Please check this gaming build

[Collected]

Hello!!

Would someone please cast their eyes over this spec list and just confirm it works together and I’ve not gone wrong anywhere. It’s for a friend build. They’d like a PC that can play games with very good graphics settings and be confident it will last them 4-5 years. They typically play WoW so the graphics required aren’t mega-huge but they’d like to know they can install other new titles and get good performance in those games also.

Any helpful recommendations would be very welcome.

Thank you.

--

HD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Memory: Kingston Hyper X Blu 8GB
CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core (Plan to use stock fan)
MB: Gigabyte Z87 Motherboard
Power: SeaSonic S12II 620W
GFX: Gigabyte GTX 760
CD: ASUS 24X DVD-RW
Case: NZXT Guardian
Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 22 Inch

Above comes to just under $1000 with Amazon.
--

[Zlebar]

Hello!!

Would someone please cast their eyes over this spec list and just confirm it works together and I’ve not gone wrong anywhere. It’s for a friend build. They’d like a PC that can play games with very good graphics settings and be confident it will last them 4-5 years. They typically play WoW so the graphics required aren’t mega-huge but they’d like to know they can install other new titles and get good performance in those games also.

Any helpful recommendations would be very welcome.

Thank you.

--

HD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Memory: Kingston Hyper X Blu 8GB
CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core (Plan to use stock fan)
MB: Gigabyte Z87 Motherboard
Power: SeaSonic S12II 620W
GFX: Gigabyte GTX 760
CD: ASUS 24X DVD-RW
Case: NZXT Guardian
Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 22 Inch

Above comes to just under $1000 with Amazon.
--

So 3 major things

If you are getting a I5 4430 with stock fan, there's no need to get a Z87 mobo(it's for overclocking and you can't with that processor), you can get an H81/H87 and save $40-$50.
That power supply is too much you can get a SeaSonic 520W and it will be more than you need.
With the savings you can upgrade to a GTX 770! yay! lol

[JosephStylin]

So 3 major things

If you are getting a I5 4430 with stock fan, there's no need to get a Z87 mobo(it's for overclocking and you can't with that processor), you can get an H81/H87 and save $40-$50.
That power supply is too much you can get a SeaSonic 520W and it will be more than you need.
With the savings you can upgrade to a GTX 770! yay! lol

^ This is a spot on assessment. Can't go wrong if you follow these suggestions.

[chazus]

A couple questions.

1) Can you build it for him? Does it need to be prebuilt?
2) Does that setup come with an OS?

EDIT: Nevermind. It doesn't matter. You should get this regardless, as it comes out a full $120 cheaper... and any local place can build it for cheaper than $1000 total for a much happier system. If you can build it, spend the extra money on nicer parts or a 770.

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Team 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $878.87

[Zlebar]

A couple questions.

1) Can you build it for him? Does it need to be prebuilt?
2) Does that setup come with an OS?

EDIT: Nevermind. It doesn't matter. You should get this regardless, as it comes out a full $120 cheaper... and any local place can build it for cheaper than $1000 total for a much happier system. If you can build it, spend the extra money on nicer parts or a 770.

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Team 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $878.87

I feel like you left out the monitor he had in his build...... Which is $130 :P

[Deleted]

OP does the build include windows?
If not then you can get something like the following for a few bucks more:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($328.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: BenQ GW2450 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1023.15
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-17 15:26 EDT-0400)

[Zlebar]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($180.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($316.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1007.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-17 15:30 EDT-0400)

[chazus]

Oops. I did. Just append my old one and add the monitor. Perfect setup. 4670K, Z87, 760, 8gb, 1TB, 24" Monitor, OS, $1000.

I dont think a 770 is needed for playing mostly wow.

[Collected]

Thank you for the replies folks. That's awesome and just what I needed. Will take on board all the advice.

- - - Updated - - -

Ok one more question... there seems to be a mix of processors above.. i5-4430 and i5-4670 .. is there a huge difference between the two?

[Deleted]

i5-4430 has clock speed at 3.0GHz and turbo at 3.2
i5-4670 is at 3.4 and 3.8GHz respectively. So its alot faster the the previous one.
Also notice 4670K version ("k") means the cpu is unlocked and can be overclocked (say to 4.2-4.5GHz).

[chazus]

I would honestly either go with an i3-4330 (3.5ghz) or the 4670K (OC version). The 4670 (Non-OC) is marginally faster than the i3... However not $80 faster. I honestly don't recommend any i5's these days besides the 4670K.

Keep in mind, the 4670 turbos from 3.4ghz to 3.8ghz.. However in normal gaming operation, you should expect 3.6ghz. More cores used = slower speed.

[Collected]

Ok so final listing.. budget aim is $950 or lower. I can't really see it getting much lower than this. I've noticed doing this that the prices rise and fall daily. Some components above have already changed in price.

If they wanted to spend a bit more and go with the GTX 770 .. would that still be OK with the below setup? It's a option I want to give them if they want to spend a bit more. I'm going to suggest that if they plan on only playing WoW and Diablo 3 etc then the 760 will be fine.

Thanks everyone. This thread has been a huge help. I'm anxious to get it right for them.


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3uFYH
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3uFYH/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3uFYH/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($180.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($66.30 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ GW2255 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($115.14 @ Amazon)
Total: $953.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-19 17:05 EDT-0400)

[chazus]

For the 770:

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i3-4330 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ GW2255 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($115.14 @ Amazon)
Total: $936.02

For the 4670K

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($80.67 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ GW2255 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($115.14 @ Amazon)
Total: $981.70

- - - Updated - - -

And probably this monitor instead.

Monitor: Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)

[Collected]

Me again! thank you for all the posts above.

So i'm still toying around with this build. A few changes to the requirement.. the budget needs to be as close to $850 as reasonably possible and we've decided to use an existing monitor rather than pick up a new one as they already had a 22 Inch DVI. So here is where I'm at now:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-4330 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($134.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($319.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $839.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-03 16:58 EDT-0400)

Goal is to give the user the best experience in games such as WoW.. any MMOs in the next couple of years like Wildstar, ArcheAge etc and any random games they pick up to try. But mostly they're a big WoW player.

Looking good or still room for improvement? Appreciate any last thoughts before order day.

[chazus]

With the new 850 budget, I think a better setup would be opting for the 4670K, which can still be squeezed in there. A 760 couldn't be fit in any way with the 4670K, unfortunately, so opted for the best of everything else.

PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $848.87

[Collected]

Thanks for all your suggestions chazus.

How about this. I've dropped the SSD in favour of the GTX 760.. they can always get an SSD at a later date if required. I changed the motherboard back to the ASRock. Is there any reason to avoid this slightly cheaper board? The below arrives bang on $850

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 760 2GB Enthusiast Edition Video Card ($236.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $850.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:23 EDT-0400)

[godgunner]

Thanks for all your suggestions chazus.

How about this. I've dropped the SSD in favour of the GTX 760.. they can always get an SSD at a later date if required. I changed the motherboard back to the ASRock. Is there any reason to avoid this slightly cheaper board? The below arrives bang on $850

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 760 2GB Enthusiast Edition Video Card ($236.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $850.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:23 EDT-0400)

the Mobo has to be a Z87 board for the i5 4670k to be overclockable.

[Collected]

the Mobo has to be a Z87 board for the i5 4670k to be overclockable.

Ah that explains it! Now to decide if to get the K CPU or not. The user hasn't overclocked anything before and for the requirement i'm not sure it will be vitally important for this build. I'll think it over as it pushes the price up a little.

Thank you for clearing that up.

[chazus]

If you want the 760, I would drop the optical drive, keep the 4670K and Z87 board.. and just deal with the fact that it's $10 over budget.

Also remember.. Initial cost will be higher.. before rebates. Rebates usually don't take long these days, but still take 2-4 weeks.

[Balazaar]

Just remember WoW is a CPU intensive game so an overclockable i5 system is the best option there. A better video card gives better results in most other games. Since right now WoW seems to be the focus I'd go with an i5 system you can overclock and use a 760 video card. You can always upgrade the GPU later for better performance in other games when you have more cash plus it's much easier than replacing the motherboard/cpu.