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  1. #1

    New Gaming Computer Build Advice: ~$2700 budget

    Okay, so about this time next month, I plan on building me a new PC. This is my build so far, mostly based off the Extreme Gaming 2410 build from Marest's thread.

    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1trHH

    CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
    MoBo: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
    Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
    SSD: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
    HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
    GPU: Asus GeForce GTX 780 (OC) 3GB Video Card
    Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case
    PSU: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
    OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
    Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse

    With that I'm sitting at 2493.44 shipped. There's some parts that have discounts that will be gone before I'm able to buy them, but I'm okay with going a little over budget. The only real changes I have made were the mobo, power supply, and the OC version of the ASUS GTX 780 (was only 10 bucks more and red/black). This was mainly because I want to go with a Red/Black/White theme. The Maximus VI Hero mobo, the AX860i PSU, and the ASUS GPU compliment this perfectly. I'm wanting it to be an extremely high powered gaming system that's going to last me a long time, and will play absolutely anything I throw at it on the max settings. So I guess my main questions are, are there any components that you may use in place of what I have? I have no problems changing the color scheme I'm going for if it means better components within my budget. Color scheme is the least of my worries, though I'd like it all to match. And I know the new AMD GPUs are supposed to be coming in October. Should I wait for those to come out?

    Didn't really fit a monitor or speakers etc. into the budget because I'm hoping for some of those things I want to come along in the form of Christmas gifts. lol

    As far as my gameplay tendencies, I play a bit of everything. I plan on having games like Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs, etc. Sometimes I stream gameplay on twitch, not sure if that would have an effect or not. I also have no interest in running SLI/Crossfire. I'm a single GPU kind of guy. TIA

    EDIT: I'm also willing to drop the keyboard and mouse from the budget in favor of better computer parts, which is ~$180 extra.
    Last edited by p1wookie; 2013-08-18 at 11:30 PM.

  2. #2
    What you've listed

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
    Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($205.00 @ Amazon)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
    Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($675.98 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($254.98 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($195.50 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $2237.88
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 19:55 EDT-0400)


    Just a few things I would personally change. I7 4770k down to a 4670k since you haven't mentioned doing any video editing or rendering or basically anything that really needs hyperthreading. I would also look for a much cheaper mobo, possibly trying to find something with a color scheme that you like. Paying ~$100 extra basically for a color scheme seems a bit much. Drop down the ram to 8GB of 1600/1866 since they're practically the same price, since you honestly won't come close to using 8gb. H100i down to an H60 since the 2013 H60 is very comparable, and Samsung 840 pro to the new 840 Evo. There really isn't much difference between the 840 pro and 840 that's worth the extra money, but with the EVO's new RAPID software there's large gains and it's still less than the Pro series. Cut the WD Black down to a 64 mb cache Blue as the blue has higher sequential reads/writes which is what you'll want for your secondary drive. You can cut down the PSU to something significantly cheaper since you're not going to do any SLI in the future.

    With all of these changes you're going to have just as much of a powerful system but at a few hundred dollars cheaper.


    I left out the Mobo and PSU since you want to chose the color scheme yourself, but here's the rest of the parts. I would also possibly look at a different case, but that's personal opinion. I would go with the NZXT Switch 810 and save $100. Also possibly get a NZXT Hue to help with the color scheme you want for the case instead of spending ~$200 extra just for the color of the PSU/Mobo?

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
    Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($675.98 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($254.98 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1651.38
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 19:56 EDT-0400)

    If I had to build a brand new PC for myself though, here's what I would go with even given the same budget. About ~800 cheaper excluding the mouse and keyboard you picked out, and there performance is still going to be more than enough to play anything you want at maximum settings IMO. I wouldn't go with a 780 unless I were going to be playing at resolutions higher than 1080p.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
    Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
    Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Microcenter)
    Case: NZXT Switch 810 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($145.46 @ Amazon)
    Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1423.85
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 19:56 EDT-0400)
    Last edited by Shiromar; 2013-08-18 at 11:57 PM.

  3. #3
    The thing about technology and gaming specificially is you build a high end rig and 6 months down the track it is just an average rig that wont play the latest games on the highest settings. Personally, I'd cut corners in some places and just put $500-$600 into it each year to keep it up to scratch (which is what I do with my system). Intels latest chipset is a little disappointing as well. It runs hot, has low potential outside of liquid nitrogen cooling. It might be worth holding off until next generation AMD's launch.

    -You dont need corsair dominator memory unless youre doing some extreme overclocking, if you want higher speed memory 1600 is adequate. If you are planning on overclocking, get 2* 8gb modules. 4 modules puts more stress on the cpu than 2 modules.
    -Liquid cooling, again is only really for overclocking once you get your vcore up a decent amount. As you cant really do much with the new i7's without them heating up drastically, due to the small area the transistors are located in, I'd suggest not overclocking it at all and just running a noctura air cooler.
    -I'd personally go for more space, particularly if you arrrgh into movies and tv shows. 1tb fills up pretty fast these days. WD 3tb drives arent that much more expensive iirc.
    -GPU is massive overkill. A 1gb gtx560 will run most games on >=high. 2gb 660OC is pretty cheap and quite decent.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Shiromar View Post
    Just a few things I would personally change. I7 4770k down to a 4670k since you haven't mentioned doing any video editing or rendering or basically anything that really needs hyperthreading. I would also look for a much cheaper mobo, possibly trying to find something with a color scheme that you like. Paying ~$100 extra basically for a color scheme seems a bit much. Drop down the ram to 8GB of 1600/1866 since they're practically the same price, since you honestly won't come close to using 8gb. H100i down to an H60 since the 2013 H60 is very comparable, and Samsung 840 pro to the new 840 Evo. There really isn't much difference between the 840 pro and 840 that's worth the extra money, but with the EVO's new RAPID software there's large gains and it's still less than the Pro series. Cut the WD Black down to a 64 mb cache Blue as the blue has higher sequential reads/writes which is what you'll want for your secondary drive. You can cut down the PSU to something significantly cheaper since you're not going to do any SLI in the future.

    With all of these changes you're going to have just as much of a powerful system but at a few hundred dollars cheaper.


    I left out the Mobo and PSU since you want to chose the color scheme yourself, but here's the rest of the parts. I would also possibly look at a different case, but that's personal opinion. I would go with the NZXT Switch 810 and save $100. Also possibly get a NZXT Hue to help with the color scheme you want for the case instead of spending ~$200 extra just for the color of the PSU/Mobo?

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($675.98 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($229.98 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1699.37
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 19:39 EDT-0400)
    That sounds like a good setup. With the extra money savings, I could maybe even go to the 1TB EVO SSD. I do have a pretty good sized game library, and it keeps growing. Especially every time Steam has a sale. lol

    EDIT: I've also considered other cases, too. Like the HAF X or even getting another HAF 932 Advanced (or maybe just keeping my HAF and make my brother buy a case LOL).

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Zatetic View Post
    The thing about technology and gaming specificially is you build a high end rig and 6 months down the track it is just an average rig that wont play the latest games on the highest settings. Personally, I'd cut corners in some places and just put $500-$600 into it each year to keep it up to scratch (which is what I do with my system). Intels latest chipset is a little disappointing as well. It runs hot, has low potential outside of liquid nitrogen cooling. It might be worth holding off until next generation AMD's launch.

    -You dont need corsair dominator memory unless youre doing some extreme overclocking, if you want higher speed memory 1600 is adequate. If you are planning on overclocking, get 2* 8gb modules. 4 modules puts more stress on the cpu than 2 modules.
    -Liquid cooling, again is only really for overclocking once you get your vcore up a decent amount. As you cant really do much with the new i7's without them heating up drastically, due to the small area the transistors are located in, I'd suggest not overclocking it at all and just running a noctura air cooler.
    -I'd personally go for more space, particularly if you arrrgh into movies and tv shows. 1tb fills up pretty fast these days. WD 3tb drives arent that much more expensive iirc.
    -GPU is massive overkill. A 1gb gtx560 will run most games on >=high. 2gb 660OC is pretty cheap and quite decent.
    This is true. That's kinda why I'd just like to build something this time to last me a while. I've had my current one for a few years now, and it still does fine, but I feel like starting fresh, building something new, and will probably sell this one off to my brother. Lol. I kinda want to go overkill on the GPU, because like I said, I want it to last me a good long time. I'm not concerned with upgrading it every time a new one comes along. Plus I haven't totally decided on what kind of monitor setup I want to go with yet. Thought about getting one of those Ultra Wide monitors that have been popping up, but even those are still just 1080 (2560x1080).

    Haven't decided if I'll delve into overclocking this time around or not. I've got this one overclocked and it's done fine. I've got that massive Noctua NH-D14 on it in a HAF 932 Advanced case.
    Last edited by p1wookie; 2013-08-19 at 12:01 AM.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Zatetic View Post
    The thing about technology and gaming specificially is you build a high end rig and 6 months down the track it is just an average rig that wont play the latest games on the highest settings. Personally, I'd cut corners in some places and just put $500-$600 into it each year to keep it up to scratch (which is what I do with my system). Intels latest chipset is a little disappointing as well. It runs hot, has low potential outside of liquid nitrogen cooling. It might be worth holding off until next generation AMD's launch.

    -You dont need corsair dominator memory unless youre doing some extreme overclocking, if you want higher speed memory 1600 is adequate. If you are planning on overclocking, get 2* 8gb modules. 4 modules puts more stress on the cpu than 2 modules.
    -Liquid cooling, again is only really for overclocking once you get your vcore up a decent amount. As you cant really do much with the new i7's without them heating up drastically, due to the small area the transistors are located in, I'd suggest not overclocking it at all and just running a noctura air cooler.
    -I'd personally go for more space, particularly if you arrrgh into movies and tv shows. 1tb fills up pretty fast these days. WD 3tb drives arent that much more expensive iirc.
    -GPU is massive overkill. A 1gb gtx560 will run most games on >=high. 2gb 660OC is pretty cheap and quite decent.
    No, no and again no. A few right things in a load of crap.

    - yeah, technology ages fast. No, a great gaming rig will not struggle 6 months from now.
    - no, waiting for AMD has no real purpose, AMD is so far behind it's a joke.
    - good point on the RAM
    - no, no and no. Overclocking is a drastic performance increase with a performance/price ratio which at those levels is impossible to beat. Not doing it is plain silly.
    - a 560 won't be able to max every game out there at 1080p, not even remotely. A 660 is a budget card and has the same issues. The 770 suggested above is perfect for that resolution.
    Fluorescent - Fluo - currently retired, playing other stuff

    i5-4670k @ 4.5 / Thermalright Silver Arrow Extreme / Gigabyte Z87X-D3H / 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM / Gigabyte GTX 760

  6. #6
    Exactly why I proposed a build that's ~800 cheaper and just as strong. I find that it's always much better to buy the second best and put that money you could have spent towards upgrades in the future. Instead of buying a 7970/680/780 top of the line, I save ~$200 and get the second best model which I then sell the old card and use the saved money to buy the next generation second best card. Doing this I've rarely spent the entire saved money and still gain pretty good performance gains. I myself and still running my 2500k strong after 2 additional generations and I probably won't upgrade any time soon as at 4.5ghz it's still going very strong in new games.

    With the ~800 you saved with the rest of the build feel free to get a larger SSD! I would settle with the 500gb model over the 1tb though, since I doubt your collection is really that big. Also when using the SSD you want to keep in mind what kind of games actually benefit from being on an SSD. Out of my gaming library there's a handful that benefits and that doesn't even fill up my 120gb. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you do with one of the new 21:10 2560x1080 monitors that it's still an increase in pixel size which will decrease performance. The 770 should still be enough at that resolution. Also, there's quite a few games around that don't support that aspect ratio, so if you do want to take that route make sure you research some reviews on which games can and cannot take advantage of the 21:10 ratio. I would always overclock, as it's extremely easy on today's processors and it honestly doesn't take much time nor improved cooling capabilities.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fluorescent0 View Post
    No, no and again no. A few right things in a load of crap.

    - yeah, technology ages fast. No, a great gaming rig will not struggle 6 months from now.
    - no, waiting for AMD has no real purpose, AMD is so far behind it's a joke.
    - good point on the RAM
    - no, no and no. Overclocking is a drastic performance increase with a performance/price ratio which at those levels is impossible to beat. Not doing it is plain silly.
    - a 560 won't be able to max every game out there at 1080p, not even remotely. A 660 is a budget card and has the same issues. The 770 suggested above is perfect for that resolution.
    I agree on all points except for that one. My overclocked 7950 is still going strong and able to play almost any game at 1080p at maximum settings with 60+. Is Nvidia ahead? Well of course since the release of the 7xx series. But waiting for the new AMD line will not only most likely double your possibly choices but also bring down the prices of the 7xx series. I myself am waiting for the new series to grab a second 7950 since I'll be able to grab one brand new for ~$150 and double my performance. Nothing that that 7xx line will be able to produce for the same price.
    Last edited by Shiromar; 2013-08-19 at 12:12 AM.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Shiromar View Post
    Exactly why I proposed a build that's ~800 cheaper and just as strong. I find that it's always much better to buy the second best and put that money you could have spent towards upgrades in the future. Instead of buying a 7970/680/780 top of the line, I save ~$200 and get the second best model which I then sell the old card and use the saved money to buy the next generation second best card. Doing this I've rarely spent the entire saved money and still gain pretty good performance gains. I myself and still running my 2500k strong after 2 additional generations and I probably won't upgrade any time soon as at 4.5ghz it's still going very strong in new games.

    With the ~800 you saved with the rest of the build feel free to get a larger SSD! I would settle with the 500gb model over the 1tb though, since I doubt your collection is really that big. Also when using the SSD you want to keep in mind what kind of games actually benefit from being on an SSD. Out of my gaming library there's a handful that benefits and that doesn't even fill up my 120gb. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you do with one of the new 21:10 2560x1080 monitors that it's still an increase in pixel size which will decrease performance. The 770 should still be enough at that resolution. Also, there's quite a few games around that don't support that aspect ratio, so if you do want to take that route make sure you research some reviews on which games can and cannot take advantage of the 21:10 ratio. I would always overclock, as it's extremely easy on today's processors and it honestly doesn't take much time nor improved cooling capabilities.



    I agree on all points except for that one. My overclocked 7950 is still going strong and able to play almost any game at 1080p at maximum settings with 60+. Is Nvidia ahead? Well of course since the release of the 7xx series. But waiting for the new AMD line will not only most likely double your possibly choices but also bring down the prices of the 7xx series. I myself am waiting for the new series to grab a second 7950 since I'll be able to grab one brand new for ~$150 and double my performance. Nothing that that 7xx line will be able to produce for the same price.
    I've watched some reviews on the LG Ultra Wide, and there are some games that don't support it, but I'd honestly be okay with that so I'd have it for ones that do. (Borderlands 2 and Crysis 3 did, and Assassin's Creed 3 didn't, even though the resolution was in the options menu).

    My only experience has been with the Cooler Master HAF cases. What are some other good ones out there worth checking out? Was just browsing through and the NZXT Phantom case LOOKS cool...but I've heard mixed things about their cases.

  8. #8
    Slightly modified the build above.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($153.99 @ Amazon)
    Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 750GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($508.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Microcenter)
    Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1704.27
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 20:20 EDT-0400)

    H100i vs H60 2013 for more cooling allowing for a higher overclock.
    Switched the board to a G45. Haswell isn't powerlimited but rather temp limited as far as overclocking is concerned, that board lets you save a bit and it's totally fine. Plus it fits into the red/black theme.
    Switched the memory to 1600 cheaper one. It's red/white and you won't notice the difference in performance outside of benchmarks. More saving.
    Put you a 750GB EVO there just because you told you have the intention of going for a 1TB one. That's probably the biggest thing you could save on, try to check how much space you really need and then decide.
    Switched the case. While the NZXT 810 is indeed a great case, it's kinda expensive and since OP probably won't build his own custom loop the expense can be majorly cut on that. Plus the 500R comes on a great sale and it's still black for the theme.
    Changed the PSU. SLI ready and still Seasonic OEM (so great quality), semi-modular (basically all cables non-modular are needed anyways) and it's on a great sale as well. The higher wattage should cut down on noise too.
    Changed the OS to Windows 8. While it might seem iffy the first few times (if you can't adapt you can still install the start menu back with mods such as StartIsBack or Start8) it provides a decent performance boost, a great boot times boost and generally will be supported longer.
    Fluorescent - Fluo - currently retired, playing other stuff

    i5-4670k @ 4.5 / Thermalright Silver Arrow Extreme / Gigabyte Z87X-D3H / 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM / Gigabyte GTX 760

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Fluorescent0 View Post
    Slightly modified the build above.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($153.99 @ Amazon)
    Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 750GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($508.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Microcenter)
    Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1704.27
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 20:20 EDT-0400)

    H100i vs H60 2013 for more cooling allowing for a higher overclock.
    Switched the board to a G45. Haswell isn't powerlimited but rather temp limited as far as overclocking is concerned, that board lets you save a bit and it's totally fine. Plus it fits into the red/black theme.
    Switched the memory to 1600 cheaper one. It's red/white and you won't notice the difference in performance outside of benchmarks. More saving.
    Put you a 750GB EVO there just because you told you have the intention of going for a 1TB one. That's probably the biggest thing you could save on, try to check how much space you really need and then decide.
    Switched the case. While the NZXT 810 is indeed a great case, it's kinda expensive and since OP probably won't build his own custom loop the expense can be majorly cut on that. Plus the 500R comes on a great sale and it's still black for the theme.
    Changed the PSU. SLI ready and still Seasonic OEM (so great quality), semi-modular (basically all cables non-modular are needed anyways) and it's on a great sale as well. The higher wattage should cut down on noise too.
    Changed the OS to Windows 8. While it might seem iffy the first few times (if you can't adapt you can still install the start menu back with mods such as StartIsBack or Start8) it provides a decent performance boost, a great boot times boost and generally will be supported longer.
    I was actually just about to ask about MSI MoBos. Another one of those things I had heard mixed feelings about.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Zatetic View Post
    The thing about technology and gaming specificially is you build a high end rig and 6 months down the track it is just an average rig that wont play the latest games on the highest settings.
    That is rubbish. A GTX780 will be playing games on Ultra for a long time to come. There are no games on the horizon that will stretch a 780, especially if you are only playing on a 1080p screen.

    Quote Originally Posted by p1wookie View Post
    That sounds like a good setup. With the extra money savings, I could maybe even go to the 1TB EVO SSD. I do have a pretty good sized game library, and it keeps growing. Especially every time Steam has a sale. lol
    A 1TB SSD is a waste. Keep the 256GB one and get a 7200rpm HDD for storage. It doesn't take long to move games between if you want the increased loading times.

    Also with the savings from your budget, i would suggest getting a 1440p screen. Games look stunning at 1440p.


    Quote Originally Posted by Fluorescent0 View Post
    Changed the OS to Windows 8. While it might seem iffy the first few times (if you can't adapt you can still install the start menu back with mods such as StartIsBack or Start8) it provides a decent performance boost, a great boot times boost and generally will be supported longer.
    Agreed, it doesn't take much effort and Windows 8 is everything that Windows 7 is but with some awesome improvements. Plus having EUFI OS improvements over Windows 7 are good

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
    Also with the savings from your budget, i would suggest getting a 1440p screen. Games look stunning at 1440p.
    That may be a thought. I've yet to experience 1440p.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by p1wookie View Post
    That may be a thought. I've yet to experience 1440p.
    If you decide to go for it, swap the 770 to a 780.
    Fluorescent - Fluo - currently retired, playing other stuff

    i5-4670k @ 4.5 / Thermalright Silver Arrow Extreme / Gigabyte Z87X-D3H / 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM / Gigabyte GTX 760

  13. #13
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($134.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($675.98 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ Outlet PC)
    Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($549.99 @ NCIX US)
    Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
    Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
    Total: $2518.23
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 21:16 EDT-0400)

    This is what I've pieced together so far taking in some of the suggestions. I threw in a 1440p Asus monitor. What are some other good 1440p monitors to check out?

    And of course, if I'm gonna use a HAF 932 Advanced, I could just reuse my current case, since that's what I have. It's been a great case and it's only 120 bucks. The only downside I've had to it is constantly having to clean it out due to the High Air Flow. lol
    Last edited by p1wookie; 2013-08-19 at 01:24 AM.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by p1wookie View Post
    I threw in a 1440p Asus monitor. What are some other good 1440p monitors to check out?
    I have that one and it is great. The other options would be Dell or Samsung for known brands.

    There are also Korean 1440p monitors that use rejected LG panels from Dell/HP etc... that are often much cheaper, but due to them being A- panels, instead of A+ that Dell take they can have dead pixels, but they can be overclocked too to increase the Hz which could be a bonus.

  15. #15
    Deleted
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
    CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
    Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Amazon)
    Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
    Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($549.99 @ NCIX US)
    Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
    Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($65.99 @ NCIX US)
    Total: $2582.83
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 21:34 EDT-0400)

    This is my suggestion if you go with 1440p monitor, which I included in the budget. I usually don't recommend CF/SLI to start with but you did ask for max performance and with the prices on 7970 I think it's quite good, $25 more than a single 780. You can leave one out if you like and save $350 and still get great performance. There is also a 7990 for $700 if you like. Kept it black/red.

    And you get 6 games with the two 7970.
    Last edited by mmocca5d152c38; 2013-08-19 at 01:42 AM.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
    I have that one and it is great. The other options would be Dell or Samsung for known brands.

    There are also Korean 1440p monitors that use rejected LG panels from Dell/HP etc... that are often much cheaper, but due to them being A- panels, instead of A+ that Dell take they can have dead pixels, but they can be overclocked too to increase the Hz which could be a bonus.
    Yeah I was sitting here debating between the Asus and Dell. From what I read there really wasn't that much difference between them, so just went with the cheaper option.

  17. #17

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Notarget View Post
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
    CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.99 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
    Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Amazon)
    Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
    Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($549.99 @ NCIX US)
    Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
    Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($65.99 @ NCIX US)
    Total: $2582.83
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 21:34 EDT-0400)

    This is my suggestion if you go with 1440p monitor, which I included in the budget. I usually don't recommend CF/SLI to start with but you did ask for max performance and with the prices on 7970 I think it's quite good, $25 more than a single 780. You can leave one out if you like and save $350 and still get great performance. There is also a 7990 for $700 if you like. Kept it black/red.

    And you get 6 games with the two 7970.
    I've often read negative things about CF/SLI, which is why I've always tried to stay away from it. Is it a common problem? Or is it nearly non existent nowadays?

    EDIT: And I just read you get 8 games with the 7990.
    Last edited by p1wookie; 2013-08-19 at 02:33 AM.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    It's usually been SLI > CF but AMD new drivers are focused on "fixing" micro stutter and has gotten much better lately. Obviously there are games that don't really scale or benefit from the extra GPU (like World of Warcraft) for which you can simply disable the second GPU. I just feel being able to get a single 7990 or two 7970GHz for only $25 more than a 780 seems like a no brainer to me and the 6 free games isn't too shabby either.

    I do feel a 780 is good for 1440p and I do generally prefer single GPU I just feel the pricing is off compared to what you can get. Hell even keeping just a single 7970GHz you'll be able to max mostly everything for $325 less than a 780 and then perhaps see what AMD presents late September, early October with their 9000 series.

    If you want the highest end single card and won't be doing SLI/CF then you're fine with a lower output PSU, if you want to keep the possible stick with the one (or similar) to what I linked you. For a single card this will do fine:

    SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold

    With a single GPU you could also get a 500GB SSD if you really have a lot of games and programs.

    Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
    Last edited by mmocca5d152c38; 2013-08-19 at 02:36 AM.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Notarget View Post
    It's usually been SLI > CF but AMD new drivers are focused on "fixing" micro stutter and has gotten much better lately. Obviously there are games that don't really scale or benefit from the extra GPU (like World of Warcraft) for which you can simply disable the second GPU. I just feel being able to get a single 7990 or two 7970GHz for only $25 more than a 780 seems like a no brainer to me and the 6 free games isn't too shabby either.

    I do feel a 780 is good for 1440p and I do generally prefer single GPU I just feel the pricing is off compared to what you can get. Hell even keeping just a single 7970GHz you'll be able to max mostly everything for $325 less than a 780 and then perhaps see what AMD presents late September, early October with their 9000 series.

    If you want the highest end single card and won't be doing SLI/CF then you're fine with a lower output PSU, if you want to keep the possible stick with the one (or similar) to what I linked you. For a single card this will do fine:

    SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold

    With a single GPU you could also get a 500GB SSD if you really have a lot of games and programs.

    Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
    I've also been trying to weigh if I'm going to wait until October to purchase a GPU anyway. I probably won't be building this system until mid September, and it's not like I HAVE to build a new one right away. I'm curious to see what the specs will be on the 9970, and how much they will cost. My problem is always patience though.

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