind of maintenance does it need, ie, liquid need changing or topping off, etc? RAM is good. Video card may be over kill but was so close in price to the 1070 why not? #futureproof

Then all I need to wait for is the new Coffee Lake i5-8600 and an associated motherboard that will fit the new styles (any suggestion yet?). As far as motherboards with WiFI I think I may just run a new line from my living room to the back room through the crawl space so I can have a hard line instead of wireless.

I have Storage taken care of with my 256 GB and 1 TB SSDS and I just read that I may be able to take my optical drive out of thw laptop and put it into a cheap enclosure to use as a external optical drive as needed so I think I have everything covered.

If you guys agree I'll start placing orders. Thanks again for your time and help!

- - - Updated - - -

**Doesn't really matter if you buy any of those early. Though i didnt notice the optical drive... do you actually use optical media?

Honestly I am just used to having one haha. No big deal I reckon. Though this will be connected to our TV as well since we use it to watch any shows we want online.

Speaking of, will I be able to hook up my TV using the HDMI port on the motherboard to use for all our video/show watching while using the HDMI and DVI-VGA on the actual video card for my two browsing/gaming monitors? Thanks again!!

[Thunderball]

I really appreciate everyone's responses here so far, keep em coming! After reviewing all of your comments and doing a little more googling I think I have a good idea of what I need and can buy right now:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WRDyM8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WRDyM8/by_merchant/

CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Liquid Freezer 240 74.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($81.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($147.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - M12II 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-12 (Black) 52.3 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Windows 10 @ Kinguin ($32.00)
Total: $936.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-31 14:45 EDT-0400

Dont cheap out on the PSU and the 1080. You still have quite a bit of budget room.

[Dagarle]

I'm budgeting another ~$600 for the CPU and Motherboard so there goes a lot of my budget room!

I am curious about the differences in the Seasonic I have so far vs the one you suggested *Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($75.98 @ Newegg)* Granted it is a whopping $15 difference so it would not kill me either way but is the extra bit of % you get from it being Gold rated worth it. If it is then thats the way I'll go, no problem.

I don't quite follow you, however, on what you mean by cheaping out on the video card? Isn't an overclocked 1080 the absolute best I can get without bumping up to the ~$900-$1000 range for TIs or SLIs? Thanks!

[teamkiller]

@Dagarle most liquid coolers such as that (AIO/All in one) have minimal maintenance. Just like an air cooler, you have to clean the radiator and the fans once in a while. Also, they have one extra fail point that an air cooler does not have, the pump. Normally you will get between 3-5 years out of a pump before you will need to replace it.

As for the PSU, some people believe in cheap PSUs. Me personally don't as long as its 80 plus rated. Working in an electronics production job, it makes no sense to have "cheaper" parts for different supplies. To use cheaper parts, means you would have higher fail rate in the field. Which with warranty laws hurts the bottom line a lot more then saving a little on parts. However, really look at that supply, i have not looked it up but if it has ketchup and mustard cables, look for a different supply, aesthetics can be a big deal if you have a window on your case. Keep with a trusted brand and at least 80 plus bronze and you should be good. Every supply i've had is bronze and my supply from 9 years ago is still going strong while a friend's gold supply died 3 years ago. The supply duration will work longer the better they are kept clean of dust

[Thunderball]

I'm budgeting another ~$600 for the CPU and Motherboard so there goes a lot of my budget room!

8400K + a decent mobo is $450 tops.

I am curious about the differences in the Seasonic I have so far vs the one you suggested *Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($75.98 @ Newegg)* Granted it is a whopping $15 difference so it would not kill me either way but is the extra bit of % you get from it being Gold rated worth it. If it is then thats the way I'll go, no problem.

Slightly better in all categories (voltage regulation, voltage ripple, efficiency, platform quality) and passive mode as an added bonus (more efficient PSUs usually run cooler while outputting the same current, so a lot of 80+ Gold rated PSUs dont spin their fans under lower loads).

I don't quite follow you, however, on what you mean by cheaping out on the video card? Isn't an overclocked 1080 the absolute best I can get without bumping up to the ~$900-$1000 range for TIs or SLIs? Thanks!

Not every 1080 is the same.

[Dagarle]

Not every 1080 is the same.

Ok, so that makes plenty of sense on the PSU and, like I said, barely a $ difference so an easy upgrade. As far as the GPU goes I how do I know I am getting a "good" 1080? The one you posted initially
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($518.99 @ SuperBiiz)
versus the one I found
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
seem to be the exact same except mine is already over clocked (OC?) and $20 cheaper. But any wisdom you can share on what makes a better card will be appreciated and, once again, that little amount of $$ difference wont make or break the project. I am all about best performance bang for my buck! Thanks all!

[Thunderball]

Ok, so that makes plenty of sense on the PSU and, like I said, barely a $ difference so an easy upgrade. As far as the GPU goes I how do I know I am getting a "good" 1080? The one you posted initially
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($518.99 @ SuperBiiz)
versus the one I found
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
seem to be the exact same except mine is already over clocked (OC?) and $20 cheaper. But any wisdom you can share on what makes a better card will be appreciated and, once again, that little amount of $$ difference wont make or break the project. I am all about best performance bang for my buck! Thanks all!

Clocks do not matter on Pascal, your card will automatically boost up until it reaches either clock limit, temperature limit or power limit (which almost never happens as you cannot really increase voltage on Pascals). So generally speaking the cooler your card runs the better performance you get out of it, even if you dont overclock.

[potis]

Ok, so that makes plenty of sense on the PSU and, like I said, barely a $ difference so an easy upgrade. As far as the GPU goes I how do I know I am getting a "good" 1080? The one you posted initially
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($518.99 @ SuperBiiz)
versus the one I found
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
seem to be the exact same except mine is already over clocked (OC?) and $20 cheaper. But any wisdom you can share on what makes a better card will be appreciated and, once again, that little amount of $$ difference wont make or break the project. I am all about best performance bang for my buck! Thanks all!

General rule, most of these cards are the same, no matter which you get the performance difference between all of them is max 1%, whether its Gigabyte or Asus or MSI when it comes to OC versions, the difference are withing testing error margin.

And as @Thunderball already said better the cooler, better "performance".

There are other factors which you usually cant know unless you really dig into stuff which the hardcore OCers do, as what capacitors, what RAM chips etc, which unless someone really took it apart you cant know which card is "Good good".

G1 used to have a better cooler than WF which seems not to be the case in 1080s ;p, and generally better quality build but i doubt that holds true with 1080.

Aka, they are all good.

[Deleted]

If you are never gonna use your old laptop again and it was running win 7/8, if you still have the windows seriel try using that to activate win 10. I recently built my gf a pc and she had a really old pc which she is never gonna use again and I did that and it activated with no probs. Sure its not much from kinguin but every saving helps!

[Dagarle]

Thank you all for the very thorough and thoughtful advice! Looks like I am going to start placing some order over the coming weeks for all my parts. Hopefully have everything read and waiting for the new CPUs and a motherboard then back to WoW. I know there are tons of how-to videos and guides around for putting it all together but if any of you have a favorite or one you think is the best detailed let me know. Thanks again all!

[moremana]

Just tossing this out there.

The new Focus PSU from Seasonic is out and its getting great reviews. The 550 is on sale at the moment as well as the 650. 550W is more than enough for what you are doing. The cost difference is minuscule and they are 80+ Gold rated and fully modular.

Alaways check your psu on this site (Jonnyguru.com) before buying. Even Seasonic had some crappy bronze psus at one time, dont always trust one just because of the name.