Build Check

[Lathais]

Helping a friend with a build and as I have not been keeping up with things the past few months just hopeing someone can look this over for me.

He has a max budget of $1500 though I was able to come in quite a bit under that. He already has Monitor, Peripherals and a standard HDD so that is the reason those are left out. My main concern is the MoBo. I would probably have gone with the Pro4 but there was combo deal on the Pro3. As he never wants to use dual video cards, it seems like it has all the features he needs. Also, the case is the one he specified, though any other suggestions on ones that allow cable management under the MoBo would be helpful for me to show him.

Thanks in advance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.46 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($162.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1289.36
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-14 11:30 EDT-0400)

[Novaka1n]

Hello!

So a quick look at this build and i spot a problem
GTX 770 has a minimum 600w PSU requirement, so i would suggest getting atleast a 650w to leave some room for additional parts.
Also does he prefer windows 8 over 7?

[Deleted]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($177.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1355.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-14 11:46 EDT-0400)

changed ur ram to low profile as u might get trouble with the heatsink otherwise.
changed the motherboard to a better one as urs didnt have sli nor crossfire support
ssd changed to the samsung evo

rest is fine though u might get a 750watt psu if ur friend sometime in the future want to add a second gpu. if he dont ever want to sli, u can go with ur motherboard but in that price bracket and for future proofing, i would recommend to get sli or cf capable parts.

[Biernot]

Helping a friend with a build and as I have not been keeping up with things the past few months just hopeing someone can look this over for me.

He has a max budget of $1500 though I was able to come in quite a bit under that. He already has Monitor, Peripherals and a standard HDD so that is the reason those are left out. My main concern is the MoBo. I would probably have gone with the Pro4 but there was combo deal on the Pro3. As he never wants to use dual video cards, it seems like it has all the features he needs. Also, the case is the one he specified, though any other suggestions on ones that allow cable management under the MoBo would be helpful for me to show him.

Thanks in advance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.46 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($162.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1289.36
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-14 11:30 EDT-0400)

Nothing to criticize.

Motherboard: It doesn't really matter, which specific model you get, as long as it has the features you want. Getting a combo-deal is always a nice thing. Other common suggestions would be: Asus Z87-A, Asrock Z87 extreme3/4, MSI Z87-G43

Heatsink/RAM: The Noctua is a big heatsink and probably overlaps the first ram slot. So if you want to be on the safe side, pick RAM with no heatspreaders on top: Corsair Vengeance LP, (most) Kingston Hyper X, G.Skill Ares.

PSU: If the Seasonic is somehow not available, a good alternative would be the XFX 550W (which is actually build by Seasonic )

[Lathais]

Hello!

So a quick look at this build and i spot a problem
GTX 770 has a minimum 600w PSU requirement, so i would suggest getting atleast a 650w to leave some room for additional parts.
Also does he prefer windows 8 over 7?

As an experienced builder I know that what the mfg of the Video Card says is required is a CYOA situation. They typically require much less as indicated by the Wattage Estimater on PC Parts Picker. This system will only use about 400w, so a 520 already leaves plenty of room.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($177.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1355.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-14 11:46 EDT-0400)

changed ur ram to low profile as u might get trouble with the heatsink otherwise.
changed the motherboard to a better one as urs didnt have sli nor crossfire support
ssd changed to the samsung evo

rest is fine though u might get a 750watt psu if ur friend sometime in the future want to add a second gpu. if he dont ever want to sli, u can go with ur motherboard but in that price bracket and for future proofing, i would recommend to get sli or cf capable parts.

Thanks for the low profile RAM suggestion, missed that.
Does not want now or ever sli or crossfire. Pointless.
What are the advantages to an Evo over the 840?

Why a 750w PSU? Isn't that way way way overkill? He never wants to sli or crossfire. It's pointless. In a single monitor 1080p setup there is no advantage other than headaches in adding a second video card. A single, powerful card is more than enough in this type of setup.

Nothing to criticize.

Motherboard: It doesn't really matter, which specific model you get, as long as it has the features you want. Getting a combo-deal is always a nice thing. Other common suggestions would be: Asus Z87-A, Asrock Z87 extreme3/4, MSI Z87-G43

Heatsink/RAM: The Noctua is a big heatsink and probably overlaps the first ram slot. So if you want to be on the safe side, pick RAM with no heatspreaders on top: Corsair Vengeance LP, (most) Kingston Hyper X, G.Skill Ares.

PSU: If the Seasonic is somehow not available, a good alternative would be the XFX 550W (which is actually build by Seasonic )

Thanks. He did mention to me that he prefers ASUS, I am just more familiar with ASRock lately. If he balks at the ASRock, I will switch it to the Asus you mentioned.

Will switch the RAM to the Corsair Vengeance, used that in the past, should have though of it but did not.

Thanks, will look if I can't get the 520W.

[Deleted]

i mentioned the psu if he ever would go sli or cf.
as i wrote if he ever wants to go sli you should pick that asus, if not your motherboard and psu suggestion in the first place will be just fine. never said he has to go that road but in my opinion it would be stupid not to get that option.

the evo has turbo write, higher read speed, less power consumption and a newer controller.

[Lathais]

i mentioned the psu if he ever would go sli or cf.
as i wrote if he ever wants to go sli you should pick that asus, if not your motherboard and psu suggestion in the first place will be just fine. never said he has to go that road but in my opinion it would be stupid not to get that option.

the evo has turbo write, higher read speed, less power consumption and a newer controller.

IMO it would be stupid to spend that extra money on something that is entirely unnecessary and pointless. Unless you plan on running 3 monitors or anything crazy like that, a single powerful card is cheaper and less headache than sli or crossfire. When upgrade time comes, instead of trying to find a card compatible with the one you already have, you just replace it with another strong card. Why even think of going SLI or Crossfire for a single monitor 1080p setup? Even if it was to go that route, is 750W still not way way over kill? A 550-600 would be plenty for that. Probably get a 650 just to be safe, but 750?

On the evo, are we talking really noticeable speed increase, or benchmark only speed increase? With the 840 windows already loads in a few seconds. Will it become instant with the Evo? I guess it's only a $15 difference though, I'll show him the options and let him pick.

[Deleted]

just saw a mistake with the ram, get 2x4 gb... accidentally posted 1x8

[yurano]

IMO it would be stupid to spend that extra money on something that is entirely unnecessary and pointless.

On the other hand, there are other benefits to the ASUS Z87-A: higher quality VRMs and 3-pin fan control.

In a $1300-1500 build, spending a tad more on the motherboard is justified.

[Lathais]

On the other hand, there are other benefits to the ASUS Z87-A: higher quality VRMs and 3-pin fan control.

In a $1300-1500 build, spending a tad more on the motherboard is justified.

Ok, that sounds reasonable. That's why I specifically asked about the MoBo in the OP, however the only real reason given was SLI/Crossfire support.

Here it is with a few changes. MoBo changed to ASUS, SSD changed to EVO and RAM changed to Low Profile:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($177.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($389.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1346.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 09:36 EDT-0400)

[Deleted]

Only possible change I'd make is getting an R9-280X over the GTX770 if you can find one at around that price.

[Lathais]

Only possible change I'd make is getting an R9-280X over the GTX770 if you can find one at around that price.

Actually found one cheaper.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($177.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($304.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1261.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-15 11:39 EDT-0400)

However, that is a Radeon and my friend wants an nVidia. I'll mention it to him though.