It's time, boys.

[Mcconnell]

Hi my name is Mcconnell, I'm looking for help building my next PC. I've heard this is a decent spot to have people pick parts for me, so I'll try.

Goals for this PC are:

1. Running WoW on max graphics while streaming and listening to music.
2. Stream at a high quality with no issues with the PC being bogged down.
3. I'm not planning on making any YT videos or anything like that, so that's out.
4. I want this PC to last 3-4 years just like my others have.
5. I don't plan on playing any extreme graphical games.

Budget for this PC is at MOST $1650. I do not need a new keyboard or mouse. I will need a new monitor, preferably a 140hz if possible.

Thanks in advance.

[Deleted]

What you need 140Hz monitor for especially for wow. Your streamers won't see the difference and even if you throw 10k on it you won't raid with those fps. You will be happy to stay on average 60-70fps with some split sec fps drops to 55-58 and there is nothing to do about it unless you are only care about pvp/arenas. There you won't have that problem. I would instead suggest a 1440p monitor, you will have a better experience with this game at least.

the following is a basic setup that will max most games out there.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($256.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390X 8GB SOC Video Card ($369.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($87.95 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ GW2765HT 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($349.00 @ B&H)
Total: $1569.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-23 09:02 EST-0500

[Deleted]

I dont recommend getting a Radeon card for wow. An nvidia card performs better in this game. The best Bang for the buck would Be a second hand gtx 780 ti for around 250 dollar. If you dont trust me do some searches on techpowerup (only one regularly testning new gpus on wow) which will show you how nvidia Card get 30-40% better fps in wow compared to Radeon in the same price range, hell a 780 ti outperforms a Radeon Fury which is double the price

[Mcconnell]

First of all, thank you both for the input.

I've heard both good and bad things about nvidia cards and my current computer has an AMD Radeon card in it that's last for 4 years now with no issues and since I really only play WoW, I think I'll just get that and hope for the best.

Why not get a 140hz monitor? I've been told it provides quite the boost in experience to gameplay but I've never seen it myself. Thanks for the item list!

[Kagthul]

Why not get a 140hz monitor? I've been told it provides quite the boost in experience to gameplay but I've never seen it myself. Thanks for the item list!

Are you expecting to get a GPU good enough to run 140fps? Because thats the basic gist of a higher refresh rate.

In some places in WoW you will never get that high no matter how powerful your rig (actually a lot of places), because of how CPU bound WoW is.

Otherwise, Kost's build is pretty solid. You will use Quicksync to stream without much overhead, so it should work just fine.

[Mcconnell]

Are you expecting to get a GPU good enough to run 140fps? Because thats the basic gist of a higher refresh rate.

In some places in WoW you will never get that high no matter how powerful your rig (actually a lot of places), because of how CPU bound WoW is.

Otherwise, Kost's build is pretty solid. You will use Quicksync to stream without much overhead, so it should work just fine.

Fair enough. To be honest, I'm basically retarded when it comes to computer parts and what's good, what's bad, etc. On my stream awhile back, we had an argument about whether it was better to get an i7 or spend that money on a better graphics card. What's the right answer?

[Kagthul]

the i7 wont help you with the game at all. WoW is brutally single-threaded. an i5 and an i7 at the same clock speed will produce identical framerates. The only difference between an i7 and an i5 is Hyperthreading, which is almost useless in games.

Previously, when you streamed, that largely fell on your CPU as well, so having the extra virtual cores from an i7 really helped with Gaming + Streaming, but with the advent of Quicksync (A technology from Intel that uses the onboard graphics in your CPU (if you aren't using it, which you aren't if you have a dedicated GPU in) to handle the streaming, so it produces almost no performance hit to your CPU at all) and Shadowplay (an nVidia technology that uses the GPU to stream/record gameplay - you have to use one or the other, not both, though can stream via Quicksync and record with Shadowplay) that really isnt an issue anymore.

Because of Quicksync, even people with Core i3s can stream at decent resolutions and framerates.

[Mcconnell]

the i7 wont help you with the game at all. WoW is brutally single-threaded. an i5 and an i7 at the same clock speed will produce identical framerates. The only difference between an i7 and an i5 is Hyperthreading, which is almost useless in games.

Previously, when you streamed, that largely fell on your CPU as well, so having the extra virtual cores from an i7 really helped with Gaming + Streaming, but with the advent of Quicksync (A technology from Intel that uses the onboard graphics in your CPU (if you aren't using it, which you aren't if you have a dedicated GPU in) to handle the streaming, so it produces almost no performance hit to your CPU at all) and Shadowplay (an nVidia technology that uses the GPU to stream/record gameplay - you have to use one or the other, not both, though can stream via Quicksync and record with Shadowplay) that really isnt an issue anymore.

Because of Quicksync, even people with Core i3s can stream at decent resolutions and framerates.

Thank you for this information. I had no idea that going from i5 to i7 wouldn't really be much of an upgrade. I will check out the build that was posted above. Now I just need to find someone to put it together for me. X)

[Kagthul]

Thank you for this information. I had no idea that going from i5 to i7 wouldn't really be much of an upgrade. I will check out the build that was posted above. Now I just need to find someone to put it together for me. X)

There are still potential reasons to go with an i7 - if you do other things that make use of lots of threads/hyperthreading, then it can be worthwhile anyway.

If you're going to be doing any editing of videos or whatnot, it can help, but by and large, for gaming, an i5 is all you need. Theyre literally the same silicon, the i5s just dont have hyperthreading enabled.

[Mcconnell]

There are still potential reasons to go with an i7 - if you do other things that make use of lots of threads/hyperthreading, then it can be worthwhile anyway.

If you're going to be doing any editing of videos or whatnot, it can help, but by and large, for gaming, an i5 is all you need. Theyre literally the same silicon, the i5s just dont have hyperthreading enabled.

Ah, ok. Yeah no intention of making any videos or doing any editing. I basically just want a decent computer for streaming. Right now I stream at around 3k bitrate and my monitor is from 2009, my computer is from 2011. So I'm pretty far behind and it shows on my stream. Hopefully these parts will last me til 2020 or more.

[Mystile]

Well, this quickly degraded from from a PC build to a "oh my glob, someone said they're better than me? TRIGGERED!" thread.

[Deleted]

<Snip>

Infracted.

[Mcconnell]

I don't understand what the problem is.

http://i.imgur.com/GH1LPMT.png

User was infracted.

[Artorius]

No you don't need a 144hz monitor for WoW. It's not even that you don't need, but it's "benefits" over a standard 60hz one are meaningless for a game like WoW.

Get something with better image quality instead, this is something that will improve your gaming experience.


At the Nvidia x AMD debate. There's no mistake that Nvidia is favored at WoW, but WoW is a lightweight game and this only matter for the cheap cards. For the cards that we're talking about they'll all be more than enough for this game which invalidates this entirely. It doesn't make any difference if you're running the game at 150fps or 200. It's not like going from 10 to 60 even if it's the same 50fps difference.

About the i5 x i7 debate, the main difference is that i7s have HT. HT is literally useless WoW at a quad core CPU, which means that you won't notice a difference at WoW itself granting that they're both clocked the same. HT is useful for classic streaming however because your CPU will be able to handle the load better, which might or not be an improvement for you depending on what you use to stream.

[Mcconnell]

Are you guys really getting worked up over his best paladin joke? What does that have to do with helping him build the best computer for his money? WoW is just a game.

@OP

No you don't need a 144hz monitor for WoW. It's not even that you don't need, but it's "benefits" over a standard 60hz one are meaningless for a game like WoW.

Get something with better image quality instead, this is something that will improve your gaming experience.


At the Nvidia x AMD debate. There's no mistake that Nvidia is favored at WoW, but WoW is a lightweight game and this only matter for the cheap cards. For the cards that we're talking about they'll all be more than enough for this game which invalidates this entirely. It doesn't make any difference if you're running the game at 150fps or 200. It's not like going from 10 to 60 even if it's the same 50fps difference.

About the i5 x i7 debate, the main difference is that i7s have HT. HT is literally useless WoW at a quad core CPU, which means that you won't notice a difference at WoW itself granting that they're both clocked the same. HT is useful for classic streaming however because your CPU will be able to handle the load better, which might or not be an improvement for you depending on what you use to stream.

Appreciate the response.

After further review about the monitor thing, you guys are right. I am only concerned with the 60hz atm. I don't need to break the bank over something that won't be useful.

I appreciate the whole Nvidia vs AMD debate but as I haven't actually used Nvidia since like, 2000, I'll stick with the AMD cards. I am using OBS to stream if that matters.

Can you give me your opinion on the build that was linked in the first post? Are there any downgrades I could make that wouldn't negatively impact the build too much since I'm only concerned about WoW and not some extreme graphics game?

[Sicarius87]

Im too lazy to go and build a pc right now but I will say this. nVidia does perform better with wow and if you are going to be getting a new monitor, you might as well get one with G-Sync technology so that way everything plays smooth as butter.

AMD cards run too hot for the price/performance ratio these days. You really are better sticking with nVidia.

[Mystile]

I think he actually ment you.

You think wrong then. I meant you and the other guy who got on his high horse, you much less than he though.

[Mcconnell]

Im too lazy to go and build a pc right now but I will say this. nVidia does perform better with wow and if you are going to be getting a new monitor, you might as well get one with G-Sync technology so that way everything plays smooth as butter.

AMD cards run too hot for the price/performance ratio these days. You really are better sticking with nVidia.

Because I'm basically technologically retarded, can you explain in layman's terms what g-sync is and why a new monitor compatible with the nvidia card would be a better alternative to the AMD card?

[Alydael]

I am glad he said he was the best, just seeing people get all bent out of shape over it is hilarious.... Don't most people think they are the best (or at least really good)?

As for Nvidia v amd, in my experience the nvidia does perform better, but they seem to burn out quicker (or at least they do for me).

Good luck with your build, you should be able to get a nice rig with the money you are spending.

[Artorius]

Because I'm basically technologically retarded, can you explain in layman's terms what g-sync is and why a new monitor compatible with the nvidia card would be a better alternative to the AMD card?

You can easily cap 60fps with anything equal or better than a GTX960 or R9 380, G-Sync is a proprietary thing that you don't want to. It's useless in this case and even then you can use something that is an open standard and virtually does the same thing for less money which is Free-sync. This is supported by AMD.

Appreciate the response.

After further review about the monitor thing, you guys are right. I am only concerned with the 60hz atm. I don't need to break the bank over something that won't be useful.

I appreciate the whole Nvidia vs AMD debate but as I haven't actually used Nvidia since like, 2000, I'll stick with the AMD cards. I am using OBS to stream if that matters.

Can you give me your opinion on the build that was linked in the first post? Are there any downgrades I could make that wouldn't negatively impact the build too much since I'm only concerned about WoW and not some extreme graphics game?

Yeah stick to AMD, they're not only better at price/money but they tend to age better through the years (you can tell by your current AMD card, it's probably kept going strong) and have better DX12 support with will only make them better in comparison. Nvidia has 2 cards that are worth buying right now, the GTX950 and an OC'd 980Ti. At any other category AMD is a clear winner.

About Kos build's, he's using a 2560x1440 monitor with a R9 390X. You won't be streaming at this resolution anyway so I don't know if it's worth it, and 1440p is a dead resolution video-content wise. I'd stick to 1080p, curved 1440p (3440x1440) or go UHD "4k" (3840x2160). Since you're a streamer just stick to 1080p.

He chose to use a 6600K because then you can use DDR4 RAM which is future-proofed for a while, you'll be able to re-use it just fine when you build your next computer 4~5 years form now. This will save you some money but in your case, OBS streaming, I feel that going with a i7 is more beneficial. With that said, Skylake i7s are expensive as hell. They're sometimes more expensive than Haswell-E i7 5820K which is supposed to be enthusiast and have 6 cores instead of 4.

So I ask you, do you plan on overclocking the CPU? I'll assume that you can for now and recommend this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($274.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($87.95 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Dell U2414H 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($231.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $1359.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-24 12:14 EST-0500
*You can change the PSU for an EVGA 750W, I just like to stick with Seasonic but with the OC it might be topping it too closely.


Note that you can get Windows 10 for less money, or even free through the Windows insider program or educational programs. I personally prefer VA monitors over IPS because IPS and TN black levels are horrible and you'll be stuck with the same contrast ratio of 1000:1 of your current monitor. But VA is generally more expensive. The U2414H is so consistent that it's almost a default recommendation.

If you're not going to do OC at the CPU then I'd swap the 4790K for a Xeon E3 1231-V3 (which still has 4 cores and HT) or go Skylake with a i5 6500.