Getting a Gaming Desktop PLEASE HELP

[(ES) Mr. Bigglesworth]

Hey guys, I'm looking to build my own gaming desktop, beyond tf2, I like to play games like Tomb Raider, The Witcher1/2/3, and other such high graphics games. 

 

my budget after everything is done (that includes shipping,OS,tax) should be about $1200. I already have all the peripherals, this is just the computer itself.

 

I would like some suggestions on parts to get, thanks.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($78.30 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($140.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($425.38 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 
Total: $1322.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-28 21:38 EDT-0400

 

Drop the ssd, and/or get a cheaper case. (I say get a 750w psu that way you can Xfire down the road should you choose to). You could also opt for a cheaper (but still good) psu--something like a Corsair CX750

[AAAAAAAAAA]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($78.30 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($140.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($425.38 @ Newegg) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 

Total: $1322.59

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-28 21:38 EDT-0400

 

Drop the ssd, and/or get a cheaper case. (I say get a 750w psu that way you can Xfire down the road should you choose to). You could also opt for a cheaper (but still good) psu--something like a Corsair CX750

windows 8.1 ewewewwewwew

[Tanner the Original Scout™]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($78.30 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($140.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($425.38 @ Newegg) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 

Total: $1322.59

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-28 21:38 EDT-0400

 

Drop the ssd, and/or get a cheaper case. (I say get a 750w psu that way you can Xfire down the road should you choose to). You could also opt for a cheaper (but still good) psu--something like a Corsair CX750

Eh... go with this build. Can't say no to much of this.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

windows 8.1 ewewewwewwew

Well, lets see....Window 8.1 for $29 or Windows 7 for $100...seems like a no brainer to me. 

[v³ Unknown NO FEAR]

Well, lets see....Window 8.1 for $29 or Windows 7 for $100...seems like a no brainer to me. 

 

You can always get it *ahem* you know.  

 

That's how I did it, got no problems. 

[Ɲαɳσ]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($78.30 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($140.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($425.38 @ Newegg) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 

Total: $1322.59

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-28 21:38 EDT-0400

 

Drop the ssd, and/or get a cheaper case. (I say get a 750w psu that way you can Xfire down the road should you choose to). You could also opt for a cheaper (but still good) psu--something like a Corsair CX750

Too much... Cannot comprehend who did this, Nvidia > AMD, 8.1 is a full operating system, no way in hell would it cost 21 dollars and windows 8.1 is ultra shit with hardware, who needs full tower, how much storage does he need? psu is op, please.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Too much... Cannot comprehend who did this, Nvidia > AMD, 8.1 is a full operating system, no way in hell would it cost 21 dollars and windows 8.1 is ultra shit with hardware, who needs full tower, how much storage does he need? psu is op, please.

• G2a.com I know plenty of people who buy and who have bought off of that site in the past, and none have had any issues. 
• An R9 290 will outperform a 780 (at $100 less) in 1440p+ resolutions, and run head to head at 1080p. The only issue with AMD cards is that they run hotter (which isn't an issue with a good cooler -- MSI Twin Frozr or Sapphire Tri-X) and sometimes have some driver issues. There are three reasons to consider Nvidia: 1) you have an unlimited budget and don't mind paying more for that extra 1% chance of not having a driver issue; 2) you use a program (like Sony Vegas) which can leverage cuda cores making an Nvidia card far more useful; or 3) you actually want to use a feature that Nvidia cards have (G-sync/game-stream/physx). although physx is a retarded reason to opt for an Nvidia card. 
• W8.1 runs fine with hardware. The biggest issue is metro, which in 8.1 can be avoided. 
• He doesn't need a full tower, but building and having a full tower is much nicer than a crappy one. Sure, he could get an NZXT Source 210, but in comparison its a pain to build in; and the Enthoo pro is priced amazingly well considering what it is. But again, I did say he could easily get a cheaper case should he desire. 
• And as I said, he should highly consider a 750w+ psu that way he can Xfire in the future should he choose to. 
• A 250gb ssd will perform better and last longer than a 120gb ssd, and once you start using an ssd you have a tendency to put more and more programs on it. And a 500gb hdd is like $5 less than a 1tb one. Getting anything smaller than 1tb is just stupid. 

[Ɲαɳσ]

 

• G2a.com I know plenty of people who buy and who have bought off of that site in the past, and none have had any issues. 
• An R9 290 will outperform a 780 (at $100 less) in 1440p+ resolutions, and run head to head at 1080p. The only issue with AMD cards is that they run hotter (which isn't an issue with a good cooler -- MSI Twin Frozr or Sapphire Tri-X) and sometimes have some driver issues. There are three reasons to consider Nvidia: 1) you have an unlimited budget and don't mind paying more for that extra 1% chance of not having a driver issue; 2) you use a program (like Sony Vegas) which can leverage cuda cores making an Nvidia card far more useful; or 3) you actually want to use a feature that Nvidia cards have (G-sync/game-stream/physx). although physx is a retarded reason to opt for an Nvidia card. 
• W8.1 runs fine with hardware. The biggest issue is metro, which in 8.1 can be avoided. 
• He doesn't need a full tower, but building and having a full tower is much nicer than a crappy one. Sure, he could get an NZXT Source 210, but in comparison its a pain to build in; and the Enthoo pro is priced amazingly well considering what it is. But again, I did say he could easily get a cheaper case should he desire. 
• And as I said, he should highly consider a 750w+ psu that way he can Xfire in the future should he choose to. 
• A 250gb ssd will perform better and last longer than a 120gb ssd, and once you start using an ssd you have a tendency to put more and more programs on it. And a 500gb hdd is like $5 less than a 1tb one. Getting anything smaller than 1tb is just stupid. 

 

idk

still no

windows 7 equals best of all

yes

how much performance does he need with a monitor?

yes

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

idk

still no

windows 7 equals best of all

yes

how much performance does he need with a monitor?

yes

FACTS: 

• G2a is legit and safe. 
• An R9 290 is still better than a 780 especially when you consider its $100 less. 
• Windows 7 is better, but it also can't be bought for $29

If he wants to get a 1440p monitor, or a 144hz monitor. In any case, theres really no reason not to get a psu capable of SLI/Xfire as its not all that much more and it leaves you plenty of room to do whatever you want. So, as long as no other components aren't being sacrificed in order to get a 750w+ psu then you should get one. Now, if he definitely knows he wants to SLI/XFIRE down the road then he should 100% get a psu capable of doing so. If he's not sure, then he should get everything else, and if theres money leftover then get a bigger psu. You also really don't want to cheap out and buy a crappy psu. 

[Ɲαɳσ]

well

[Ɲαɳσ]

FACTS: 

• G2a is legit and safe. 
• An R9 290 is still better than a 780 especially when you consider its $100 less. 
• Windows 7 is better, but it also can't be bought for $29

If he wants to get a 1440p monitor, or a 144hz monitor. In any case, theres really no reason not to get a psu capable of SLI/Xfire as its not all that much more and it leaves you plenty of room to do whatever you want. So, as long as no other components aren't being sacrificed in order to get a 750w+ psu then you should get one. Now, if he definitely knows he wants to SLI/XFIRE down the road then he should 100% get a psu capable of doing so. If he's not sure, then he should get everything else, and if theres money leftover then get a bigger psu. You also really don't want to cheap out and buy a crappy psu. 

g2a i really dont know what that is

i never said anything about a 780, im sure a R9 290 can overwhelm it

theres a reason why its $29, also if you people havent noticed, windows 7 is extremely easy to get free, (no piracy of course)

obviously you dont want to get a shit psu because thats a like buying a mattress and getting a shit frame that cant stand, its not gonna work.

[Doppleganger]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($118.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($78.30 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($140.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($425.38 @ Newegg) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 

Total: $1322.59

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-28 21:38 EDT-0400

 

Drop the ssd, and/or get a cheaper case. (I say get a 750w psu that way you can Xfire down the road should you choose to). You could also opt for a cheaper (but still good) psu--something like a Corsair CX750

cant say no to thaat, good build, drop the ssd

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

i never said anything about a 780, im sure a R9 290 can overwhelm it

theres a reason why its $29, also if you people havent noticed, windows 7 is extremely easy to get free, (no piracy of course)

obviously you dont want to get a shit psu because thats a like buying a mattress and getting a shit frame that cant stand, its not gonna work.

Well, a 290 will certainly outperform a similarly priced Nvidia card (770). 

Its $29 because they're getting copies the same way system builders such as Dell and HP get their copies. Do you actually think Dell/Hp/Lenovo/other pay $100+ per copy? 

And a high end 550w (which is really the minimum you should get for a high powered system) isn't all that much less than a 750w.

[v³ Unknown NO FEAR]

 

• G2a.com I know plenty of people who buy and who have bought off of that site in the past, and none have had any issues. 
• An R9 290 will outperform a 780 (at $100 less) in 1440p+ resolutions, and run head to head at 1080p. The only issue with AMD cards is that they run hotter (which isn't an issue with a good cooler -- MSI Twin Frozr or Sapphire Tri-X) and sometimes have some driver issues. There are three reasons to consider Nvidia: 1) you have an unlimited budget and don't mind paying more for that extra 1% chance of not having a driver issue; 2) you use a program (like Sony Vegas) which can leverage cuda cores making an Nvidia card far more useful; or 3) you actually want to use a feature that Nvidia cards have (G-sync/game-stream/physx). although physx is a retarded reason to opt for an Nvidia card. 
• W8.1 runs fine with hardware. The biggest issue is metro, which in 8.1 can be avoided. 
• He doesn't need a full tower, but building and having a full tower is much nicer than a crappy one. Sure, he could get an NZXT Source 210, but in comparison its a pain to build in; and the Enthoo pro is priced amazingly well considering what it is. But again, I did say he could easily get a cheaper case should he desire. 
• And as I said, he should highly consider a 750w+ psu that way he can Xfire in the future should he choose to. 
• A 250gb ssd will perform better and last longer than a 120gb ssd, and once you start using an ssd you have a tendency to put more and more programs on it. And a 500gb hdd is like $5 less than a 1tb one. Getting anything smaller than 1tb is just stupid. 

 

 

 

idk

still no

windows 7 equals best of all

yes

how much performance does he need with a monitor?

yes

 

Compare responses. Nobody's taking you seriously when you respond like that. 

[Pyrocide]

Compare responses. Nobody's taking you seriously when you respond like that. 

this

 

Also, I would have to agree with Awesome on getting a full windows OS for 29$ vs Windows 7, which IMO is still far superior for a windows power user not so much a difference for a sole gamer.

 

I prefer Nvidia over AMD due to a biased driver issue and shit support from AMD. Burn me once and its enough for me to never buy from you again. Although, considering if what Awesome says is true about the benching and easily reparable cooling issue plus the fact you can get a secondary sub $100 nvidia card for physx to use alongside AMD later, I would say go with the 290.

 

SSD>HDD boot times and file access. However, it does very little for gaming especially online IMO. I saw 0 difference in playing Kingdoms of Amalur on my 500GB Evo vs my Raptor 450GB, the same was true with TF2.

 

If you have any inkling to do xfire/SLI in the future get a full tower and a good sized PSU 750 or better. If not get a mid tower and a 550 seasonic/corsair (semi) modular.

[(ES) Mr. Bigglesworth]

my build as it stands is here http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/j4JJpg