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Started By
Message
Help me with my desktop build
Posted on 6/15/15 at 5:52 pm
Posted on 6/15/15 at 5:52 pm
Last year I asked for help building a PC and the GB did not fail me. (bluebarracuda LSUtoo) Unfortunately I ended up buying a laptop because I needed a new one for school. Well I'm back again and this time it's for real.
Budget:$800-$900, lil mo', lil less is ok
Want I would like out of it:
It will basically be used for gaming, and video viewing
2 HDMI outs (3 would be even better, but not a deal breaker)
SSD big enough for the OS and a few programs is good enough, the mechanical hard drive can handle the rest.
A total of at least 1TB between the two.
What I don't need:
OS
Any peripherals
Optical Drive (but space for one)
I could care less what the case looks like as long as it works
Thanks again for the advice
Budget:$800-$900, lil mo', lil less is ok
Want I would like out of it:
It will basically be used for gaming, and video viewing
2 HDMI outs (3 would be even better, but not a deal breaker)
SSD big enough for the OS and a few programs is good enough, the mechanical hard drive can handle the rest.
A total of at least 1TB between the two.
What I don't need:
OS
Any peripherals
Optical Drive (but space for one)
I could care less what the case looks like as long as it works
Thanks again for the advice
2
Posted on 6/15/15 at 6:20 pm to Jackie Chan
quote:
2 HDMI outs (3 would be even better, but not a deal breaker)
One on the card, one on the board using iGPU. If you want more, get a DVI/HDMI adapter.
PCPartPicker part list: LINK
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX200 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($100.24 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $885.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 19:19 EDT-0400
Posted on 6/15/15 at 6:33 pm to ILikeLSUToo
Thanks so much.
Just for info's sake, what would be the potential benefits of an i7 processor vs the i5 and would it be worth paying a little more for?
Same for a slightly upgraded video card. (not that there is anything wrong with the one you picked)
Just curious as to how much more money it would cost for a little more.
Just for info's sake, what would be the potential benefits of an i7 processor vs the i5 and would it be worth paying a little more for?
Same for a slightly upgraded video card. (not that there is anything wrong with the one you picked)
Just curious as to how much more money it would cost for a little more.
Posted on 6/15/15 at 7:15 pm to Jackie Chan
i7 wouldn't be worth it for gaming. Only if you're going to be doing a lot of video editing, photoshop, 3d model rendering (and you're still looking at only a small bump in performance there, since those programs are reliant on single-threaded performance in a lot of tasks). Upgrading GPU is always better. CPU should not be the priority.
However, your options for a better GPU are:
- NVIDIA GTX 970: About even with the 290x, but often just a tad weaker, sometimes a little stronger. Costs 15-20% more ($315+). Benefits would be a little less power consumption, and NVIDIA-specific features that may or may not matter to you.
- NVIDIA GTX 980: 10-20% faster than the 290X, depending on resolution (more of a disparity at 1080P, less so at 4K). Costs 85% more ($500+).
- It just goes up from there, with the 980 Ti costing $650 and the Titan X at $1,000.
- You could wait for the release of the 390X and 390, which are overclocked rebrands of the 290x and 290 respectively, with 8GB vram instead of 4GB. If you're playing at 1440P and below with a single card, the extra vram should be of no importance to you. Early benchmarks show that the 390X will be about 10% faster than the 290X and cost $389.
- You could go crossfire/SLI and get a pair of 290s, which would be about 50-70% faster than a single 290x, depending on the game's support, scaling, and the resolution. It will cost $470 for the pair of cards (less if you buy used on ebay), plus $30 for an upgraded motherboard, plus a few bucks for upgraded PSU. SLI 970s would be $630+, as well as the other costs I cited. If you did go the crossfire route, a pair of the upcoming R9-390s would be your best bet for a good 4K setup or a top-notch 1440P setup.
Bottom line: Unless you're willing to spend a lot more (a couple hundred at least) for a small bump in performance, stay with the 290X. There's nothing inherently wrong with paying premiums for top of the line and being OK that you're not getting the best bang for buck (I do it often, as do others here), but generally when someone asks about a build around $1,000, they aren't going to be able to increase their budgets to a point where they'd see a remarkable performance increase.
However, your options for a better GPU are:
- NVIDIA GTX 970: About even with the 290x, but often just a tad weaker, sometimes a little stronger. Costs 15-20% more ($315+). Benefits would be a little less power consumption, and NVIDIA-specific features that may or may not matter to you.
- NVIDIA GTX 980: 10-20% faster than the 290X, depending on resolution (more of a disparity at 1080P, less so at 4K). Costs 85% more ($500+).
- It just goes up from there, with the 980 Ti costing $650 and the Titan X at $1,000.
- You could wait for the release of the 390X and 390, which are overclocked rebrands of the 290x and 290 respectively, with 8GB vram instead of 4GB. If you're playing at 1440P and below with a single card, the extra vram should be of no importance to you. Early benchmarks show that the 390X will be about 10% faster than the 290X and cost $389.
- You could go crossfire/SLI and get a pair of 290s, which would be about 50-70% faster than a single 290x, depending on the game's support, scaling, and the resolution. It will cost $470 for the pair of cards (less if you buy used on ebay), plus $30 for an upgraded motherboard, plus a few bucks for upgraded PSU. SLI 970s would be $630+, as well as the other costs I cited. If you did go the crossfire route, a pair of the upcoming R9-390s would be your best bet for a good 4K setup or a top-notch 1440P setup.
Bottom line: Unless you're willing to spend a lot more (a couple hundred at least) for a small bump in performance, stay with the 290X. There's nothing inherently wrong with paying premiums for top of the line and being OK that you're not getting the best bang for buck (I do it often, as do others here), but generally when someone asks about a build around $1,000, they aren't going to be able to increase their budgets to a point where they'd see a remarkable performance increase.
This post was edited on 6/15/15 at 7:17 pm
Posted on 6/15/15 at 7:29 pm to ILikeLSUToo
Thanks
Yeah I'd be willing to pay a couple 100 more, but since I'd need to spend a good bit more to see any difference I'll stick with your original selections.
One last thing I forgot. Can you recommend a decent Soundcard with 5.1? It's something I'll be adding on eventually.
Yeah I'd be willing to pay a couple 100 more, but since I'd need to spend a good bit more to see any difference I'll stick with your original selections.
One last thing I forgot. Can you recommend a decent Soundcard with 5.1? It's something I'll be adding on eventually.
Posted on 6/16/15 at 10:51 pm to Jackie Chan
Well you could go for a 120gb ssd save that 50 and get 2 290x which would give you significantly better performance assuming that mono is crossfire ready. What Ye think?
Posted on 6/17/15 at 12:34 am to DREADS r SICK
He would have to change his motherboard and power supply to accommodate that. He'd realistically only shave another $40 off by halving the SSD space (unless you go bargain bin asynch models). And then he'd have to turn around and spend another $300+ for a crossfire setup. And with that kind of GPU power, you'd benefit best at higher resolutions. If this is just intended to be a 1080p setup, a better monitor would be an added expense.
This post was edited on 6/17/15 at 12:47 am
Posted on 6/17/15 at 12:45 am to Jackie Chan
quote:
Can you recommend a decent Soundcard with 5.1? It's something I'll be adding on eventually.
Sorry I missed this yesterday. It depends on what you're intending to use the sound card for. Most likely, your onboard sound is going to be fine, and a sound card will be of no discernible or worthwhile benefit. Consider the quality of your speakers/headphones first. If you're considering one to use as a headphone amplifier, I suggest you get a DAC/AMP combo instead.
Posted on 6/17/15 at 1:06 am to DREADS r SICK
Yeah, I'm looking into maybe doing that.
When choosing a mobo, does it need the full 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16?
or is the dual x8 ok?
When choosing a mobo, does it need the full 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16?
or is the dual x8 ok?
Posted on 6/17/15 at 1:20 am to ILikeLSUToo
I just would like the option to run to a 5.1 surround speaker setup. I wasn't sure if I would need to have analog outs to do this.
I have 5.1 surround headphones, but they came with software to use digital surround.
I have 5.1 surround headphones, but they came with software to use digital surround.
Posted on 6/17/15 at 1:29 am to Jackie Chan
The best you'll do is dual X8 on Z97 boards, and Z97 is the only chipset on socket 1150 that supports crossfire/SLI. Just be sure you have two 3.0 slots x8/x8, rather than one 3.0 slot and a 2.0 slot (you'll find those on the cheaper Z97 boards). While the latter will technically run Crossfire, it's not ideal.
Just grab an ASUS Z97-E. LINK
Going 1440P or 4K, right? This extra card will be a waste of money if you don't.
Just grab an ASUS Z97-E. LINK
Going 1440P or 4K, right? This extra card will be a waste of money if you don't.
Posted on 6/17/15 at 1:42 am to ILikeLSUToo
Understood. I have 2 monitors but they are just 1080. I'll just stick to your original build and wait to go bigger for the next PC.
Posted on 6/17/15 at 8:39 am to Jackie Chan
I wouldn't use the 230t case. I have it and would use something else given the choice. I did a build for my son with the NZXT S340. Much better cable management and cleaner look. Doesn't have an optical bay but miles above the Corsair case to me.
Filter access on the Corsair sucks balls too BTW.
Filter access on the Corsair sucks balls too BTW.
Posted on 6/17/15 at 1:33 pm to rompus
I like the 230T, but it doesn't matter. The S340 looks great, too, and the outside even suits my personal taste a lot more. But OP requested an optical bay, so it might be deal-breaker. When I configure builds for people, the case I choose is a placeholder for the price range, size standard, and features that should be considered.
This post was edited on 6/17/15 at 1:35 pm
Posted on 6/17/15 at 7:11 pm to ILikeLSUToo
Yea it was late when I was reading and posted. But your 100%.
Posted on 6/22/15 at 2:29 pm to DREADS r SICK
i-5 4590 for $190
i-5 4690k for $220
worthwhile for only about $30 to get the unlocked cpu?
i-5 4690k for $220
worthwhile for only about $30 to get the unlocked cpu?
Posted on 6/22/15 at 2:45 pm to Taffeta
Depends on your motherboard and cooling situation.
Posted on 6/22/15 at 2:50 pm to Taffeta
quote:
worthwhile for only about $30 to get the unlocked cpu?
Only if you want to overclock and have the cooling to do so.
Posted on 6/22/15 at 3:29 pm to SG_Geaux
I was just suggesting for this build it may be worthwhile to spend ~$50 more (cpu and z97 mobo) and have an overclockable option.
The hyper 212 cooler would be sufficient I believe.
The hyper 212 cooler would be sufficient I believe.
This post was edited on 6/22/15 at 3:31 pm
Posted on 6/22/15 at 4:05 pm to Taffeta
I suppose, but I configured within OP's budget with the appropriate prioritization.
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