$1800-2000 New PC Help

[Darlok]

Hi guys.. I need help.. FINALLY putting a new RIG together this month... Waiting on the 4790's at my local microcenter :0 Basically need a PC for Games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14... Tera and Secondlife. Trying to make it as future proof as i can... Will need to have 32GB of Ram for VmWare multi boxing in games

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Answer: Mainly Gaming... World of Warcraft... Secondlife, Fiesta..... Basically MMO's with an exception of some 3D Shooter games.. But the PC will be mostly used for gaming and running VMware for extra gaming instances.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Answer: $1800-$2000 with Tax and Shipping..

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Answer: New York City and Yes I live really close by a Microcenter

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
Answer:
-CPU
-CPU Cooler
-Motherboard
-Memory
-Video Card
-Storage (SSD and HD for backups)
-Case (Mid Tower)
-Power Supply

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Answer: My Dell 23 inch monitor 1920x1080. My Microsoft Keyboard and my Mouse


6) Will you be overclocking?
Answer: I'm not sure.. I'm planning on getting the Devil's Canyon 4 GHZ Processor.. Prefer not to overlock but would like a nice cooler on it.. Not sure if Air or Liquid

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Answer: 1920x1080 23 inch DELL

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Answer: By the end of this month, or early next month

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Anwser: Don't care for the features

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Answer: Windows 7 PRO 64 bit RETAIL

This is what i managed to scrape together with only a limited amount of research:

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Darlok9/saved/sLGG3C

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($564.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XM (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1964.83

 

[Benzino]

Your PCPartPicker list has an Intel SSD and your list above has a Samsung. I'd stick with the Samsung.

 

[Cyalume]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032&cm_re=H100i-_-35-181-032-_-Product


This is just my opinion, but I personally recommend a modular liquid cooler over a heavy air cooler for your CPU. I've heard before of people having issues with the weight of the heavier, upper end air CPU coolers bending their motherboard when the case is positioned upright. Plus, everything looks just that little bit cleaner inside the case, IMO. The cooler linked above is the one that I use, and it does its job very well. It's also virtually silent.

 

[Liger88]

That's an AWESOME case btw. The amount of space is mind blowing. Have it in my own rig along with my first fully modular PSU and boy was that a treat.

I think you'll be fine on the cooler front, unless you really want to blow some money. I would actually go cheaper. There are some awesome coolers in the $25-$30 range that do just fine. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo for instance handles my i7 3930K @ 4Ghz+ no problems. I'm not one to waste money on something for a couple C difference, but that's just me.

Based on your current resolution, games, and general use I'd say a 290X is overkill for the price. Most seem to just go the 290 route and save the extra $100-$150 and do a minor OC to get it roughly to a 290X stock performance. You could pocket that or invest it elsewhere like going for a 500GB Samsung SSD and throwing $30 into a 2TB HDD (VM/Games).

Samsung 840 EVO 500GB - $269
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W00ZD1550

Seagate 2TB - $89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

R9-290 - $428
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150697

 

[Darlok]

Your PCPartPicker list has an Intel SSD and your list above has a Samsung. I'd stick with the Samsung.

Samsung is better than the new Intel one? I changed it to the INTEL SD 3500 since I heard they are new and I like the 5 year warranty that they offer..

 

[Darlok]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032&cm_re=H100i-_-35-181-032-_-Product


This is just my opinion, but I personally recommend a modular liquid cooler over a heavy air cooler for your CPU. I've heard before of people having issues with the weight of the heavier, upper end air CPU coolers bending their motherboard when the case is positioned upright. Plus, everything looks just that little bit cleaner inside the case, IMO. The cooler linked above is the one that I use, and it does its job very well. It's also virtually silent.

I'm debating whether to get Liquid cooling or Air... I just want a virtually silent PC and I heard the Liquid coolers are quite loud and have a good chance of leaking...

 

[Darlok]

That's an AWESOME case btw. The amount of space is mind blowing. Have it in my own rig along with my first fully modular PSU and boy was that a treat.

I think you'll be fine on the cooler front, unless you really want to blow some money. I would actually go cheaper. There are some awesome coolers in the $25-$30 range that do just fine. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo for instance handles my i7 3930K @ 4Ghz+ no problems. I'm not one to waste money on something for a couple C difference, but that's just me.

Based on your current resolution, games, and general use I'd say a 290X is overkill for the price. Most seem to just go the 290 route and save the extra $100-$150 and do a minor OC to get it roughly to a 290X stock performance. You could pocket that or invest it elsewhere like going for a 500GB Samsung SSD and throwing $30 into a 2TB HDD (VM/Games).

Samsung 840 EVO 500GB - $269
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W00ZD1550

Seagate 2TB - $89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

R9-290 - $428
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150697

Liger with the Video Card.. I somewhat want it slightly future proof in case I ever upgrade my Monitor to a Higher Resolution... If the 1920x1080 P that I have now goes bad I will upgrade to a Higher Resolution monitor and might need the GPU power..... I upgrade my PC once every 5-6 yrs. Well I don't upgrade.. I replace

is the 840 EVO better than the New Intel SSD? and I don't need that much Space.. I hardly have anything on my PC now and it has 2 Hard Drives.. :0

Storage: Intel DC S3500 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($241.98 @ Newegg)

 

[Benzino]

The Samsung will perform better in terms of write speeds and IOPS.

 

[Quartz-1]

I'm debating whether to get Liquid cooling or Air... I just want a virtually silent PC

If you want a virtually silent PC, follow my example and get a Nofan CR-95 cooler and a fanless PSU and put everything in a rotated case like the Silverstone FT02.

 

[Darlok]

If you want a virtually silent PC, follow my example and get a Nofan CR-95 cooler and a fanless PSU and put everything in a rotated case like the Silverstone FT02.

I don't really want a virtually SILENT PC man.. Just a quiet one.. With my Video Card fan it wouldn't matter much. Right now I have a Lian Li V1000 Case.. Paid $250 for it and it's Aluminum and it's awesome... That Silverstone Case looks like a sweet deal though. Is it better than the HAF XM?

 

[Cyalume]

I'm debating whether to get Liquid cooling or Air... I just want a virtually silent PC and I heard the Liquid coolers are quite loud and have a good chance of leaking...

Now, I can't provide proof of said warranty off the top of my head at this very moment, but I was paranoid about the very same thing when I purchased my H100i last summer. I was convinced about buying it once I had read another user's experience with Corsair over at the Overclock.net forums after his H100i leaked. The chances of leaking are low, but apparently, if your H100i does leak then Corsair will replace any parts that the leak damaged with either the same part or a part at the same price range/tier.

Say, if you had an a 7970 from AMD as your GPU and the 7970 had ceased production, they'd replace it with the equivalent card. Like, say, an R280X.

 

[Dangman]

Liger with the Video Card.. I somewhat want it slightly future proof in case I ever upgrade my Monitor to a Higher Resolution... If the 1920x1080 P that I have now goes bad I will upgrade to a Higher Resolution monitor and might need the GPU power..... I upgrade my PC once every 5-6 yrs. Well I don't upgrade.. I replace

Still not a good reason to get the 290X. I know you don't like to upgrade but it's really far more cost-effective to do multiple GPU upgrades over a system's lifetime than get the fastest GPU possible at that time. The math for the price to performance ratio simply does not work out in the latter's favour. Tested did an awesome article on that actually:
http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/460415-pc-building-pay-more-front-or-upgrade-regularly/

is the 840 EVO better than the New Intel SSD? and I don't need that much Space.. I hardly have anything on my PC now and it has 2 Hard Drives.. :0

Storage: Intel DC S3500 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($241.98 @ Newegg)

Even if that Intel was better in terms of performance, it's still not going to be worth an extra $100 over the Samsung Evo 250GB which can be had for $140 or less these days.

I'm debating whether to get Liquid cooling or Air... I just want a virtually silent PC and I heard the Liquid coolers are quite loud and have a good chance of leaking...

....

I don't really want a virtually SILENT PC man.. Just a quiet one..

Then stick with the Notchua.

With my Video Card fan it wouldn't matter much. Right now I have a Lian Li V1000 Case.. Paid $250 for it and it's Aluminum and it's awesome... That Silverstone Case looks like a sweet deal though. Is it better than the HAF XM?

The Silverstone FT02 is a far far superior case to the HAF XM. Then again, there are a ton of better cases than the HAF XM out there IMO:
$65 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case
$75 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black w/ Window ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Obsidian Series 450D ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Graphite Series 730T ATX Case
$150 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Full Tower ATX Case
$190 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B-USB3.0 ATX Case
$250 - Silverstone FT02S-W-USB3.0 ATX Case

With that said, if you're looking for low noise, then you should be looking at these cases instead:
$112 - Fractal Design Define R4 Arctic White ATX Case
$112 - Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ATX Case
$114 - Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey ATX Case
$110 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case

Also, about that PSU: The Seasonic X650 Gold is a fantastic PSU. No doubt about that. However, $10 more gets you an even better Seasonic PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151121

 

[Quartz-1]

That Silverstone Case looks like a sweet deal though. Is it better than the HAF XM?

I have no experience of the HAF XM, but I specifically chose the FT02 because of its improved cooling characteristics: basically heat from each major source - CPU, GPU, and PSU - rises separately.

 

[Darlok]

Still not a good reason to get the 290X. I know you don't like to upgrade but it's really far more cost-effective to do multiple GPU upgrades over a system's lifetime than get the fastest GPU possible at that time. The math for the price to performance ratio simply does not work out in the latter's favour. Tested did an awesome article on that actually:
http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/460415-pc-building-pay-more-front-or-upgrade-regularly/


Even if that Intel was better in terms of performance, it's still not going to be worth an extra $100 over the Samsung Evo 250GB which can be had for $140 or less these days.

Then stick with the Notchua.


The Silverstone FT02 is a far far superior case to the HAF XM. Then again, there are a ton of better cases than the HAF XM out there IMO:
$65 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case
$75 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black w/ Window ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Obsidian Series 450D ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Graphite Series 730T ATX Case
$150 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Full Tower ATX Case
$190 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B-USB3.0 ATX Case
$250 - Silverstone FT02S-W-USB3.0 ATX Case

With that said, if you're looking for low noise, then you should be looking at these cases instead:
$112 - Fractal Design Define R4 Arctic White ATX Case
$112 - Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ATX Case
$114 - Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey ATX Case
$110 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case

Also, about that PSU: The Seasonic X650 Gold is a fantastic PSU. No doubt about that. However, $10 more gets you an even better Seasonic PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151121

K bro.. Thanks for your input... I decided to go with the Fractal Case :0.... Which video card should i get if i want best performance on a 1080 LCD? Is there even a big diff between 1080 and 1440 in games? I was thinking about the DELL 27 Inch 1440 resolution.. but not sure if it'll be a significant upgrade from a 24 nch DELL LCD which I have now and not sure if it warrants the $600 i'd be spending on the 27 inches. Maybe a year from now or so I don't know yet.

I will get the Platinum Series PSU also. Do I need 750 or 650?.. I went to this website and input all my credentials and it linked me to a Corsair 750 PSU which is why I ask.

Which MB is better.. the Sabertooth Mark 2 or this Asus Hero ROG http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132125&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&PageSize=10&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo I know the Sabertooth comes with 5 yr warranty and the Hero only with 3.. So i don't know

So far my build is:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($305.00 @ Microcenter with tax)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($152.00 @ Microcenter with tax)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.23 @ B&H)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.23 @ B&H)
Storage: Intel 730 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($564.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($172.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1947.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-15 13:33 EDT-0400

 

[Dangman]

K bro.. Thanks for your input... I decided to go with the Fractal Case :0.... Which video card should i get if i want best performance on a 1080 LCD? Is there even a big diff between 1080 and 1440 in games? I was thinking about the DELL 27 Inch 1440 resolution.. but not sure if it'll be a significant upgrade from a 24 nch DELL LCD which I have now and not sure if it warrants the $600 i'd be spending on the 27 inches. Maybe a year from now or so I don't know yet.

There is a big visual difference between 1080 and 1440 in the sense that it looks bigger and slightly greater details. As for significant upgrade, that's largely dependent on whether or not that 24" is big enough for you.

For 1080P, go with the R9 280X 3GB from Asus, MSI, or Gigabyte if you want low-noise.

I will get the Platinum Series PSU also. Do I need 750 or 650?.. I went to this website and input all my credentials and it linked me to a Corsair 750 PSU which is why I ask.

650W. You haven't mentioned anything where the 750W would be remotely a good idea. Hell even the 650W I recommended above is bit overkill.

Which MB is better.. the Sabertooth Mark 2 or this Asus Hero ROG http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132125&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&PageSize=10&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo I know the Sabertooth comes with 5 yr warranty and the Hero only with 3.. So i don't know

In your case, I wouldn't recommend either motherboard. You haven't said anything where either of those motherboards would be justifiable purchases. It's like buying a supercar for someone who drives like a grandma. Stick with your original Z97-A choice. Still a bit overkill but considerably less overkill than either of those motherboards.

Storage: Intel 730 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.00 @ Amazon)

Why this SSD? What does this SSD have that justifies an extra $65 over the Samsung 840 Evo 240GB for you?

 

[Darlok]

There is a big visual difference between 1080 and 1440 in the sense that it looks bigger and slightly greater details. As for significant upgrade, that's largely dependent on whether or not that 24" is big enough for you.

For 1080P, go with the R9 280X 3GB from Asus, MSI, or Gigabyte if you want low-noise.

650W. You haven't mentioned anything where the 750W would be remotely a good idea. Hell even the 650W I recommended above is bit overkill.

In your case, I wouldn't recommend either motherboard. You haven't said anything where either of those motherboards would be justifiable purchases. It's like buying a supercar for someone who drives like a grandma. Stick with your original Z97-A choice. Still a bit overkill but considerably less overkill than either of those motherboards.

Why this SSD? What does this SSD have that justifies an extra $65 over the Samsung 840 Evo 240GB for you?

Okay... I'm going to downgrade the video card to a standard 290.. Now which is the best brand with the best warranty and best silent cooling? You sure the 660 is enough for this rig? And the only diff between the original MB and the Sabertooth is $10 and the Sabertooth comes with 2 year extra warranty... I guess it's worth it for $10..

As for the SSD.. I like reliability and the 5 year warranty. I upgrade my system around every 5 yrs.. I don't do increment upgrades... So I'd like my components to last as long as possible and i heard things about INTEL's reliability.

 

[Dangman]

Okay... I'm going to downgrade the video card to a standard 290..

Why? Unless you're 100% guaranteed going to buy that larger resolution monitor within the next six months, you'll be fine with the R9 280X.

You sure the 660 is enough for this rig?

For the third time, yes. Check it: The HardOCP testrig involves a massively overclocked Intel CPU with the R9 290 only drew 439W under load:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014...rectcu_ii_oc_video_card_review/9#.U54Oe_ldXlk

So your non-overclocked with the lower-end R9 280X will be i

And the only diff between the original MB and the Sabertooth is $10 and the Sabertooth comes with 2 year extra warranty... I guess it's worth it for $10..

There was a glitch in the math there. The Z97-A costs $140 from Microcenter:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/433190/Z97-A_ATX

The Z97 Mark II costs $180:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/433679/Sabertooth_Z97_Mark_II_LGA1150_ATX_Intel_Motherboard

Remember that both motherboards are eligible for the same $40 discount from MC if you buy the right CPU with it. SO there'd still be a $40 difference between the two mobos. Still not worth spending an extra $40 for the Sabertooth.

As for the SSD.. I like reliability and the 5 year warranty. I upgrade my system around every 5 yrs.. I don't do increment upgrades... So I'd like my components to last as long as possible and i heard things about INTEL's reliability.

Need I remind you about this article?:
http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/460415-pc-building-pay-more-front-or-upgrade-regularly/

That extra $65 means you can save that to buy another SSD should the Samsung die. Intel SSDs have generally been very reliable but this is a just a gaming PC, not a server. So the small increased chance of longevity isn't justified.