Wingwire Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I don't have much time to type this, so it may seem a bit rushed :/ CPU is really overkill unless you plan to do a lot of After Effects rendering and small server hosting. I'd go with the i5 4690K Cooler is great, but at your price range I'd suggest closed-loop water cooling, notably the Corsair H80i, as it's not too expensive what what you're getting, and you can overclock more, like to 4.2Ghz (The highest "safe" OC for Intel CPUs) Motherboard is good but if you're going with the i5 I recommended you'll have to change because it's a different socket, and the ASRock Z97-PRO4 looks good for a similar price to the first RAM is good, 'nuff said SSD is good, but at your price range you can easily upgrade to 250GB without spending too much more. I have 120GB with only the OS and important programs (Photoshop, Premiere, etc) and it's almost full, so it won't work if you wanted to put games on it HDD is too small. 2TB or 3TB is't much more expensive and is really needed for games like Battlefield 4 and Titanfall because of how big they are GPU should be upgraded to a 970. It's a price jump, but it's really worth it and will last you a lot longer than the 770 PSU is great, but for a similar price you can get the SilverStone ST60F-P 600W, which is fully modular. 600W will be more than enough anyway CD writers aren't used much in computers now because of the rise of digital media. I suggest getting a small portable USB 3.0 one so you can plug it in when you need it and it doesn't make your case look bad the rest of the time Go with Windows 7 Professional, just in case you decide a while from now that you want 32GB of RAM. (I know that doesn't improve FPS, but maybe you may want to host small servers while having a bunch of Chrome tabs idk, you'll have your reasons if you do) 144Hz isn't too noticable, and 60Hz is just fine. In my opinion, the BenQ VZ2350HM 23" IPS would be the better bet because it's a fair bit cheaper and you get the benefits of an IPS panel Everyone else feel free to add to my suggestions because I'm not too familiar with US pricing, I only know it's a damn sight cheaper than here in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 CPU is really overkill unless you plan to do a lot of After Effects rendering and small server hosting. I'd go with the i5 4690K Cooler is great, but at your price range I'd suggest closed-loop water cooling, notably the Corsair H80i, as it's not too expensive what what you're getting, and you can overclock more, like to 4.2Ghz (The highest "safe" OC for Intel CPUs) HDD is too small. 2TB or 3TB is't much more expensive and is really needed for games like Battlefield 4 and Titanfall because of how big they are Go with Windows 7 Professional, just in case you decide a while from now that you want 32GB of RAM. (I know that doesn't improve FPS, but maybe you may want to host small servers while having a bunch of Chrome tabs idk, you'll have your reasons if you do) CPU: ya, a 4790k is kinda overkill...but it is a bit helpful in some games and its definitely helpful in editing (even CS6), and it's not like it's causing him any budget issues. CPU Cooler: A 240mm like an H105 would be MUCH better; and 4.2ghz isn't the highest "safe" overclock. There is no highest safe overclock. You can push it as far as you want so long as your voltage is under 1.30v and temps are under 80ºc~. 1TB is MORE than enough storage space for most people. I'm using like 600gb on mine, and I have at least a hundred games installed. sigh 16gb of ram is MORE than enough for anything he would ever do on a system like this...thats just a stupid amount of "future proofing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynexyl Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 And don't get any Razer stuff, it's fantastic when working but it breaks instantly. I've had a Razer Abyssus (mouse) for quite some time, yet to find a single problem with it. If you are also looking to get a cheap, great headset, i can recommend the one i use. Plantronics Gamecom 780. I think i paid 40$ on it two years ago, the audio is really nice, and so is the mic. Ultra sturdy as well, best one you'll find for that price i'd assume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I've had a Razer Abyssus (mouse) for quite some time, yet to find a single problem with it. If you are also looking to get a cheap, great headset, i can recommend the one i use. Plantronics Gamecom 780. I think i paid 40$ on it two years ago, the audio is really nice, and so is the mic. Ultra sturdy as well, best one you'll find for that price i'd assume. Razer products are really hit or miss; they're really not worthwhile in most cases unless they are either extremely cheap or you just need to have something with razer green. As for the headset, IF you already have a good/decent pair of headphones, then you can buy a Mod Mic 4.0, which is an extremely high quality mic (better than pretty much any headset mic -- excluding some few-hundred dollar headsets) that attaches to ANY pair of headphones and is only $40~. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Razer products are really hit or miss; they're really not worthwhile in most cases unless they are either extremely cheap or you just need to have something with razer green. As for the headset, IF you already have a good/decent pair of headphones, then you can buy a Mod Mic 4.0, which is an extremely high quality mic (better than pretty much any headset mic -- excluding some few-hundred dollar headsets) that attaches to ANY pair of headphones and is only $40~. Yeah, I don't plan on getting any Razor stuff anyway, that's good to know. I want to go Red and Black for this build. I have a kick-ass pair of Audio-Technicas, so I may have to look into that mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Yeah, I don't plan on getting any Razor stuff anyway, that's good to know. I want to go Red and Black for this build. I have a kick-ass pair of Audio-Technicas, so I may have to look into that mic. http://youtu.be/dVFKbVPTdG8?t=3m28s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 http://youtu.be/dVFKbVPTdG8?t=3m28s Sorry for being slow to get back to you, that seems really awesome, actually. I don't know that I'd apply them to my Audio-Technicas, but that's actually really awesome to keep in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Jesus Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Awesome's suggestion is basically that: Awesome Just to clarify why a lot of people have said 16GB is excessive atm: There's no point going to 16GB of RAM right now, since mainstream DDR4 support is coming soon (either Broadwell or Skylake, don't remember). By the time we actually *need* 16GB, we will all be on DDR4 anyways so why splurge on DDR3? Doesn't make sense to future proof with a new standard very close to being out. 8GB should be enough for 99% of what people need to do, and if not then you're probably looking at a custom workstation solution anyways so it's irrelevant. Do not go too crazy with overclocking unless you are trying to absolutely slaughter the most demanding games at crazy resolutions. Your rig will already be very strong, and it's more useful for an OC to push you into either playable frame rates or from playable into "great", than it is to get an extra 20 FPS when you're already pushing 150 in the average game. 40 to 60 is a huge leap, 60 to 80 is kind of whatever, etc. You won't appreciate the scaling as much if the computer already does fine. If you're already handling a game's most demanding settings or your specific resolution fine, an aggressive OC won't feel like it does much for you. On the other hand, if your aggressive OC turns a game like BF4 on Ultra HD into a much better experience (which is very possible, some shit is ridiculously demanding!), then by all means shoot for that. Even with that rig, some games on Ultra beyond 1080p will greatly benefit from OC's so this isn't to dissuade you from doing it at all. Just have moderation if you don't need to push the system to the max. You may want different OC profiles setup, to easily switch between a strong OC, and a modest one (or even stock rates for everything). I do that with mine, because I generally only need a good OC for my CPU to catch up with heavy emulations (I'm milking this poor i5 750 for all this bugger is worth!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Awesome's suggestion is basically that: Awesome Just to clarify why a lot of people have said 16GB is excessive atm: There's no point going to 16GB of RAM right now, since mainstream DDR4 support is coming soon (either Broadwell or Skylake, don't remember). By the time we actually *need* 16GB, we will all be on DDR4 anyways so why splurge on DDR3? Doesn't make sense to future proof with a new standard very close to being out. 8GB should be enough for 99% of what people need to do, and if not then you're probably looking at a custom workstation solution anyways so it's irrelevant. Do not go too crazy with overclocking unless you are trying to absolutely slaughter the most demanding games at crazy resolutions. Your rig will already be very strong, and it's more useful for an OC to push you into either playable frame rates or from playable into "great", than it is to get an extra 20 FPS when you're already pushing 150 in the average game. 40 to 60 is a huge leap, 60 to 80 is kind of whatever, etc. You won't appreciate the scaling as much if the computer already does fine. If you're already handling a game's most demanding settings or your specific resolution fine, an aggressive OC won't feel like it does much for you. Skylake will be the first consumer platform with support for DDR4 (as well as DDR3). To elaborate just a bit, 8gb is enough for gaming whereas editing (heavier editing anyway) does actually benefit from 16gb of Ram. With that said, as far as I'm concerned, it makes more sense to go with 8gb and then get another 8gb kit if you need more (and when prices have inevitably come down). Also, anything above 60 is only beneficial if the monitor is capable of displaying it (it also happens to be beneficial since if the average is 80~ then the actual framerate will be above 60 more often whereas if the average was 60, then it would be fluctuating from 50-70~. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Awesome's suggestion is basically that: Awesome Just to clarify why a lot of people have said 16GB is excessive atm: There's no point going to 16GB of RAM right now, since mainstream DDR4 support is coming soon (either Broadwell or Skylake, don't remember). By the time we actually *need* 16GB, we will all be on DDR4 anyways so why splurge on DDR3? Doesn't make sense to future proof with a new standard very close to being out. 8GB should be enough for 99% of what people need to do, and if not then you're probably looking at a custom workstation solution anyways so it's irrelevant. Do not go too crazy with overclocking unless you are trying to absolutely slaughter the most demanding games at crazy resolutions. Your rig will already be very strong, and it's more useful for an OC to push you into either playable frame rates or from playable into "great", than it is to get an extra 20 FPS when you're already pushing 150 in the average game. 40 to 60 is a huge leap, 60 to 80 is kind of whatever, etc. You won't appreciate the scaling as much if the computer already does fine. If you're already handling a game's most demanding settings or your specific resolution fine, an aggressive OC won't feel like it does much for you. On the other hand, if your aggressive OC turns a game like BF4 on Ultra HD into a much better experience (which is very possible, some shit is ridiculously demanding!), then by all means shoot for that. Even with that rig, some games on Ultra beyond 1080p will greatly benefit from OC's so this isn't to dissuade you from doing it at all. Just have moderation if you don't need to push the system to the max. You may want different OC profiles setup, to easily switch between a strong OC, and a modest one (or even stock rates for everything). I do that with mine, because I generally only need a good OC for my CPU to catch up with heavy emulations (I'm milking this poor i5 750 for all this bugger is worth!). Yeah, I wasn't planning on going nuts with RAM right off the bat, so 8 GB should be perfect for me. Thank you for breaking that down some more, that's really nice to know that Overclocking can help, but isn't absolutely necessary. I'll think about pushing it a bit once I've got my rig ready to go. Skylake will be the first consumer platform with support for DDR4 (as well as DDR3). To elaborate just a bit, 8gb is enough for gaming whereas editing (heavier editing anyway) does actually benefit from 16gb of Ram. With that said, as far as I'm concerned, it makes more sense to go with 8gb and then get another 8gb kit if you need more (and when prices have inevitably come down). Also, anything above 60 is only beneficial if the monitor is capable of displaying it (it also happens to be beneficial since if the average is 80~ then the actual framerate will be above 60 more often whereas if the average was 60, then it would be fluctuating from 50-70~. What monitor would you recommend to purchase to really display great framerates? I'd like a wonderful monitor to display above 60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Yeah, I wasn't planning on going nuts with RAM right off the bat, so 8 GB should be perfect for me. Thank you for breaking that down some more, that's really nice to know that Overclocking can help, but isn't absolutely necessary. I'll think about pushing it a bit once I've got my rig ready to go. What monitor would you recommend to purchase to really display great framerates? I'd like a wonderful monitor to display above 60. Well, either go with a 60hz IPS panel or a 144hz TN panel. Now, the IPS panel will have better colors but a slower refresh rate. I'd really suggest trying out a 144hz panel at a friends house...or at a store...or something as I can tell you from personal experience that I care more about better color accuracy than the higher refresh rate (but it really does depend on the person). If you don't play FPS games (BF4, Cod, CSGO, etc...) then higher refresh rates really don't matter; and if you intend to do any editing at all, then you really want the color accuracy offered by an IPS panel. For a 144hz panel: BenQ XL2411Z (what I personally have) Asus VG248QE For a 60hz IPS panel: Dell P2414H (What I personally have) Dell U2414H (It's a factory calibrated version of the P2414H (same panel) and it also has a much thinner bezel (it's a great choice for any multi-monitor setup). LG23Mp55HQ-P (I haven't see any reviews of it, but it's made by LG (who are known for making excellent panels) and it's currently the cheapest IPS panel around the 23-24" size) Acer H236HLbid P.s. a single 970 will have trouble getting over 100 fps in more recent AAA titles, such as BF4, which would sit around the 100fps mark, which is fine as the difference between 60 and 100 is pretty big, but the difference between 100 and 144 is not quite as big (and the monitors refresh rate can be set at 60/100/120/144hz). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Well, either go with a 60hz IPS panel or a 144hz TN panel. Now, the IPS panel will have better colors but a slower refresh rate. I'd really suggest trying out a 144hz panel at a friends house...or at a store...or something as I can tell you from personal experience that I care more about better color accuracy than the higher refresh rate (but it really does depend on the person). If you don't play FPS games (BF4, Cod, CSGO, etc...) then higher refresh rates really don't matter; and if you intend to do any editing at all, then you really want the color accuracy offered by an IPS panel. For a 144hz panel: BenQ XL2411Z (what I personally have) Asus VG248QE (The better choice for you as: 1) it's cheaper right now, and 2) the BenQ requires a Dual Link DVI port, which a 970 doesn't have (and thus you would need to also buy an active DP to Dual link DVI adapter). For a 60hz IPS panel: Dell P2414H (What I personally have) Dell U2414H (It's a factory calibrated version of the P2414H (same panel) and it also has a much thinner bezel (it's a great choice for any multi-monitor setup). LG23Mp55HQ-P (I haven't see any reviews of it, but it's made by LG (who are known for making excellent panels) and it's currently the cheapest IPS panel around the 23-24" size) Acer H236HLbid P.s. a single 970 will have trouble getting over 100 fps in more recent AAA titles, such as BF4, which would sit around the 100fps mark, which is fine as the difference between 60 and 100 is pretty big, but the difference between 100 and 144 is not quite as big (and the monitors refresh rate can be set at 60/100/120/144hz). I think I may go with your BenQ Monitor. From what I see, it seems like something I'd enjoy more. While I do a lot of editing, I don't believe I'll be using this computer as my primary for it. I feel like refresh rate would be better for me. Does it have fairly good color accuracy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I think I may go with your BenQ Monitor. From what I see, it seems like something I'd enjoy more. While I do a lot of editing, I don't believe I'll be using this computer as my primary for it. I feel like refresh rate would be better for me. Does it have fairly good color accuracy? Yeah, it's pretty good. As for you thinking you'd be better off with the higher refresh rate....it really does depend on the person; I can tell you from personal experience that I usually get too distracted by the game to notice the higher refresh rate of a 144hz panel or the better color accuracy of an IPS panel; but out of the game IPS is really nice whereas 144hz doesn't do much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Yeah, it's pretty good. As for you thinking you'd be better off with the higher refresh rate....it really does depend on the person; I can tell you from personal experience that I usually get too distracted by the game to notice the higher refresh rate of a 144hz panel or the better color accuracy of an IPS panel; but out of the game IPS is really nice whereas 144hz doesn't do much. I see, I see. I guess I'll have to think about it, I'll see to visiting some stores and checking out various other monitors to see which I prefer to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParmesanChicken Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Tbh you should order this week amazing deals going on right now. My gaming rig i order was cheaper than i thought save about 225~ in the process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Tbh you should order this week amazing deals going on right now. My gaming rig i order was cheaper than i thought save about 225~ in the process I would, but I don't have nearly enough cash right now. This thread was to get my head around what to buy, and create a good-looking list for myself to go off of before I had any means of purchasing the supplies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I would, but I don't have nearly enough cash right now. This thread was to get my head around what to buy, and create a good-looking list for myself to go off of before I had any means of purchasing the supplies. Well, tbh, you can get something that performs very similarly for around $1000ish.4690k (210) Z97 board with XFIRE support (90) 8gb ram (50-60) Hyper 212 (20) Powercolor pcs+ r9 290 (210) Phanteks enthoo pro (90) 128gb mx100 (60) 1tb caviar blue (50) Evga g2 850w (100) Windows 8.1 (90) Total: 1000ish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Well, tbh, you can get something that performs very similarly for around $1000ish. 4690k (210) Z97 board with XFIRE support (90) 8gb ram (50-60) Hyper 212 (20) Powercolor pcs+ r9 290 (210) Phanteks enthoo pro (90) 128gb mx100 (60) 1tb caviar blue (50) Evga g2 850w (100) Windows 8.1 (90) Total: 1000ish But I have $200 in my pocket- I'm not worried about getting this built ASAP, I just want to have a nice list set out for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zcrab Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 But I have $200 in my pocket- I'm not worried about getting this built ASAP, I just want to have a nice list set out for me. If you wait too long better options will come, there will always be better options coming in the future. We're talking a couple of months here. Giving an advice now is if you were to buy the PC asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iliad Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 buy a dog instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 If you wait too long better options will come, there will always be better options coming in the future. We're talking a couple of months here. Giving an advice now is if you were to buy the PC asap. I plan on getting this in February, not too far in the future. buy a dog instead Hah, I wish. Too much to care for, though. :< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwesomeMcCoolName Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I plan on getting this in February, not too far in the future. Hah, I wish. Too much to care for, though. :< Well, around February AMD will be launching the R9 300 series....so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Well, around February AMD will be launching the R9 300 series....so That's news to me, what's the forecast on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@@@@@@ Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 http://www.eteknix.com/alleged-amd-bermuda-r9-390x-specifications-detailed/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
There Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 That's news to me, what's the forecast on it? It's gonna be hype. Insane memory bandwidth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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