New Build Suggestions

[clownshoes2 334]

Ok, here is the skinny. Just got back from the lawyers office. We sold our house and made a bit of dough. I have about 1k to spend, plus or minus 100 bucks.

I have a Cooler Master PSU ±850W, that's it. Anyone have any suggestions?

I'm also open to prebuilt computers simply for the sake of I buy it and it comes to my house and I start playing. If I buy a whole bunch of parts, I gotta find someone to put it together. Well, not so much put it together as get it running once it's all put together. Unless there is someone in the 613 that wants to make 50 bucks and beer provided to built my system.

From reading threads some of my parameters are as follows: I5 or i7 (if you can convince me xeon is good or won't be obsolete in a year I may be open to that), Z97 (I don't want to be bottlenecked on MOBO), maybe hyperthreading if the price is right, 8GB RAM.

Halp Plox!

[Sorphius 508]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 4 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($239.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer  ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $961.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-22 14:28 EDT-0400

You can drop the optical drive and SSD if you like in order to squeeze in a more powerful video card, but the 380 gives good bang for the buck in that price range.  The case is really a matter of personal preference too.  Choose anything you like that will accommodate an ATX mobo.

[Shade421 2,952]

Do you need peripherals as well, as in keyboard, mouse, monitor, headset, etc? If so, that is going to eat a TON of your budget. If you have those from a previous system, then Sorphius is on the right track with the above list. If not, then you're looking at pretty extreme downgrades from that list.

Since you already have a more than adequate PSU, and since you're on a tight budget, this is one of the few times that I would actually suggest a 290X to someone, since it can be gotten for a pretty penny cheaper than the 970 and 390 right now, is on par as far as performance with both of them, and in the future can be easily complimented with a second one (provided you have adequate case airflow) to easily power 4k, without having to upgrade your PSU. You can get the XFX DD edition for a solid $50 cheaper than the other two. So, with all that in mind, here is the changes I would make to Sorphius's list (not to say at all that his was a bad suggestion, this is just an alternative): http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KwjWsY

Just a word of caution with the 290X; if you do decide to go that route, be very careful which one you get. Stay away from the ASUS versions at all costs. I could only recommend the Sapphire Tri-X and Vapor-X, or the XFX DD editions. Any other ones and you are running a huge risk of constantly overheating the card, eventually killing it well before its time.

[DasWiking 8]

Do you need peripherals as well, as in keyboard, mouse, monitor, headset, etc? If so, that is going to eat a TON of your budget. If you have those from a previous system, then Sorphius is on the right track with the above list. If not, then you're looking at pretty extreme downgrades from that list.

Since you already have a more than adequate PSU, and since you're on a tight budget, this is one of the few times that I would actually suggest a 290X to someone, since it can be gotten for a pretty penny cheaper than the 970 and 390 right now, is on par as far as performance with both of them, and in the future can be easily complimented with a second one (provided you have adequate case airflow) to easily power 4k, without having to upgrade your PSU. You can get the XFX DD edition for a solid $50 cheaper than the other two. So, with all that in mind, here is the changes I would make to Sorphius's list (not to say at all that his was a bad suggestion, this is just an alternative): http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KwjWsY

Just a word of caution with the 290X; if you do decide to go that route, be very careful which one you get. Stay away from the ASUS versions at all costs. I could only recommend the Sapphire Tri-X and Vapor-X, or the XFX DD editions. Any other ones and you are running a huge risk of constantly overheating the card, eventually killing it well before its time.

THIS...It could not have been explained better

[Folterknecht 2,257]

If you can - wait till mid august! Intel Skylake and more importantly Z170 chipest will be released at that time, the later will probably be a significiant upgrade compared to Z97. Not in application/game performance but when it comes to expandebility and southbridge (PCH) bandwith.

 

But first answer Shades questions: keboard, mouse and monitor (model or native resolution pls) already there?

[clownshoes2 334]

I have a logitec G5 keyboard, going to use my old shitty dell 22" monitor for now and a razer headset so I basically just need the box.

Could I swap out the Radeon card with an Intel card? I don't know how comfortable I am with Radeon. I have never had one, and I don't know the performance of them. Maybe some of you could clear this up for me...does a 290X = a GTX 970?

[Folterknecht 2,257]

 old shitty dell 22" monitor

   1600x900 am I right?

Could I swap out the Radeon card with an Intel card?

you could but you dont want - trust me. Intel only offers integrated graphic (on the CPU nowdays) good enough for Minesweaper, Browser-Games and such things. Intel never produced dedicated GPUs and project Larreby was canceled a long time ago.

I don't know how comfortable I am with Radeon. I have never had one, and I don't know the performance of them. Maybe some of you could clear this up for me...does a 290X = a GTX 970?

yes 290X/390X = 970X

 

what do you plan to do with your system? Just gaming, browsing cat pics and watching porn or something more demanding like video editing and transcoding?

 

edit:

Can you wait till mid august???

 

edit2:

Do you have windows 7 or 8 licence from an old pc/laptop you can use

 

 

[Shade421 2,952]

 Maybe some of you could clear this up for me...does a 290X = a GTX 970?

Performance is pretty much the same between them. The 970 tends to do a bit better at 1080p (as in, less than 5% fps increase), but the 290x does slightly better at 1440p and 4k (for the love of god don't try to power a 4k display with one 290x). The only disadvantages of the 290x over the 970 are increased power consumption (about 90w more TDP), and more heat generated. Worth it on a budget, and since you have a PSU that can power it with ~350w+ of headroom anyway.

[Folterknecht 2,257]

went ahead and put together a part list

CPU		Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor	$242.99	-$10.00			$232.99	SuperBiiz	Buy
$10.00 off w/ promo code: TIFA71510, ends 2015-07-27
CPU Cooler		be quiet! PURE ROCK 51.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler	$26.99				$26.99	NCIX US	Buy
Thermal Compound		Arctic Cooling MX4 4g Thermal Paste	$6.99	-$1.04	FREE		$5.95	SuperBiiz	Buy
15% off (up to $1.05) w/ promo code: LILY20150721, ends 2015-07-27
Motherboard		Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard	$159.99				$159.99	NCIX US	Buy
Memory		Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory	$49.49	-$5.00	FREE		$44.49	Newegg	Buy
+ USD $5 off w/ promo code EMCAVNP39, ends 7/29
Storage		Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$97.95				$97.95	OutletPC	Buy
		Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$52.49				$52.49	OutletPC	Buy
Video Card		EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card	$329.99	-$10.00			$319.99	NCIX US	Buy
$10.00 mail-in rebate
Case		BitFenix Shinobi ATX Mid Tower Case	$72.99				$72.99	SuperBiiz	Buy
Optical Drive		Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$54.99	-$20.00	$2.99		$37.98	Newegg	Buy
$20.00 mail-in rebate
Base Total:							$1094.86
Promo Discounts:							-$16.04
Mail-in Rebates:							-$30.00
Shipping:							$2.99
Total:							$1051.81

annotations

• CPU - can be changed with an 4960K or an other i5 if you dont overclock depending on what you plan to do with your PC. That Xeon is similar to an i7 just ~70$ cheaper.
• CPU cooler - you want something that delivers solid cooling without making a ruckus under hvy load for a small price. That Pure Rock fits the bill compared to Intels horrible stock cooler (UN should ban push pins).
• GPU - total overkill for your monitors resolution pobably, but fits right at FullHD (1920x1080) or 1440p. Warrenty can be extended to 5 years for a small fee.
• Motherboard - 5 years warrenty after registration, very solid board. Usually motherboards have 2-3 years warrenty.
• Optical Drive - either you dont need one, in which case dont buy one or do it right and get yourself something similar to the one I picked - CD/DVD write + BluRay read
• Storage - solid 256GB SSD + 1TB (1 platter) HDD
• Case - Bitfenix Shinobie here are a few pics. Solid case with USB3.0 front headers and enough room for long GPUs. I have the XL version under my desk - satisfied

[clownshoes2 334]

Oh, so I found the box for my PSU. it's a Cooler Master Extreme 2 http://www.coolermaster.com/powersupply/extreme2/extreme2-725/

Ok, thanks for the great tips. Apparently, my friend is going to get another old friend to put together a build. I will run the specs by you guys and see what you think. Unless some of you live in the 613 and want to do a build for me, I kinda gotta go with this shlep. He`s put together many new builds and is competent from what I am told.

[clownshoes2 334]

So i went to Canada Computers today to price out a system.....stupid Canadian dollar being in the toilet. I stopped at 1200 dollars....This build is going to A) be expensive or B) I'm going to have to compromise big time.

 

so this is what I put together on PCPartPicker..keep in mind....stupid Canada

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/clownshoes2/saved/#view=W7Btt6

Comments on parts?

[Shade421 2,952]

Only thing I would change is the RAM. If it were me, I'd spend the extra $10 (Canadian) and get this. 2x 4GB sticks, and a higher speed. Everything else looks solid.

[clownshoes2 334]

Well ladies and gents. I think this is the one...

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/clownshoes2/saved/#view=W7Btt6

[Folterknecht 2,257]

Seriously - wait one month save an other 100-150 bucks and make "no" compromises and buy the new Skylake platform.

And wtf - 286$ for a GTX960 while you can have other 960 cards for 240$ or even get a 290 which is ~30% faster for 50$ more. I dont get.

[Shade421 2,952]

Looks good, will be pretty beast at 1080p. If you can swing it down the road, a 970 or 390X would be better, but that's only going to let you super-max-ultra settings on Witcher 3 and Crysis3 and whatnot. The 960 will perform just fine.

[clownshoes2 334]

Seriously - wait one month save an other 100-150 bucks and make "no" compromises and buy the new Skylake platform.

And wtf - 286$ for a GTX960 while you can have other 960 cards for 240$ or even get a 290 which is ~30% faster for 50$ more. I dont get.

The GTX card is a 4GB card, the one you picked is a 2GB card. I presume that's why. I don't know enough about this stuff to make a decision. If you want to recommend a different product I should use, just link it in the thread.

As for the Skylake platform...I don't know what that is/does/or how it affects me and why it would be cheaper....also it's a month away....

Looks good, will be pretty beast at 1080p. If you can swing it down the road, a 970 or 390X would be better, but that's only going to let you super-max-ultra settings on Witcher 3 and Crysis3 and whatnot. The 960 will perform just fine.

I only play WoT. Sad I know, but I'm 4 years and $2K into it...maybe WoWS, and maybe armoured warfare....

[Shade421 2,952]

.

I only play WoT. Sad I know, but I'm 4 years and $2K into it...maybe WoWS, and maybe armoured warfare....

Both of those benefit from higher end hardware much more than WoT. I play them both at 4k max settings, at a solid 60fps. WoT, I struggle to get 40, even with reduced settings.

[Folterknecht 2,257]

The GTX card is a 4GB card, the one you picked is a 2GB card. I presume that's why. I don't know enough about this stuff to make a decision. If you want to recommend a different product I should use, just link it in the thread.

The 4GB instead of 2GB on the 960 doesnt bring you noticable advantages. The card doesnt have the raw performance to use the additional VRAM. Its like putting an aerodynamic kit on a car with a top speed of 75 mph ... .

 

As for the Skylake platform...I don't know what that is/does/or how it affects me and why it would be cheaper....also it's a month away....

I didnt say its cheaper - it will probably cost roughly the same. But it will offer between 5-15% more CPU horse power at the same clockspeed depending on the application and offer better expandebility (through a better PCH/Southbridge).

I only play WoT. Sad I know, but I'm 4 years and $2K into it...maybe WoWS, and maybe armoured warfare....

cant comment on hardware scaling/performance with WoWs and AW

 

 

btw - are you interested in CPU overclocking or have knowledge in that area? If not you can save some money on the CPU.

[clownshoes2 334]

Ok, I've had to scale back my build and apparently finding someone to build your rig is harder than it seems. I found one built by Canada Computers that seems decent. And it's in my budget range. 

What do you guys think of this system?

http://m.canadacomputers.com/mobile/itemid/084625

its a house brand system with a warranty. I will check the kobo but as i said I had to scale back due to an impulse TV purchase and $860 car repair bill. Yes I know the cpu is not the k version but for $929 bucks, it's not bad.

There is a place across town with a comparable system bit it's $400 more and I feel not worth it. 

http://www.orleanscomputers.com/extreme-systems/2239-intel-quad-core-i5-4670k-6mb-34-ghz-extreme.html

 

[Folterknecht 2,257]

Ok, I've had to scale back my build and apparently finding someone to build your rig is harder than it seems.

 

I found one built by Canada Computers that seems decent. And it's in my budget range. 

What do you guys think of this system?

http://m.canadacomputers.com/mobile/itemid/084625

its a house brand system with a warranty. I will check the kobo but as i said I had to scale back due to an impulse TV purchase and $860 car repair bill. Yes I know the cpu is not the k version but for $929 bucks, it's not bad.

warrenty - 1 Year (First 15 Days Direct Replacement). Confidence in their product doesnt seem high

 

rubbish - and here is why:

• no mention of PSU, let alone PSU model - what about future upgrades?
• same goes for motherboard - if you re unlucky you get on OEM board and the BIOS of these boards are usually bad. And you cant even be sure that the mobo has standard connectors for PSUs, if you have to make a change.
• case - displayed on the picture is a Thermaltake case, but products specs dont mention any details. So you might get a totally different (black) box. Future upgrades? Like a cheap used 980 in 2-3 years from a friend - will it fit???

 

Are you from canada or the US? Makes a huge difference in prices - where do you order?

 

[clownshoes2 334]

I'm in Canada. So the build I want is like 1300 plus our 13% tax so that's almost $1500. $500 over my budget. 

And linking an obviously staged and practiced video is kinda shitty. 

i get your point but I'm not attempting a computer build on my own. I just don't have the knowledge or confidence.

[Folterknecht 2,257]

I'm in Canada. So the build I want is like 1300 plus our 13% tax so that's almost $1500. $500 over my budget. 

I looked through the prices on pcpartpicker.com for Cananda again - my advice safe up an other ~100$ so you have a budget of ~1050$. With that you can build similar to the one you linked without being forced to use low cost components and very limited upgrade options down the road.

The prices on pcpartpicker.com for cananda - isnt tax already included there?

And linking an obviously staged and practiced video is kinda shitty. 

i get your point but I'm not attempting a computer build on my own. I just don't have the knowledge or confidence.

I m building PCs since 15+ years - nowdays its really easy. Jay might have tested it before recording with his daughter, I dont know, but here is an other one. Watch the whole video at least once please.

 

They made 2 small "errors" in my book:

• not screwing down the optical and mechanical hard drive
• after srewing down the board in the case, the first thing you do is to connect the front I/O (power, reset switch and so on) in the bottom right corner of the board. Doing it when everything else is already installed is a little fiddly.

[clownshoes2 334]

I will watch the video for sure.

[Folterknecht 2,257]

The list below is ~950$ (CA) with a i5 4460

 http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/F0lterknecht/saved/#view=r7DV3C

 

                                                                                                                                             

 

what about the taxes - are they already included on pcpartpicker for canada?

[gingxxx 145]

Just do it! It's not that difficult. Look in the handbook of the main board. Identify all connections and jumpers you need. Take your time and it will work.

 

Remark: Maybe I missed it in the video but they didn't use Arctic silver