Hello! I know you all must get millions of these threads but I want to make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck with the new system I am building. I'm going to start this thread by filling out a quick reference I found on another forum...
Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next week or two.
Budget Range: $1000 - $1500 after shipping and I prefer not to tie my money up in rebates.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video games (RenegadeX on ultra settings, MineCraft with SEUS shaders installed, Red Alert 3 on ultra settings, Battlefield 4, Borderlands 3), YouTube / Netflix / Hulu, School work (I'm attending school online while I work full time), and Fiddling around with things like Blender / GIMP / minor coding and website design (I'm trying to learn).
Are you buying a monitor: No - I'm using a 23" 1080p TV as a monitor.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes - I was thinking about Windows 8.1
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: http://newegg.com and http://microcenter.com
Location: Northern Kentucky (just South of Cincinnati, Ohio).
Overclocking: Yes I plan to overclock my CPU (hopefully to around 4.5Ghz and possibly my GPU if I am able.
SLI or Crossfire: No. I don't think I'll go quite this extreme but it would be nice to have the option if I decide to in the future.
Your Monitor Resolution: Currently I'm using a 23" 1080p TV on my desk as a monitor but I'm not sure if this is the best option. If you know of a great monitor to get, let me know!
Additional Comments: I would like a decently high performance machine that can run most games with higher graphics settings. I would also like one which has a side window that would allow me to see all the parts on the inside and one which runs fairly quiet. Cooling is a big focus for me too and I wouldn't mind tips and tricks on cutting down on power consumption. If you think the power supply I picked is way too much, let me know.
The reason I am building a new computer is that my laptop now isn't quite cutting it. I have an HP 17" full HD laptop with an i7 quad core processor, 8Gb 1600 memory, and nvidia GT 650m graphics with 2Gb video memory. Most of the things I do on my laptop, it can handle with ease, but when I try to play games, I cannot bump the graphics up very high or I get very low FPS and the lag begins to annoy me. Right now my laptop just sits in one spot on my desk and I never move it anyway, so now I'm planning to build a more powerful desktop computer and sell my laptop. On my laptop, when I play MineCraft with SEUS shaders installed (with the stock texture pack) I am only getting 10FPS at most. Also, my laptop gets really hot even with the cooling fans I have under it which cuts into the FPS even a little more. From all the benchmarks I've been researching, the i7 in my laptop doesn't even compare to the higher end i3 desktop processors and is just blown away by the i5 desktop processors. Had I know this I probably would have gone with a desktop right in the beginning.
So, here are the parts I have picked out, please let me know what you think. Any feedback, opinions, or comments are much appreciated! If you see something you think I could do better, please let me know!
-Computer Case-
Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$120
I picked this case because I really like the sleek design and didn't want something that looked bulky or drew too much attention to itself. I also liked the amount of effort the manufacturer put into trying to make the case quiet while also feature rich.
-Motherboard-
ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z97
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$215
I picked this motherboard because I have always heard that ASUS makes some high quality motherboards that keep their value longer. I've also read in a few places that the Z97 chipset will be easier to overclock on.
-Processor-
Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell Quad-Core 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$340
I picked this processor because of the hyper threading it has. I chose this to try to future proof my build and I have also heard that some games (like Battlefield 4) are actually starting to utilize 8 cores / virtual cores.
-Memory-
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$90
This RAM has excellent reviews, is Cas Latency 9, and runs at 1.5v - which is why I chose it (and I liked the design)
-Graphics Card-
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2765-KR GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support w/ EVGA ACX Cooler Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$260
I was researching and looking at all the benchmarks on anandtech.com and this graphics card seemed to have the most bang for the buck. Also, I have always had really good luck with EVGA in the past. However, with so many options in graphics cards out there, I would like your suggestion on this matter...
-Power Supply-
CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$130
I picked this because corsair is a good brand and 750 (to me) seemed like a good amount. Honestly, I am not 100% sure if I will need all that.
-Extra Case Fans- X2
Fractal Design Silent Series R2 FD-FAN-SSR2-140 140mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$30
Just to make sure everything stays cool, if you don't think I'll need them, let me know.
-CPU Cooler-
Cooler Master GeminII M4 - CPU Cooler with 4 Direct Contact Heatpipes
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$40
Like i mentioned above, I am planning to overclock my CPU to around 4.5Ghz if I am able to. So I assume the stock CPU cooler won't be sufficient then. I picked this cooler because it is better than stock without being massive and I can see the fan spinning through the case window which might be neat. Though, as always, I am open to suggestions.
-Wireless Adapter-
ASUS PCE-N15 Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express 300/300Mbps Transfer/Receive Rate 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$30
I picked this one because it had good reviews (as does everything I've picked) and again I have heard that ASUS makes some quality parts.
Total Cost = About $1,320
So? What do you all think?
Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next week or two.
Budget Range: $1000 - $1500 after shipping and I prefer not to tie my money up in rebates.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video games (RenegadeX on ultra settings, MineCraft with SEUS shaders installed, Red Alert 3 on ultra settings, Battlefield 4, Borderlands 3), YouTube / Netflix / Hulu, School work (I'm attending school online while I work full time), and Fiddling around with things like Blender / GIMP / minor coding and website design (I'm trying to learn).
Are you buying a monitor: No - I'm using a 23" 1080p TV as a monitor.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes - I was thinking about Windows 8.1
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: http://newegg.com and http://microcenter.com
Location: Northern Kentucky (just South of Cincinnati, Ohio).
Overclocking: Yes I plan to overclock my CPU (hopefully to around 4.5Ghz and possibly my GPU if I am able.
SLI or Crossfire: No. I don't think I'll go quite this extreme but it would be nice to have the option if I decide to in the future.
Your Monitor Resolution: Currently I'm using a 23" 1080p TV on my desk as a monitor but I'm not sure if this is the best option. If you know of a great monitor to get, let me know!
Additional Comments: I would like a decently high performance machine that can run most games with higher graphics settings. I would also like one which has a side window that would allow me to see all the parts on the inside and one which runs fairly quiet. Cooling is a big focus for me too and I wouldn't mind tips and tricks on cutting down on power consumption. If you think the power supply I picked is way too much, let me know.
The reason I am building a new computer is that my laptop now isn't quite cutting it. I have an HP 17" full HD laptop with an i7 quad core processor, 8Gb 1600 memory, and nvidia GT 650m graphics with 2Gb video memory. Most of the things I do on my laptop, it can handle with ease, but when I try to play games, I cannot bump the graphics up very high or I get very low FPS and the lag begins to annoy me. Right now my laptop just sits in one spot on my desk and I never move it anyway, so now I'm planning to build a more powerful desktop computer and sell my laptop. On my laptop, when I play MineCraft with SEUS shaders installed (with the stock texture pack) I am only getting 10FPS at most. Also, my laptop gets really hot even with the cooling fans I have under it which cuts into the FPS even a little more. From all the benchmarks I've been researching, the i7 in my laptop doesn't even compare to the higher end i3 desktop processors and is just blown away by the i5 desktop processors. Had I know this I probably would have gone with a desktop right in the beginning.
So, here are the parts I have picked out, please let me know what you think. Any feedback, opinions, or comments are much appreciated! If you see something you think I could do better, please let me know!
-Computer Case-
Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$120
I picked this case because I really like the sleek design and didn't want something that looked bulky or drew too much attention to itself. I also liked the amount of effort the manufacturer put into trying to make the case quiet while also feature rich.
-Motherboard-
ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z97
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$215
I picked this motherboard because I have always heard that ASUS makes some high quality motherboards that keep their value longer. I've also read in a few places that the Z97 chipset will be easier to overclock on.
-Processor-
Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell Quad-Core 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$340
I picked this processor because of the hyper threading it has. I chose this to try to future proof my build and I have also heard that some games (like Battlefield 4) are actually starting to utilize 8 cores / virtual cores.
-Memory-
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$90
This RAM has excellent reviews, is Cas Latency 9, and runs at 1.5v - which is why I chose it (and I liked the design)
-Graphics Card-
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2765-KR GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support w/ EVGA ACX Cooler Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$260
I was researching and looking at all the benchmarks on anandtech.com and this graphics card seemed to have the most bang for the buck. Also, I have always had really good luck with EVGA in the past. However, with so many options in graphics cards out there, I would like your suggestion on this matter...
-Power Supply-
CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$130
I picked this because corsair is a good brand and 750 (to me) seemed like a good amount. Honestly, I am not 100% sure if I will need all that.
-Extra Case Fans- X2
Fractal Design Silent Series R2 FD-FAN-SSR2-140 140mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$30
Just to make sure everything stays cool, if you don't think I'll need them, let me know.
-CPU Cooler-
Cooler Master GeminII M4 - CPU Cooler with 4 Direct Contact Heatpipes
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$40
Like i mentioned above, I am planning to overclock my CPU to around 4.5Ghz if I am able to. So I assume the stock CPU cooler won't be sufficient then. I picked this cooler because it is better than stock without being massive and I can see the fan spinning through the case window which might be neat. Though, as always, I am open to suggestions.
-Wireless Adapter-
ASUS PCE-N15 Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express 300/300Mbps Transfer/Receive Rate 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
>$30
I picked this one because it had good reviews (as does everything I've picked) and again I have heard that ASUS makes some quality parts.
Total Cost = About $1,320
So? What do you all think?
