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Looking to build a decent gaming PC - need input

1K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  Mischief-Minion 
#1 ·
Hi all,

EDIT:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RhT6xr

Most up to date part picker!

My little cousin in the US is looking for a PC - he wants to sell his Lenovo Y500 and get a desktop PC.
He is in the US and can buy from most shops- I prefer to use amazon or newegg personally, but open to suggestions.

Here's the specs of what I've drafted up - if possible, to save more money would be better, in order to drive down the cost. Currently looking at around $1400, but would much prefer that to be near the $1200 mark
We're thinking of buying the OS 2nd hand and also the RAM - We were also thinking of saving a little money on the cooler - by going for the EVO212 - let me know your thoughts:
  • OS: $100 - probably around $50
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5 LGA 1150 Z97 ATX Motherboard - $140
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 - $239
  • GPU: MSI Computer R9 290 Gaming OC 4GB - $270
  • RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz - $75
  • Cooler: Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H80i - $80
  • Case: BitFenix NEOS - $55
  • Monitor: BenQ Gaming Monitor RL2455HM - $200
  • HDD: Seagate 1 TB Desktop HDD - $53
  • SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 120GB - $80
  • Fans: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition Twin Pack Fan - $29
  • Drive: LG Electronics Optical DVD Drive - $20
  • PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX 600 Watt - $65
  • WLAN: TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter - $20

Thanks for any input - help will be appreciated!
-Dubbed
 
#2 ·
That's not a bad build at all! I would suggest buying a full retail OS though, and stepping down to the 212 evo cooler. Take the savings and put it towards a better quality power supply (look at the XFX psu line for bang/buck).

Any thoughts on a KBM? Those, and the monitor are the most important components in a daily use machine, IMHO.
 
#3 ·
That PSU is cheap for a reason its not all that great, replace it with a Rosewill Capstone or the XFX TS 550 watts instead.
Why you should not buy a Corsair CX

Also drop the Corsair H80i its not all that good and you can find air coolers that are cheaper much better and way more reliable.
 
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#4 ·
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK NEMESIS 70.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($101.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1246.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-08 15:01 EST-0500
 
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#5 ·
You can get copies of Windows for $15/$20 on the Reddit software swap. Everyone says use s5ean, but he never responded to me. Laynesmalley is who I use. Fast and easy.

Edit: I removed the link, not sure if I was allowed to post. If you Google reddit Microsoft Swap, you can find it.

I would also use air cooling if your cousin isn't very tech saavy. I know AIO are kind of set it and forget it, but he may not know what to look for if his pump starts to fail or something like that. I would go with the Noctua NH-D14. You can usually find that for around $75 and it probably performs every bit as good as the Corsair H80 and will be much quieter... I've used both.

I would also pass on the AF120 fans unless you've used them and have had a good experience. I have a pile of them, all Quiet Editions and they are not nearly as quiet as I expected.. see my sig rig photos. Sometimes they buzz. I would get a couple of Noctua NF-?12's. There are different models on Amazon, some are $15.99, $17.99, and some are more of course. You should be able to find a pair for not much more than the Corsair fans. I know people are polarized when it comes to Noctua's... over priced... etc. But, they're always decent and always quiet. They don't have to be the best, they just have to be good and that's what they are.

Lastly, pass on that Corsair CX600. You can find a better unit for around the same price. Look for an Antec Classic, Seasonic G series, or an EVGA B2 or G2 unit. I saw some on PC Partpicker for $60-ish.

Other than that, looks like a really good build.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by p4inkill3r View Post

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK NEMESIS 70.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($101.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1246.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-08 15:01 EST-0500
Nice, but would a R9 280 do the job? I mean would a R9 290 put the bottle neck on the CPU? Real question btw...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Depauville Kid View Post

You can get copies of Windows for $15/$20 on the Reddit software swap. Everyone says use s5ean, but he never responded to me. Laynesmalley is who I use. Fast and easy.

Edit: I removed the link, not sure if I was allowed to post. If you Google reddit Microsoft Swap, you can find it.

I would also use air cooling if your cousin isn't very tech saavy. I know AIO are kind of set it and forget it, but he may not know what to look for if his pump starts to fail or something like that. I would go with the Noctua NH-D14. You can usually find that for around $75 and it probably performs every bit as good as the Corsair H80 and will be much quieter... I've used both.

I would also pass on the AF120 fans unless you've used them and have had a good experience. I have a pile of them, all Quiet Editions and they are not nearly as quiet as I expected.. see my sig rig photos. Sometimes they buzz. I would get a couple of Noctua NF-?12's. There are different models on Amazon, some are $15.99, $17.99, and some are more of course. You should be able to find a pair for not much more than the Corsair fans. I know people are polarized when it comes to Noctua's... over priced... etc. But, they're always decent and always quiet. They don't have to be the best, they just have to be good and that's what they are.

Lastly, pass on that Corsair CX600. You can find a better unit for around the same price. Look for an Antec Classic, Seasonic G series, or an EVGA B2 or G2 unit. I saw some on PC Partpicker for $60-ish.

Other than that, looks like a really good build.
I and another here have used s5ean on reddit with great success. He responded fast, and all went well....
thumb.gif


Acer G6 Series G276HLGbd Black 27" 6ms + USD $20 off w/ promo code EMCANAP73, ends 2/9 $179.99

Dell S2240M Black 21.5" 7ms (GTG) Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor, IPS Panel + USD $30 off w/ promo code EMCANAP74, ends 2/9 $139.99

ASUS VN248H-P Slim Bezel Black 23.8" 5ms + $20 rebate card + USD $15 off w/ promo code EMCANAP68, ends 2/9 $134.99
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by mathelm View Post

Nice, but would a R9 280 do the job? I mean would a R9 290 put the bottle neck on the CPU? Real question btw...
CPU performance does not change with different GPU.

Stronger GPU just lets you run higher resolution/higher graphics settings. (though there's a slight impact on CPU single threaded performance needed if you go up with those as well. But there's no better CPU for single threaded workloads anyway. Assuming you OC it a bit~)
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigTauMatt View Post

That's not a bad build at all! I would suggest buying a full retail OS though, and stepping down to the 212 evo cooler. Take the savings and put it towards a better quality power supply (look at the XFX psu line for bang/buck).

Any thoughts on a KBM? Those, and the monitor are the most important components in a daily use machine, IMHO.
Yes I just shows a random PSU tbh lol
I should have done more research and did have Shilka in mind, when choosing it (I know he is lining up the machete as we speak haha)
biggrin.gif
- good to know he replied - I shall follow his lead on this one.
(PS XFX was on my list too actually, just didn't include it here!)

+rep!
Quote:
Originally Posted by shilka View Post

That PSU is cheap for a reason its not all that great, replace it with a Rosewill Capstone or the XFX TS 550 watts instead.
Why you should not buy a Corsair CX

Also drop the Corsair H80i its not all that good and you can find air coolers that are cheaper much better and way more reliable.
Looks like I forgot the Noctua cooler - I'll go for air cooling.
As for the PSU - legend, I'll go for one of those instead! (leaning towards the XFX)
+rep
Quote:
Originally Posted by p4inkill3r View Post

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK NEMESIS 70.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($101.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1246.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-08 15:01 EST-0500
Interesting choices, but not ones I would choose myself tbh.
The acer monitor is meh
The 750w is over the top
The powercolor is beaten by the MSI
The WD blue is slow in comparison to the baracuda
The Crucial is known to be slow at higher read/write speeds
The ripjaw is exactly the same as the corsair and/or kingston hyperX beast
The CPU cooler I've never heard of, the ASRock...well it's asrock
Then the i5 is the only thing I like lol.

Thanks for sharing anyway +rep
Quote:
Originally Posted by Depauville Kid View Post

You can get copies of Windows for $15/$20 on the Reddit software swap. Everyone says use s5ean, but he never responded to me. Laynesmalley is who I use. Fast and easy.

Edit: I removed the link, not sure if I was allowed to post. If you Google reddit Microsoft Swap, you can find it.

I would also use air cooling if your cousin isn't very tech saavy. I know AIO are kind of set it and forget it, but he may not know what to look for if his pump starts to fail or something like that. I would go with the Noctua NH-D14. You can usually find that for around $75 and it probably performs every bit as good as the Corsair H80 and will be much quieter... I've used both.

I would also pass on the AF120 fans unless you've used them and have had a good experience. I have a pile of them, all Quiet Editions and they are not nearly as quiet as I expected.. see my sig rig photos. Sometimes they buzz. I would get a couple of Noctua NF-?12's. There are different models on Amazon, some are $15.99, $17.99, and some are more of course. You should be able to find a pair for not much more than the Corsair fans. I know people are polarized when it comes to Noctua's... over priced... etc. But, they're always decent and always quiet. They don't have to be the best, they just have to be good and that's what they are.

Lastly, pass on that Corsair CX600. You can find a better unit for around the same price. Look for an Antec Classic, Seasonic G series, or an EVGA B2 or G2 unit. I saw some on PC Partpicker for $60-ish.

Other than that, looks like a really good build.
Yes excellent suggestion on the Noctua - I'll go for that, good call on the AIO - he knows a bit about PCs, but I can see what you mean. His not like me to rip it open etc
biggrin.gif

And yes I do - I in fact have AF140s and SP120s in my build - they're pretty quiet to me
smile.gif
!
Thus why I chose them, but thanks for the suggestion, I'll do some research on it and see what comes about!

Yes seems like it's a known thing now - No idea why I didn't think of that when choosing the CX600 - As said to the others, I'll replace it
smile.gif


As for the OS - got it - I'll look into it. He has win8.1 right now and his OK with it - but tbh I think win7 is just so much better and without all the MS beauty business lol.

+rep!
Quote:
Well the R280 would be absolutely fine - but for that little extra, the 290 gives my cousin that extra future proofing. If anything prices drop he could even Xfire it.
I also want him to have 4GB VRAM as his going to be playing hardline and potentially other demanding AAA titles that will require VRAM usage.
That said he has been playing CS mainly and the 290 is completely overkill for that.

I like that Dell monitor you sent - although he won't care as much for colours as I do -I can't go TN ever again, for him having a faster response time would be better and for him to know that his playing on the best ish possible monitor for a reasonable price.
I wanted to go PLS/IPS for him...then thought - instead of colours he would care about performance - last thing I want is him having input lag on CS.
Thus, I'll stick with TN for my cousin - for me it wouldn't be anything other than PLS/IPS - so I know where you're coming from
smile.gif


+rep
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tivan View Post

CPU performance does not change with different GPU.

Stronger GPU just lets you run higher resolution/higher graphics settings. (though there's a slight impact on CPU single threaded performance needed if you go up with those as well. But there's no better CPU for single threaded workloads anyway. Assuming you OC it a bit~)
CPU does - CPU can bottleneck a performance of the GPU (ie via hyper threading in some games)
At the rate that my cousin wants it for an i5 would be sufficient and the GPU would be just there to do all that's possible.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Totally Dubbed View Post

CPU does - CPU can bottleneck a performance of the GPU (ie via hyper threading in some games)
At the rate that my cousin wants it for an i5 would be sufficient and the GPU would be just there to do all that's possible.
Yeah some games might have weird issues with HT on. But that's not really a bottleneck in the classic sense.~ (and there's these Mantle/DX12 games that would benefit from HT a bit, possibly. Or if a game excessively offloads things to CPU for some reason. But that's not based on what GPU you're running.)

There's no reason to go for a weaker GPU either way, as the same CPU will deliver the same or higher FPS at the same settings with a stronger GPU, compared to with a weaker GPU.

edit: More clear wording.~
edit: Also personally, I'd recommend 120hz/144hz monitor~
edit: If cost is an issue, going down with the GPU isn't a bad idea if it's just for CS:GO, to be honest. But 290 is quite a bit better, hmm. (yet it's certainly overkill for CS:GO)

edit:
Quote:
The Crucial is known to be slow at higher read/write speeds
what does this mean, my BX100 is definitely not slower than my old EVO840 at reading. (I'll also stay paranoid about samsung TLC drives till they fix the old data read speed bug on all their drives.)
 
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#11 ·
Build off teh earlier one with some changes

EVO - SSD

Barracuda 1TB, its the cheapest drive right now for 1TB

Noctua Cooler

XFX 290 - i have 2 XFX cards that have been running for 4 years so i like them but that can be changed

Added the wifi adapter and a dvd drive as part of original list

Antec HCG PSU - little more pricey but its semi modular and Antec makes great power supplies

Monitor - 144Hz monitor, slightly more pricey (20 i think) then the one you originally said but might as well get the higher refresh rate for that little

Question would be do you need to get a mouse/keyboard for him as well (does he use the existing laptop keyboard or have a seperate set already)

Other thing would be a good headset/audio card, depends on if you want to put money towards that or not

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VYxbxr
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VYxbxr/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($43.79 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($224.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1232.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-08 20:09 EST-0500
 
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#12 ·
Quote:
Interesting choices, but not ones I would choose myself tbh.
The acer monitor is meh
The 750w is over the top
The powercolor is beaten by the MSI
The WD blue is slow in comparison to the baracuda
The Crucial is known to be slow at higher read/write speeds
The ripjaw is exactly the same as the corsair and/or kingston hyperX beast
The CPU cooler I've never heard of, the ASRock...well it's asrock
Then the i5 is the only thing I like lol.
The monitor is actually pretty good. IPS, 23'', priced very fairly. It is a great choice for a midrange gaming build.
750w will allow you to add another 290 down the road if you feel the need, and the Powercolor has the best cooling solution for 290s.
HDD I won't comment on, as the Caviar Blue is a proven design as is the MX100.
RAM is RAM, but the G.Skill is ~$15 cheaper.
The cooler is on par with the D14 but for much less and the ASRock mobo is a fantastic value.
 
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#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by SU11YBEAR View Post

Antec HCG PSU - little more pricey but its semi modular and Antec makes great power supplies
Antec themselfs does not make them.
Its a Seasonic M12II and its not known for being quiet under load.
 
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#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tivan View Post

Yeah some games might have weird issues with HT on. But that's not really a bottleneck in the classic sense.~ (and there's these Mantle/DX12 games that would benefit from HT a bit, possibly. Or if a game excessively offloads things to CPU for some reason. But that's not based on what GPU you're running.)

There's no reason to go for a weaker GPU either way, as the same CPU will deliver the same or higher FPS at the same settings with a stronger GPU, compared to with a weaker GPU.

edit: More clear wording.~
edit: Also personally, I'd recommend 120hz/144hz monitor~
edit: If cost is an issue, going down with the GPU isn't a bad idea if it's just for CS:GO, to be honest. But 290 is quite a bit better, hmm. (yet it's certainly overkill for CS:GO)

edit:
what does this mean, my BX100 is definitely not slower than my old EVO840 at reading. (I'll also stay paranoid about samsung TLC drives till they fix the old data read speed bug on all their drives.)
I've heard quite a bit of mixed feelings about the crucials that's why - and their speeds don't seem to be consistent (this is all from previous reading on the subject).

GPU wise - yes indeed, but there's no other 4GB card out there, that's cheaper. Currently the 290s are at a really low price, can't go wrong with it - cooling will be fine too via the twin frozr V design from MSI too
smile.gif


Monitor wise - 120hz/144hz is a good shout - I'll look into 120hz (144 seems to be a bit more pricey usually).
Problem is - I've reviewed a few 144hz monitors...and all of them being TN and their colours ALL sucked, so hard. 60hz on the other hand TNs have been much better (still nowhere near IPS/PLS)

+rep
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by SU11YBEAR View Post

Build off teh earlier one with some changes

EVO - SSD
Barracuda 1TB, its the cheapest drive right now for 1TB
Noctua Cooler
XFX 290 - i have 2 XFX cards that have been running for 4 years so i like them but that can be changed
Added the wifi adapter and a dvd drive as part of original list
Antec HCG PSU - little more pricey but its semi modular and Antec makes great power supplies
Monitor - 144Hz monitor, slightly more pricey (20 i think) then the one you originally said but might as well get the higher refresh rate for that little

Question would be do you need to get a mouse/keyboard for him as well (does he use the existing laptop keyboard or have a seperate set already)
Other thing would be a good headset/audio card, depends on if you want to put money towards that or not

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VYxbxr

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VYxbxr/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.89 @ OutletPC)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Micro Center)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($43.79 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.00 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.75 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($224.99 @ NCIX US)

Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Total: $1232.33

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-08 20:09 EST-0500
Very nice, will stick with XFX PSU or the other as suggested by shilka.
In terms of the GPU - XFX don't do VRM cooling (I have a Xfire 290X from them for review) - it runs pretty hot, hotter than an MSI would. So I'll stick with MSI in that respect.
ASROCK - just not a fan of the brand....nor of Asus (asrock derived from asus) - so I'm tempted, but would prefer to go with gigabyte or MSI for mobos.
KB+M - good call, but yes he already has them - he uses thme when gaming on the laptop lol.
I gave him an anker 8200dpi mouse (one that I use) - best all-round mouse I've ever come across.
And his got a basic perixx PX1800.

I'm going to try and get amazonUSA referral links sorted that down the line I can save up some cash on amazonUSA and via gift buy him a mech keyboard
biggrin.gif

If all goes to plan - it won't even take me 2 months to get him one.

Out of interest, why the corsair case?
Oh and liking that monitor u sent - I'll check it out in more detail later

+rep!
Quote:
Originally Posted by p4inkill3r View Post

The monitor is actually pretty good. IPS, 23'', priced very fairly. It is a great choice for a midrange gaming build.
750w will allow you to add another 290 down the road if you feel the need, and the Powercolor has the best cooling solution for 290s.
HDD I won't comment on, as the Caviar Blue is a proven design as is the MX100.
RAM is RAM, but the G.Skill is ~$15 cheaper.
The cooler is on par with the D14 but for much less and the ASRock mobo is a fantastic value.
Very fair statements - dully noted
smile.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by shilka View Post

Antec themselfs does not make them.
Its a Seasonic M12II and its not known for being quiet under load.
yet again, thanks for the input +rep!
 
#16 ·
I had left the case that was done in the original pcpartpicker, generally when I do these builds I try and find a reasonable priced case and then tell the person to choose a case, most of the time any case will work its just a matter of the aesthetic choices the person who's build it is prefers

For an MSI Z97 I would probably go with this board, has the normal features and just looks cool, it is a little cheaper but if you go with it you may want to do some color scheme matching so that extra budget can help with getting things to match up
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97sslikraitedition

Gigabyte has a pretty broad selection of boards so just grabbing two within the price range (matx and atx)
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97mxgaming5 - matx in case you want to go with smaller case
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5 - fullzise of the same board
 
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#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Totally Dubbed View Post

Monitor wise - 120hz/144hz is a good shout - I'll look into 120hz (144 seems to be a bit more pricey usually).
Problem is - I've reviewed a few 144hz monitors...and all of them being TN and their colours ALL sucked, so hard. 60hz on the other hand TNs have been much better (still nowhere near IPS/PLS)
I might assume that all the BenQ 24" 120/144hz look washed out on default settings, using an icc profile would help there (might have to run the windows color calibration once to enable). Or like with my monitor, raising contrast to 80 and lowering individual color channels to 60-75~ works as well. (needed to lower color channels to not break the bright colors.)

Not sure why they ship with such poor calibration but mine definitely did look extremely washed out out of the box, compared to my eIPS. After doing the contrast trick it's great, though. (Though different panels might act differently, I heard the benq 27" works completely differently with contrast, and might look better out of the box, but I don't know.)

Also my BX 100 maintains average 525MB/s read speed when reading all files on the disk with SSDReadSpeedTester2.04, or doing a raw sequential read with HD Tune. I Can't really ask for more over Sata 3 ~

edit: I had some issue with it though, in so far that in bios, I had to either put C States on Auto or disabled, not manual,unless I set 'C state package limit' (or something) to 'No limit'(not Auto), in the manual settings. Of course C States as a whole are on Auto by default and this might just be a thing with my board, but yeah. (I was messing with C states to reduce coil whine of my board when scrolling~)
With 'C state package limit'='Auto', it would reproducibly blue screen when opening google chrome for some reason. Didn't do that with the Evo. Awkward.
 
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#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by SU11YBEAR View Post

I had left the case that was done in the original pcpartpicker, generally when I do these builds I try and find a reasonable priced case and then tell the person to choose a case, most of the time any case will work its just a matter of the aesthetic choices the person who's build it is prefers

For an MSI Z97 I would probably go with this board, has the normal features and just looks cool, it is a little cheaper but if you go with it you may want to do some color scheme matching so that extra budget can help with getting things to match up
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97sslikraitedition

Gigabyte has a pretty broad selection of boards so just grabbing two within the price range (matx and atx)
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97mxgaming5 - matx in case you want to go with smaller case
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5 - fullzise of the same board
Yeah Gigabyte is where I'm leaning towards tbh - they looks solid!
I got a gigabyte board on mum's PC and it's perfect.

+rep for suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tivan View Post

I might assume that all the BenQ 24" 120/144hz look washed out on default settings, using an icc profile would help there (might have to run the windows color calibration once to enable). Or like with my monitor, raising contrast to 80 and lowering individual color channels to 60-75~ works as well. (needed to lower color channels to not break the bright colors.)

Not sure why they ship with such poor calibration but mine definitely did look extremely washed out out of the box, compared to my eIPS. After doing the contrast trick it's great, though. (Though different panels might act differently, I heard the benq 27" works completely differently with contrast, and might look better out of the box, but I don't know.)

Also my BX 100 maintains average 525MB/s read speed when reading all files on the disk with SSDReadSpeedTester2.04, or doing a raw sequential read with HD Tune. I Can't really ask for more over Sata 3 ~

edit: I had some issue with it though, in so far that in bios, I had to either put C States on Auto or disabled, not manual,unless I set 'C state package limit' (or something) to 'No limit'(not Auto), in the manual settings. Of course C States as a whole are on Auto by default and this might just be a thing with my board, but yeah. (I was messing with C states to reduce coil whine of my board when scrolling~)
With 'C state package limit'='Auto', it would reproducibly blue screen when opening google chrome for some reason. Didn't do that with the Evo. Awkward.
hmm interesting - thanks for sharing!
As for the TNs...well yeah they're pretty horrid, even after calibration, put next to a budget IPS they look horrible lol.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dt_Freak1 View Post

OP, if your cousin lives near a microcenter it would be worth going to them for the chip and motherboard. you can get that i5 and an msi z97 gaming 5 motherboard out the door for $33x.xx
Hmm that's a good shout - heard of them in the past from US members on OCN - He lives in Glendale California. So, I'll check online
smile.gif

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#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigTauMatt View Post

That's not bad! May want to look at the graphics card clearance in that case though. All the 290 cards are kinda long.
What you mean? 290s lower than that price?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alkanlover1813 View Post

I am considering a similar system, it seems to me the ASRock Extreme 4 motherboard is cheaper at MicroCenter $119 w rebate and better value; see link at http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2318647/msi-intel-z97m-gaming-motherboard-asrock-z97-extreme4.html
Thanks for sharing, but not too keen on asrock nor asus
 
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