Building a new gaming PC

[Fnatica]

Hello guys, it's been a little while since my last post but I need your help again.
My PC is about 5 years old now, noisy and acting weird so i decided to get myself a new one in November/December!
So i said to myself ill just ask everywhere i can get help and now i landed here lovely MMO-Champs.

The problem is i am not into Computers at all and have no clue about whats good or whats not good.
First of all i dont want to buy overexpensive pre-built PCs, basically i want a good PC able to run games like SC2/Dota2/WoW/POE/D3/CS:GO on max graphics/fps.

I live in Austria, I guess you can link most stuff if you want from this shop: http://www.alternate.at/html/index.html (Cant find any language settings but you can switch to http://www.alternate.co.uk/html/index.html for english)
I dont know any other shops so maybe if you know a better one which can ship to austria feel free to link.
Will be using Windows 7-64bit.
My Budget is about 1600€.
The computer will run on 24 inch Benq XL2420T screen. 1920x1080
I dont need any peripherals.

If you need any additional info from me feel free to ask i answer asap

Thanks for your help in advance

[lordsphinx]

This should work well for you. Please keep in mind that you're not going to be able to build anything that will run WoW at max settings and max FPS while raiding. You could spend 5K more and still wont get there. Also, there are a few things missing from the sticky, namely:

- Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc)
- Parts that can be reused

This build assumes:
- You don't do any crazy CPU work like rendering / modeling so I went with an i5. If you do a lot of those kinds of things, you'll want an i7.
- You have no reusable parts. If you do, let us know and we can tell you if they are really reusable.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($265.00 @ CPL Online)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($249.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($99.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($95.00 @ CPL Online)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($409.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.02 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($22.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1603.02
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-03 16:17 EST+1100)

Edit: I saw you said you have an OS license. Changed pretty much the whole build lol.

[Fnatica]

Ty for your reply Lordsphinx. I dont have any reusable parts but want to video edit via vegas pro and stream games - is that a problem?

[lordsphinx]

If that is the case, I would replace the i5 with an i7 4770K and find a cheaper case. The i7 is going to have more CPU power needed for rendering and streaming

[Deleted]

mainly for the prices

Austria is not Australia......

So pricing will be different.

[lordsphinx]

Austria is not Australia......

So pricing will be different.

That list is from PCpartpicker Australia, not Austria. Not sure what you're saying here...

[Bender16]

It would be interesting to know if you want to overclock your CPU.

If not a Xeon 1230 or 1240 V3 could be interesting to you. The 1230 can be set to run at 3.7ghz on all cores, the 1240 at 3.8.

(The Xeons are basically an i7 for the price of an i5. 4 cores and hyperthreading. However you can't overclock them (you can only set them to run at the max. turbo as said before) and they don't have integrated graphics which you don't need since you will have a graphics card anyways.)

You could then even change to a cheaper mobo (H87) and a cheaper cooler, then you can use that money for a better GPU or something else, or just save that money.

However, if you DO want to overclock then go with a 4770k, Z87 board and a nice cooler like the NH-D14 as lordsphinx already pointed out.

[Deleted]

lordsphinx you do realise op have 1600 euro not dollar?

- - - Updated - - -

i would go with a titan card, an i7 4770K with noctua aircooler etc, should be able to with 1600 euro

[Bender16]

lordsphinx you do realise op have 1600 euro not dollar?

- - - Updated - - -

i would go with a titan card, an i7 4770K with noctua aircooler etc, should be able to with 1600 euro

OP said

basically i want a good PC able to run games like SC2/Dota2/WoW/POE/D3/CS:GO on max graphics/fps.

that's a huge overkill and way more money spent than needed

[Deleted]

That list is from PCpartpicker Australia, not Austria. Not sure what you're saying here...

In your speedy reading, you missed that the OP lives in Austria and not Australia. So pricing will be different.....

[helusay]

Please keep in mind that you're not going to be able to build anything that will run WoW at max settings and max FPS while raiding. You could spend 5K more and still wont get there.

I really can't agree with this statement. I am running an i7 with a Radeon HD7850 and 8GB RAM and run on Ultra settings pulling off 60fps and have yet to lag in LFR. I am pretty sure that if I spent only $100 - $200 more I could get over 100fps, but since I have a 60hz monitor, I don't really need it. We are talking about a 9 year old game after all.

Anyway, OP here are links from the site you posted:

CPU Intel® Core™ i5-4670K €206,90
Mainboard GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H, Mainboard €167,90
RAM G.Skill DIMM 16 GB DDR3-1600 Kit €147,90
SSD for you OS (maybe games too) Intel® 530series 2,5" SSD 180 GB €157,90
HDD* for storage Seagate ST1000DM003 1 TB €56,90

With graphics cards, I decided to give you 2 choices so you can pick:
AMD GPU: SAPPHIRE R9 290X €549
Nvidia GPD: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SuperClocked €649

DVD/BluRay Drive: ASUS BC-12D1ST, Blu-ray-Combo €66,90
PSU: Corsair CX750M 750W €83,90

Cooling: Noctua[ NH-D14 €76,90
Case: Corsair Carbide 400R €91,90

On the Case and the Cooling:
THE CASE: is totally up to you and your taste, but I figured that the one I chose would be along the lines of what to look for in your search. It has a bottom mount for the PSU. It is large enough to apply the after market Noctua cooling unit (which you really don't need, I will explain this). It has cable routing so that you can re-route you cables behind the motherboard and get better airflow.

THE COOLING is totally optional for you and I don't recommend you wasting your time or money on it. Since you are "not into computers" it is safe to assume that you will never be overclocking your unit. That being the case, you will never need to get aftermarket cooling for your machine. Not to mention, they can be a pain in the ass to install for a novice.

Build price with AMD card, case, w/o after market cooling: €1529,20
Build price with AMD card, case, w/ after market cooling: €1606,10
Build price with Nvidia card, case, w/o after market cooling: €1629,20
Build price with AMD card, case, w/ after market cooling: €1706,10

I hope that this helps you get some idea of what you are looking for as far as parts. This system is a good build to achieve your gaming needs and then some. You could save some €€ and get a less expensive Graphics card but the way the system is built now, it should offer you a little future proofing.

----Edited to fix links & grammar ----

[Bender16]

Since you are "not into computers" it is safe to assume that you will never be overclocking your unit. That being the case, you will never need to get aftermarket cooling for your machine. Not to mention, they can be a pain in the ass to install for a novice.

Why are you recommending him to get a overclockable CPU then? With such an expensive Motherboard which supports like 3 way SLI and what not? As I said earlier in this thread, if he's not overclocking a Xeon 1230/40 V3 would suit him way better since he stated he wanted to do some video rendering and streaming.

Also, a 780 or 290x is a huuuge overkill for the games he wants to play. He can easily get away with a gtx 760, or, a gtx 770 which now only costs like 280 euros. Anything over a gtx 770 at a 1080p resolution isn't really needed, especially with the games he wants to play.

PSU - you can easily get away with a 500W psu if you're not going to SLI/Crossfire. Also, I would stay away from the CX series. Seasonic makes good ones.

Also, we don't even know if he needs a bluray drive which could be wasted money.

All in all, as I said earlier, 1600 euros is way too much to pay for what he actually wants to do with his PC. "Futureproofing" is not really possible, since he could just upgrade his graphics cards in 1-2 years and then he would get a way better one than the 780/290x while not spending nearly as much.

[helusay]

Why are you recommending him to get a overclockable CPU then? With such an expensive Motherboard which supports like 3 way SLI and what not? As I said earlier in this thread, if he's not overclocking a Xeon 1230/40 V3 would suit him way better since he stated he wanted to do some video rendering and streaming.

Also, a 780 or 290x is a huuuge overkill for the games he wants to play. He can easily get away with a gtx 760, or, a gtx 770 which now only costs like 280 euros.

PSU - you can easily get away with a 500W psu if you're not going to SLI/Crossfire. Also, I would stay away from the CX series. Seasonic makes good ones.

Also, we don't even know if he needs a bluray drive which could be wasted money.

All in all, as I said earlier, 1600 euros is way too much to pay for what he actually wants to do with his PC. "Futureproofing" is not really possible, since he could just upgrade his graphics cards in 1-2 years and then he would get a way better one than the 780/290x while not spending nearly as much.

I agree that it is overkill for most of the games that the OP is currently playing, but taking into consideration that he has kept his current computer for 5 years, this unit should last him at least 5 years. You can't say for sure that the current list of games will be the ones he is playing 5 years from now.

The reason I chose the 4670K was that it was the same as the locked unit. He could most certainly get a less expensive GPU and use that money towards an i7 4770(k) if he chooses. I don't know why you are stuck on him purchasing a Xeon processor, he is not building a work station or server, he is building a gaming machine.

He could get a less expensive lower wattage PSU, but you don't know if he will someday want to run SLi or Crossfire in the future. I haven't run the PSU calculator on the build, but I am going to assume that it will run upwards of 350 - 380w at rest, so he would want to do better than 500w PSU.

The BluRay drive is totally optional, but he has a 24 inch 1080p 120hz monitor, why not get a BluRay drive to watch a movie on occasionally and it fits into his €1600 budget.

You can say that €1600 is "way too much" all you want, but the OP stated that it is his budget and that is what I went by.

Future proofing is possible with the right CPU and components and he can certainly buy a better card for less in the future. That new card will be cheaper, but it would only be slightly better (especially since the 290x is brand new) than either card he chooses now.

[Bender16]

The reason I chose the 4670K was that it was the same as the locked unit. He could most certainly get a less expensive GPU and use that money towards an i7 4770(k) if he chooses. I don't know why you are stuck on him purchasing a Xeon processor, he is not building a work station or server, he is building a gaming machine.

You can say that €1600 is "way too much" all you want, but the OP stated that it is his budget and that is what I went by.

The Xeon is a server - work station CPU yes, but the gaming performance is identical to an i5 / i7. The Xeon can do everything the i5 / i7s can do, besides overclocking. That's why the Xeon would be so good for him. i7 performance for the price of an i5.

I would never only build a PC based on the budget, I would rather build a PC around the needs that he buyer has. I mean, we can make him spent 100% of his budget and he will have a really, really nice PC. But at the end of the day he won't even take advantage of that super expensive pc (atleast right now.)

[helusay]

The Xeon is a server - work station CPU yes, but the gaming performance is identical to an i5 / i7. The Xeon can do everything the i5 / i7s can do, besides overclocking. That's why the Xeon would be so good for him. i7 performance for the price of an i5.

The Xeon is a decent processor and it does have hyper-threading support (8 threads vs. 4 threads) but the i7 and Xeon 8 threads are a very slight performance boost over the i5 4 threads as shown on this chart from Tom's Hardware. Unfortunately, since Tom's tests CPUs on everything, only one game is listed for comparison. The Xeon 1240v3 (because he is better off getting the 1150 version) is €254, which is €47,10 more than the i5 I listed.

I would never only build a PC based on the budget, I would rather build a PC around the needs that he buyer has. I mean, we can make him spent 100% of his budget and he will have a really, really nice PC. But at the end of the day he won't even take advantage of that super expensive pc (atleast right now.)

The "needs the buyer has" is a machine that will last him another 5 years "at least right now".

[Bender16]

The Xeon is a decent processor and it does have hyper-threading support (8 threads vs. 4 threads) but the i7 and Xeon 8 threads are a very slight performance boost over the i5 4 threads as shown on this chart from Tom's Hardware. Unfortunately, since Tom's tests CPUs on everything, only one game is listed for comparison. The Xeon 1240v3 (because he is better off getting the 1150 version) is €254, which is €47,10 more than the i5 I listed.




The "needs the buyer has" is a machine that will last him another 5 years "at least right now".

The 1240V3 is a little bit more expensive, yeah, but he should just get the 1230 which should be around the price of an i5. The only difference between those two are 100mhz anyways.
BUT! That's only if he doesn't want to overclock. If he does want to overclock he should totally get the i7 4770k since he wanted to stream and is doing video editing stuff. That's easily doable with a 1600€ budget.

Also, I didn't read that he actually wants his new pc to last him for 5 years, he just said that his old one is 5 years old didn't he? Anyways, in 5 years the difference between a let's say gtx 770 and a 780/290x will be so small, since neither of those cards will be good enough to play games at the highest settings then. The 780/290x would help him to play the newest games at the highest settings for a little bit longer than a 770, but not for too long. I wouldn't say thats worth the cost.

[Fnatica]

Thank you all very much for the very productive replies.
The Build (Build price with Nvidia card, case, w/o after market cooling: €1629,20) from Helusay sounds very nice to me (special thanks to you) as you said i want to keep this new PC for the next 5 years if it is possible.
Since i have a monitor with 120hz do i have to consider something with this build?

[Deleted]

The Build (Build price with Nvidia card, case, w/o after market cooling: €1629,20) from Helusay sounds very nice to me (special thanks to you) as you said i want to keep this new PC for the next 5 years if it is possible.

Drop the EVGA 780 to this Asus one. It is cheaper, and still has a custom cooler.

http://www.alternate.at/ASUS/ASUS+GT...duct/1089601/?

And switch that SSD to either. Reason, you will get more for the same or a bit less money

http://www.alternate.at/Samsung/Sams...duct/1090484/?
or
http://www.alternate.at/Crucial/Cruc...duct/1061749/?

And switch the PSU to. The PSU he linked is pretty crap, it has second rate capacitors which might crap out after 2-3 years.

http://www.alternate.at/Seasonic/Sea...oduct/143542/?

you could potentially also decrease the RAM to 8GB and when you find out you need more just buy some.

[helusay]

Drop the EVGA 780 to this Asus one. It is cheaper, and still has a custom cooler.

http://www.alternate.at/ASUS/ASUS+GT...duct/1089601/?

And switch that SSD to either. Reason, you will get more for the same or a bit less money

http://www.alternate.at/Samsung/Sams...duct/1090484/?
or
http://www.alternate.at/Crucial/Cruc...duct/1061749/?

And switch the PSU to. The PSU he linked is pretty crap, it has second rate capacitors which might crap out after 2-3 years.

http://www.alternate.at/Seasonic/Sea...oduct/143542/?

you could potentially also decrease the RAM to 8GB and when you find out you need more just buy some.

I chose the Intel SSD because they are rock solid and people have reported problems with the Samsung, not too sure about the Crucial. I was only shooting for a bronze 80, but if yours is better, that's cool. And I went with the EVGA because they have the best rep for Nvidia cards. I agree on the RAM though, he could get 8GB and be happy.

[Fnatica]

CPU Intel® Core™ i5-4670K €206,90
Mainboard GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H, Mainboard €167,90
RAM G.Skill DIMM 16 GB DDR3-1600 Kit €147,90
SSD Samsung 840 EVO 2,5" 250 GB, SSD €152,90
HDD* for storage Seagate ST1000DM003 1 TB €56,90


GPU: ASUS GTX780-DC2OC-3GD5 €619


DVD/BluRay Drive: ASUS BC-12D1ST, Blu-ray-Combo €66,90
PSU: Seasonic M12II-620 620W €81,90

Case: Corsair Carbide 400R €91,90

Final amount: €1592,2

So this would be my final conclusion for now, i dont know if i should change something - i trust in you guys but i wait for a final confirmation to buy the stuff

ty everyone who helped!