First Build need Help ~$2000

[Truewiley]

Ok, time for a computer. I am pretty much clueless on the hardware side of computing and need a lot of help picking parts

Budget: $2000 but can go up to $2200 if needed

I plan on using it for general purpose as well as a lot of gaming eg wildstar, the division, and crysis 3

I require 2 hd monitors >20'' that are good for gaming, no other peripherals needed

I do not plan on Overclocking

I live in the United States

Thanks for any help you can offer

[Stormspark]

For that amount of money, I'd go whole hog.

i7-4790k
780ti
32GB RAM
SSD + secondary hard drive
Nice full tower case
Power supply 80+ bronze minimum, with single 12V rail of around 60A

I priced a build like that myself recently and it came to $1600 or so. If you need a monitor/keyboard/mouse, then that would make up the difference between the $1600 and your budget.

[Truewiley]

Follow up question: Are people putting more than the OS on SSD's these days?

- - - Updated - - -

For that amount of money, I'd go whole hog.

i7-4790k
780ti
32GB RAM
SSD + secondary hard drive
Nice full tower case
Power supply 80+ bronze minimum, with single 12V rail of around 60A

I priced a build like that myself recently and it came to $1600 or so. If you need a monitor/keyboard/mouse, then that would make up the difference between the $1600 and your budget.

I'm ok if it doesn't go up to $2000, Just didn't want money to be the deciding factor on getting an amazing upgrade to any particular piece

- - - Updated - - -

So here is what I have so far

Didn't include optical drive or monitors because i don't know what is best

Let me know what parts are bad/good/ aren't worth the money etc

Thanks




[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qgM2WZ) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qgM2WZ/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | [Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor] $339.98 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | [Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler] | $59.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $84.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory| $429.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $169.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $54.98 @ OutletPC
Video Card | [EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card] | $649.99 @ Newegg
Case | Zalman Z5 ATX Mid Tower Case | $34.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $88.99 @ SuperBiiz
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1913.88

[Lolkrayd]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($150.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1684.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

You really only need 8gb of ram. I opted for a modular psu just because you only use what you need and yes people are putting OS and games on SSDs.
As for the case, pick what you like as long as it isn't too small.

This is just a sample, pretty sure you can find better options if you do a little bit of bargain searching. As for monitors, I'd go with an IPS monitor with <=5ms. Though someone will probably give you better suggestions for this.

[Truewiley]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($150.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1684.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

You really only need 8gb of ram. I opted for a modular psu just because you only use what you need and yes people are putting OS and games on SSDs.
As for the case, pick what you like as long as it isn't too small.

This is just a sample, pretty sure you can find better options if you do a little bit of bargain searching. As for monitors, I'd go with an IPS monitor with <=5ms. Though someone will probably give you better suggestions for this.

Ok, I updated my list and added monitors, any other suggestions?


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($140.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($137.05 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($137.05 @ Amazon)
Total: $1953.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[Remilia]

Change the SSD to EVO or MX100, Pro series is way too expensive for what it is.
Personally I'd go down to 4690k and invest in better monitors like P2414H.

[Truewiley]

Change the SSD to EVO or MX100, Pro series is way too expensive for what it is.
Personally I'd go down to 4690k and invest in better monitors like P2414H.

I changed the monitors and changed to mx100 ssd. How much of a downgrade is it from 4790k to 4690k? I am right in my budget range but am always open to saving a bit of money if there isn't too much of a difference


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($140.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $2033.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[Basemath]

For the games you are planning to play, and assuming the PC will be strictly for gaming, the downgrade to 4690k is negligible. However, with an unlocked CPU it's expected that you'll overclock at some point. The K in 4790k denotes its unlocked state. You said you don't plan on overclocking. Getting that mobo/CPU gives you the ability to overclock in the future, should you decide to. If you're certain you'll never attempt it, get a locked CPU 4690 or 4790, and a H97 board instead of Z97. H97 is for locked CPUs, while the Z line is designed for overclocking n goes with unlocked CPUs. That should save a bit of cash.

[Lolkrayd]

Just my 2cents,

I would keep the 4790k, the regular chip only goes up to 3.9? The 4790k is only a couple bucks more and I would keep the motherboard, you always have the option to overclock.
4690k @stock goes up to 3.9
4790k @stock goes up to 4.4
Unlike before where it was a minor difference (I believe 0.1 Difference?)

Performance difference between the two?
Depends on games. I believe Crysis3 will make use of the hyperthreading the i7 has to offer.
If both chip were clocked to the same speed for WildStar/WoW they perform the same. As of now at least.
Heard wildstar is making use of multicore? I haven't kept up with this sorry.

[Truewiley]

For the games you are planning to play, and assuming the PC will be strictly for gaming, the downgrade to 4690k is negligible. However, with an unlocked CPU it's expected that you'll overclock at some point. The K in 4790k denotes its unlocked state. You said you don't plan on overclocking. Getting that mobo/CPU gives you the ability to overclock in the future, should you decide to. If you're certain you'll never attempt it, get a locked CPU 4690 or 4790, and a H97 board instead of Z97. H97 is for locked CPUs, while the Z line is designed for overclocking n goes with unlocked CPUs. That should save a bit of cash.

Wow, thanks for the information. This just shows how little i know about hardware. Let me ask you this, is overclocking easy enough and the benefit great enough that it is worth the extra money

are there any modern games that the extra speed will be missed

[Basemath]

There are different methods of overclocking, with one being extremely simple. A click of a button basically. That would be the automatic overclock most new motherboards provide. Can probably bump your CPU from 3.6 up to 4.2GHz. Pretty sure the mobo you chose has that going for it. Next would be a manual overclock that requires either the use of the mobo's software or, more reliably, the mobo's BIOS. Either way, overclocking is not at all difficult. Just needs a bit of reading and researching online. Plenty of guides to help. Another thing to note is that overclocking nowadays is pretty safe. Mostly a trial an error thing. If you go over what your components can handle, they'll just shut down. You set things back to default and keep on keeping on

As for the games, overclocking does help weak CPUs preform better, especially if the game is more CPU bound, like WoW/WildStar. But with the CPUs you chose, I doubt you'll need to OC them strictly for WoW/Wildstar. That said, imagine crowded areas in game where your FPS drops to the 30s or 40s, by overclocking the CPU you'll still dip, but you won't dip as low. Overclocking makes everything perform faster, the OS, games, load times, etc... But things that have hit their peak performance pre OC won't see much difference. Therefore, it's pretty pointless to overclock a PC that's only used for surfing, movies, word processing, etc... A PC used for gaming/other intensive tasks, however, every bit of extra performance is welcome.

My advice is, if you're not short on cash, get the unlocked CPU n its proper mobo. It's nice to have the option to OC should you ever crave it for some crazy reason. N like I said, overclocking is very easy. At the least you'll do the automatic 1 click overclock.

edit: since you said you're a beginner to hardware, are you planning to assemble the build yourself? it's quite an expensive build so I advise watching step by step assembly guides. Small things like improper placement of thermal compounds or messing up the direction of fans' air-flow can mess up the temperatures.

[Truewiley]

There are different methods of overclocking, with one being extremely simple. A click of a button basically. That would be the automatic overclock most new motherboards provide. Can probably bump your CPU from 3.6 up to 4.2GHz. Pretty sure the mobo you chose has that going for it. Next would be a manual overclock that requires either the use of the mobo's software or, more reliably, the mobo's BIOS. Either way, overclocking is not at all difficult. Just needs a bit of reading and researching online. Plenty of guides to help. Another thing to note is that overclocking nowadays is pretty safe. Mostly a trial an error thing. If you go over what your components can handle, they'll just shut down. You set things back to default and keep on keeping on

As for the games, overclocking does help weak CPUs preform better, especially if the game is more CPU bound, like WoW/WildStar. But with the CPUs you chose, I doubt you'll need to OC them strictly for WoW/Wildstar. That said, imagine crowded areas in game where your FPS drops to the 30s or 40s, by overclocking the CPU you'll still dip, but you won't dip as low. Overclocking makes everything perform faster, the OS, games, load times, etc... But things that have hit their peak performance pre OC won't see much difference. Therefore, it's pretty pointless to overclock a PC that's only used for surfing, movies, word processing, etc... A PC used for gaming/other intensive tasks, however, every bit of extra performance is welcome.

My advice is, if you're not short on cash, get the unlocked CPU n its proper mobo. It's nice to have the option to OC should you ever crave it for some crazy reason. N like I said, overclocking is very easy. At the least you'll do the automatic 1 click overclock.

Thanks for all the advice, I will spend the extra money. I just wasn't sure if oc speeds had any marked benefit for modern cpus and wasn't aware at relative ease it could be accomplished.

edit: since you said you're a beginner to hardware, are you planning to assemble the build yourself? it's quite an expensive build so I advise watching step by step assembly guides. Small things like improper placement of thermal compounds or messing up the direction of fans' air-flow can mess up the temperatures.

Yeah, I more or less plan on building it with Youtube.

Wish me Luck

[Basemath]

You're welcome May all the goddesses of good fortune be on your side The youtube videos may seem tedious (1 hour long vids) but that's only because they're step by step. Don't be put off by the length. The more detailed the guide, the better. And you can always come back to the forums for help. If something doesn't fit right, don't try to force it.

[Deleted]

Try this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($212.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($135.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($135.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $2009.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Weaker montiors than Truewiley's, but overall, I think you'll like the results. I also went a bit further with the SSD, so you can conceivably put your Steam folder on there, if necessary.

[Deleted]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright TRUE Spirit 140 POWER 73.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($123.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1935.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I see the monitors make a big difference in the budget. There is no doubt the Dell monitors are better but leaves less room in the budget for other things obviously as clearly shown by tenangrychicken. I guess it depends on what you prioritize. You also go for one Dell and the cheaper one for the second monitor even though having two of the same is nice to work with. I mean you have the money for all of it, just depends how much you really want to spend.

CPU - Really the difference is minimal, not worth it in my opinion.

CPUHS - Review just spending less, it's quiet, good performance.

GPU - I picked the same I just wanted to note I think a 780 would really be quite alright and save you some money, if you want to push everything to the max then 780ti is definitely a good choice, albeit expensive.

MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB TWIN FROZR $440, ~$200 difference for a maxed out game instead of high/ultra with a few adjustments.

SSD - If you have a big Steam library maybe push for the 512GB MX100, it's also better performance than the 256GB, you just don't have to.

Case - Eh just personal preference and I think the 300R is just a tad nicer, 230T is definitely good value too. There is also a windowed version of the 300R:

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Windowed

The Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 is also really nice but obviously more expensive, just another option.



PSU - Same choice, good solid unit. For a little extra you can get the 750W unit but only get this if you want room for possibly SLI 780 in the future. (even cheaper EVGA 750W, Bronze rated)

Motherboard - Just a solid board with decent features, SLI, good audio chipset.



I don't think there is right or wrong choice with either of the latest builds, just difference options

[Stormspark]

For the games you are planning to play, and assuming the PC will be strictly for gaming, the downgrade to 4690k is negligible. However, with an unlocked CPU it's expected that you'll overclock at some point. The K in 4790k denotes its unlocked state. You said you don't plan on overclocking. Getting that mobo/CPU gives you the ability to overclock in the future, should you decide to. If you're certain you'll never attempt it, get a locked CPU 4690 or 4790, and a H97 board instead of Z97. H97 is for locked CPUs, while the Z line is designed for overclocking n goes with unlocked CPUs. That should save a bit of cash.

Do not get a 4690/4790. They are about 15% slower than the 4690k/4790k, even at stock speeds.

[Deleted]

Slight variation, double ram, double ssd, different case/psu to max budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($148.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($212.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($538.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case ($119.00 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell P2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($207.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $2207.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[Truewiley]

I have another question, since this build is mostly for gaming, how big of a benefit would 120hz monitor make? is it worth it? and if so, do you have a recommendation for one in particular?

[Remilia]

Well, it is going to make game play smoother and a reduce perceived motion blur. Other than that there's not much you'll gain out of it with the games that you listed.

Whether it's worth it or not is a different thing and kind of only you can make it. Only one I recommend is FG2421 but that's also $500 or so, at least when I bought mine.

[Truewiley]

Well, it is going to make game play smoother and a reduce perceived motion blur. Other than that there's not much you'll gain out of it with the games that you listed.

Whether it's worth it or not is a different thing and kind of only you can make it. Only one I recommend is FG2421 but that's also $500 or so, at least when I bought mine.

oh wow, that's bad. I guess maybe next time. Thanks