First time build - $1200 limit, Please Help

[Zoda]

Hello, thank you for looking. I am building a PC for the first time with roughly a $1200 budget. I wanted to know if this was a good combination for gaming. I just want the best bang for the buck and be able to run League of Legends, Starcraft 2, and Battlefield at near max or max settings.

I am really confused about motherboards and I don't know which to buy so this is the one I chose at microcenter because it's $10 cheaper than everywhere else. I would like to stick to MSI Z97 motherboard if possible, I just don't know which one around the same price range would match the ASUS Z97-A, please help.

Any input or modification would be greatly appreciated.


CPU - Intel Core i5-4690K

Motherboard - ASUS Z97-A

Memory - Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) Ballistix Sport

Video Card - MSI GeForce GTX 970 GTX 970 GAMING 4G

Power Supply - CORSAIR 750W CXM series CX750M

SSD - SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM

CPU Cooler - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

Operating System - Microsoft Windows 8.1 - Full Version (32 & 64-bit)

 

[doug_7506]

Answer these first. It'll help everyone out:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
6) Will you be overclocking?
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
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.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

Also, what are your storage plans? 250gb ssd wont last long if you're going to be installing games on it.

 

[E4g1e]

In addition to the questions doug_7506 listed, right off the bat that Corsair CX750M is a poor PSU for the price that you'd be paying, especially since it is capable of handling only about 560W maximum before that PSU dies out. And Corsair's sub-$150 PSUs have gone seriously downhill in terms of overall quality over the past three years or so. In fact, the last good Corsair PSU in that lower price range was the non-modular TX750v2 (but not the TX750v3 or any other 750W Corsair in that range, which are all significantly worse in quality than the old TX750v2).

What's more, you can buy PSUs with the Seasonic, eVGA and XFX brand names that are all of higher overall quality than that particular Corsair PAU for around the same price.

 

[Zoda]

Thank you Eagle, I will look into it.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming 8 hours a day
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1200+
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

U.S.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Case (mid-tower), CPU, RAM, GPU, Cooler, Mobo, Power Supply, SSD, HDD, Optical drive, Monitor*** (have no clue)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None, all new.
6) Will you be overclocking?
In the future
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
I am going to buy a 1080p, can't afford 4k
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Today, tomorrow, ASAP
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.
Normal sized ATX mobo that will fit into a mid-tower, standard components, I don't even know what half those things are.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Nope, i'm buying a copy of Windows 8.1 32/64bit that will allow me to upgrade to 10 for free


Thanks for the input.

 

[Zoda]

E4g1e, thank you I did not know that. Can I manage with this Corsair CX750 or do I definitely need to go for EVGA or something better like you mentioned?

 

[Dangman]

E4g1e, thank you I did not know that. Can I manage with this Corsair CX750 or do I definitely need to go for EVGA or something better like you mentioned?

Unless you already bought that shitty power supply, don't use it. Then again, even if you did buy it, return it. This it the review that showed how shitty that power supply is:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2015/01/21/corsair_cx750_750w_power_supply_review/#.VX93cPlViko

Also, how long is the drive to Microcenter for you?

 

[Zoda]

Unless you already bought that shitty power supply, don't use it. Then again, even if you did buy it, return it. This it the review that showed how shitty that power supply is:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2015/01/21/corsair_cx750_750w_power_supply_review/#.VX93cPlViko

Also, how long is the drive to Microcenter for you?

Microcenter is 15 minutes from me, I just got back from there. They have some good deals, yeah I can return the power supply. Any recommendations on which MSI mobo I should get? I already bought the ASUS Z97-A but I can return it.

 

[Dangman]

Microcenter is 15 minutes from me, I just got back from there. They have some good deals, yeah I can return the power supply. Any recommendations on which MSI mobo I should get? I already bought the ASUS Z97-A but I can return it.

Wait, did you buy the CPU as well?

What other parts did you buy?

 

[doug_7506]

Adding the monitor deff makes it tight.

The CX has really bad reviews. So you should probably stay away from it.

This build is $67 over budget, but it comes with $50 in rebates.

PC Hound Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97-HD3P ($98.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) Vengeance LP ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 04G-P4-2974-KR ($316.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 110-B2-0750-VR ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: SAMSUNG 250GB 850 EVO MZ-75E250B/AM ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Storage #2: Seagate 1TB Barracuda ST1000DM003 ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R ($59.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 ($28.99 @ NCIX US)
Windows: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit ($89.99 @ TigerDirect)
Monitor: ASUS VS239H-P ($140.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1,247.88
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound
*Forgot the optical drive. Add $20 for one.

If you are looking to get under $1200 without rebates, then going with a smaller psu and ssd will get you there:

PC Hound Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97-HD3P ($98.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) Vengeance LP ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 04G-P4-2974-KR ($316.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 600W 600B 100-B1-0600-KR ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate 1TB Barracuda ST1000DM003 ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Storage #2: SanDisk 128GB SDSSDP-128G-G25 ($49.99 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R ($59.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 ($28.99 @ NCIX US)
Windows: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit ($89.99 @ TigerDirect)
Monitor: ASUS VS239H-P ($140.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS ($19.99 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1,188.86
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound

Also, win 7 is cheaper and will get the same upgrade to win 8.

And listen to dangman, guys knows his stuff.

 

[diizzy]

Avoid the GIGABYTE GA-Z97-HD3P, it's not going to help you much if you want to overclock and you want to avoid Realtek LAN.

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Black
Good value case with decent internal design given the price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139018
59.99$

HDD: TOSHIBA DT01ACA200 2TB 64MB
Given your budget it's impossible to get an SSD unless you want to skimp on something. It's a good HDD with decent performance, SSDs can be added later on anyways.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149407
77.99$ (rebate code excluded)

Video hard: ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Solid board, silent
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121899
339.99 (10$ mail-in, optional)

PSU: XFX TS Series P1-650G-TS3X 650W
Seasonic rebrand, Gold... not much to say really. It's a very good choice overall. Much better than the eVGA PSU mentioned above.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207034
79.99$ (20$ mail-in, optional)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 160
2 * http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148540
Good standard ram, low latency and no silly huge heatsinks (unlike the Corsair RAM) and cheaper
There's no point in going for 4gb stick today, it'll just hinder you upgrading later on.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132510
99.98$

Mobo: Asus Z97-A / ASUS Z97-A/USB 3.1
The one you selected is a very good (Intel LAN too) and solid motherboard, if you add 10$ you also get USB 3.1 which might come in hand later one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132510
149.99$ (USB 3.1 version)

If you don't need to do to hardcore overclocking the Asus H97-M Plus is a great alternative (~50$ less but not USB 3.1) that'll fit your budget much better.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372
239.99 (40 bucks less @ Microcenter).

This adds up as
1046$ without mail-in rebates and excluding Microcenter's pricing on the CPU.

Grabbing the CPU over at Microcenter leaves you with ~200 bucks for Windows and a monitor.
Going for the Z97-A gets you 10$ more...

@ doug7506

Seriously at least try to put some effort into it instead of posting stuff randomly, we can all copy 'n paste and no sane person would buy this from 4 different e-tailers.
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

dangman, thank you for the response, all my items are listed up top. I bought my intel i5-4690k already.

doug_7506 I don't mind going over $1200 by a couple hundred dollars.

Just to clarify, i'm guna stick with the Intel Core i5-4690 and the MSI Geforce GTX 970

But yeah if I can stick with this ASUS Z97-A motherboard that'd be great, if another board works better I'd love to know.


Thanks for all your input

 

[diizzy]

Stick with the Asus mobo, you wont find anything better at that price point.
If you're willing to adjust your budget slightly...
If you desperately need a SSD go for the Samsung Pro series, they're much better than the Evo series and much longer warranty too.
I would howeever, spend some more on a monitor before looking at a SSD... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GTV05XG - Great monitor at that price, much better than the Asus mentioned.
If you're going for 8Gb only (RAM), just go for single 8Gb stick not 2x4Gb.
//Danne

 

[Dangman]

dangman, thank you for the response, all my items are listed up top. I bought my intel i5-4690k already.

doug_7506 I don't mind going over $1200 by a couple hundred dollars.

Just to clarify, i'm guna stick with the Intel Core i5-4690 and the MSI Geforce GTX 970

But yeah if I can stick with this ASUS Z97-A motherboard that'd be great, if another board works better I'd love to know.


Thanks for all your input

The Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 is a good motherboard. However, you could have saved $25 with the MSI Z97S SLI Krait motherboard which is available from Microcenter for $100 if you buy it with the 4690K compared to the $125 price for the Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1. I'm not sure if you can return that Asus and get that $30 off deal. Anyway, the MSI Z97S SLI isn't quite as good as the Z97-A/USB 3.1 but its $100 price accurately reflects that.

Now if you really need to save $25, by all means return that Asus motherboard. But I'm pretty sure your time spent driving, returning and then buying the MSI, the sale tax, and the gas is probably going to eat up that $25 anyway.

Case wise, the 200R is not worth $63 shipped when the significantly better Corsair 230T costs only $7 more:
$70 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case

Alternatively, if you don't mind placing the SSD on the floor of the case or on the bottom of the DVD area, you can save $20 from the 230T with this case:
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case

Either way, don't go for the 200R unless it's $55 shipped or less. That's the key word: SHIPPED.

As for the monitor, I recommend sticking with the Asus monitor that doug_7506 linked to. I don't think that Dell monitor is worth an extra ~$90 as well as losing out on a SSD. That Asus monitor is good enough for gaming. Speaking of the SSD, I recommend getting the Crucial MX100 256GB SSD for $99:
http://amazon.com/dp/B00KFAGCWK/?tag=extension-kb-20

 

[Zoda]

Stick with the Asus mobo, you wont find anything better at that price point.
If you're willing to adjust your budget slightly...
If you desperately need a SSD go for the Samsung Pro series, they're much better than the Evo series and much longer warranty too.
I would howeever, spend some more on a monitor before looking at a SSD... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GTV05XG - Great monitor at that price, much better than the Asus mentioned.
If you're going for 8Gb only (RAM), just go for single 8Gb stick not 2x4Gb.
//Danne

That looks pretty good, question. Will a monitor in the $130-$160 range be adequate? I am just looking for a 1080p monitor that is very good for around that price range but also note, if I have to I can dish out the money to make this a $1400-$1500 build. My ideal goal range is $1200 but it is not mandatory. I keep hearing a lot of good things about ASUS monitors.


diizzy, Dangman, and doug_7506 - Here are the components I have in my hands as of right now that I am planning to keep. Please note I do not plan on expanding hardware on this computer, only overclocking if possible in the future. I plan on building another computer in 2 1/2 years.

----------- All purchased from the MicroCenter 15 minutes away from me -------------

What I have in my posession:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690k ($199.99+tax)
Mobo: ASUS Z97-A / USB 3.1 1150 ATX ($124.99+tax)
Memory: Crucial 8GB 4GBX2 DDR3 1600 ($50+tax)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO HSF ($36.99+tax minus $7 rebate)
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB ($87.99+tax)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Components I still need to buy/debating to buy
Computer case: Aiming for a yellow case, bitfenix? corsair? coolermaster? I have no clue, I just hope it's a good looking space station and keeps my computer cool. Preferably a mid-tower!
PSU: XFX TS Series P1-650G-TS3X 650W
Monitor: ASUS VS239H-P
GPU: MSI 4G Geforce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0
HDD: 2 TB Western Digital or the Toshiba that was mentioned earlier?
Software: Windows 8.1 w/ upgrade to Windows 10
Optical Drive: Any piece of crap?


Do I need a network card or a sound card?

Your input is greatly appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[doug_7506]

@ doug7506

Seriously at least try to put some effort into it instead of posting stuff randomly, we can all copy 'n paste and no sane person would buy this from 4 different e-tailers.
//Danne

I did put some effort into it. The guy gave me $1200. I'm not going to suggest he go over it or cut stuff out. Sure, a lot of picks were clearly value picks, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad picks.

While I understand the GIGABYTE GA-Z97-HD3P is not ideal for a lot of people, for $100 it is a sufficient board. 4.7/5 on Amazon and 5/5 on NewEgg. Again, I agree with the Asus choice as I also prefer asus boards, but to make it fit with his budget, I made the necessary adjustments.

...

I think you made some great picks already.

I'm a big fan on the ASUS monitor. The 24", 1080p, and IPS combo is hard to beat. Colors will pop and the size and resolution are perfect. I went with the same monitors for my sons build and it has been great.

Win 10 is 5 weeks away. Get the cheapest copy you can pickup of win 7/8.1. Here is the upgrade path:

Windows 7

Those of you who currently run Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic or Windows 7 Home Premium will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home.
Those of you running Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro.
Windows 8.1

Those of you running Windows 8.1 (the standard edition) will receive Windows 10 Home. And those of you running Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro for Students will receive Windows 10 Pro.
On the mobile phone side, if you're running Windows Phone 8.1, you'll get Windows 10 Mobile as your free upgrade.

link

This is the closest I could find to a yellow space ship looking case. I think it litterally pulled its design from the taxi in the 5th element. However, this would require you to return your mobo and go to a matx size.
The Asus Z97M-PLUS is a good mATX board for about the same price. I really didn't see many quality cases out there in yellow. This is a unique case in that it lays the mobo flat. I've always like this since you'll see the cooler on your gfx card facing you.

You don't need a lan card as the motherboard has it built in. You also dont need an audio card unless you are really a music person. I Stopped using them several years ago, but there is a lot of people that still get them. It just depends on what kind of ear you have for music. If you are going to be rocking a $500 audio system/headphones, than I would probably get a good sound card/amp.

 

[diizzy]

@ Zoda
I can honestly say that I would never go for a consumer monitor again. The business models have much better natural color reproduction and viewing angels are a lot better. The Asus IPS-models (PB2 and PA2) are pretty good but Eizo, HP, Dell, Nec have much better ones at that price and they're more expensive than the Dell which really is a good one at that price. That said, it's up to you but I'd suggest that you have a look at http://www.prad.de/ and/or http://www.tftcentral.co.uk as they explain this very thoroughly in their reviews.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2414h.htm
Matte and adjustable stand = awesome

Regarding the case, grab a solid black and a spray can of yellow acrylic paint. It's cheaper and you'll get a better case.

The rest of the list looks okay except the monitor as I mentioned before... ;-)
Toshiba does have a more solid track record in my books compared to the WD Blue and Green series, they also have working/proper SMART data reporting.

As you have the Asus board you have Intel NIC which is pretty much as good as it gets that goes for the sound card too. If you want anything better you'd need to get a DAC not a new soundcard.

@ doug_7506

I understand that but 4 x shipping etc will not make it any cheaper...
//Danne

 

[Dangman]

I plan on building another computer in 2 1/2 years.

Why? Your build, once it gets a 16GB RAM upgrade, should last you at least four years judging from current rate of CPU performance demands in gaming and the performance increase rate for Intel CPUs.

Components I still need to buy/debating to buy
Computer case: Aiming for a yellow case, bitfenix? corsair? coolermaster? I have no clue, I just hope it's a good looking space station and keeps my computer cool. Preferably a mid-tower!

Here are the four cases on Newegg that have Yellow in color in some form or another:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100007583 600462506 600006333

Two of those cases are shitty and the other two cases requires a completely different motherboard and aren't not mid-tower ATX. So if you really want yellow, looks like you're going to have to paint the case yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

I recommend the following cases:
$70 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case
$70 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black w/ Window ATX Case
$86 - Antec 1100 V2 ATX Case
$90 - NZXT Source 530 Full Tower Case
$100 - Thermaltake Core V5 Black ATX Case
$106 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Obsidian Series 450D ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$126 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$135 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Graphite Series 730T ATX Case
$150 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Windowed Full Tower ATX Case
$150 - Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full Tower Case
$158 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower Case
$163 - Thermaltake Urban T81 Full Tower ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T Black Full Tower Case
$170 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T White Full Tower Case
197 - Corsair Graphite Black ATX Full Tower 780T
208 - Corsair Graphite White ATX Full Tower 780T
$240 - Silverstone FT02B-USB3.0 ATX Case


If you want extremely low noise or near silence at the expense of cooling, then I recommend these cases:
$85 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$84 - Fractal Design Define R4 Black ATX Case
$124 - Fractal Design Define R5 Black ATX Case
$120 - NZXT H440 White/Black ATX Case
$127 - NZXT H440 Red/Matte Black ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case

HDD: 2 TB Western Digital or the Toshiba that was mentioned earlier?

Toshiba.
QUOTE=Zoda;1041667888]
Optical Drive: Any piece of crap?[/QUOTE]
Yup any DVD drive will do.

Do I need a network card or a sound card?

No you don't need either of those items.

While I understand the GIGABYTE GA-Z97-HD3P is not ideal for a lot of people, for $100 it is a sufficient board. 4.7/5 on Amazon and 5/5 on NewEgg. Again, I agree with the Asus choice as I also prefer asus boards, but to make it fit with his budget, I made the necessary adjustments.

Here's my main two issues with your GA-Z97-HD3P recommendation:
1) It's not available from Microcenter. As such the OP would not be able to get in on the $30 off deal if you buy any compatible Intel motherboard with certain Intel CPUs.
2) Even if it was available from Microcenter or the OP was just going to buy everything online, it's not the best sufficient board for around $100. There's only a total of 7 user reviews for that Gigabyte mobo on both Amazon and Newegg.com. In that same price range, you can get the MSI Z97 PC Mate motherboard which has 71 user reviews on Newegg and 45 reviews on Amazon.com which gives that MSI mobo the same star rating as the Gigabyte. But the sheer number of reviews means that the star rankings for the MSI Z97 PC Mate are a bit more accurate, reliable, and trustworthy then the 7 user reviews of that Gigabyte. Considering the major pain in the ass it is to troubleshoot a defective motherboard, the MSI Z97 PC Mate motherboard is the better choice on account of the more reliable ranking.

 

[diizzy]

Between the PC Mate and the Gigabyte I highly doubt that there's any difference at all, but lacking Intel LAN and being very value oriented it's not something I would count on in the long run. I would much rather go for a H97M-PLUS in that regard or set up to the Asus Z97-A.
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

Gotcha, thank you Dangman, I think I've got a very good foundation right now and before I put up my final components I'd like to ask, which modular power supply should I buy? My friend told me don't get the standard power supplies because the wiring gets in the way and makes a mess. He said that modular power supply will be neater. For modular do I have to buy extra cables? Do they come with cables? Can you recommend a Antec or EVGA modular PSU that you would use?

Thanks, I look forward to posting my final setup.

 

[Dangman]

Gotcha, thank you Dangman, I think I've got a very good foundation right now and before I put up my final components I'd like to ask, which modular power supply should I buy? My friend told me don't get the standard power supplies because the wiring gets in the way and makes a mess. He said that modular power supply will be neater. For modular do I have to buy extra cables? Do they come with cables? Can you recommend a Antec or EVGA modular PSU that you would use?

Thanks, I look forward to posting my final setup.

I use to think like your friend. But then after doing over a thousand+ PC builds with both non-modular and modular PSUs, here's my conclusions when it comes modular PSUs: Modular PSUs really only come in handy if you have a shitty shitty case, have no idea how to do proper cable management, and/or have a really really small mITX/mATX case. A good ATX case + decent cable management skills means that modular cables. Since you're looking at ATX cases, the real need to get modular PSUs isn't there.

In fact, I can prove what I said: The following images are the PC builds I've done for friends. Both are using a variation of the NZXT Source 210 Elite case that I recommended earlier. Both are using non-modular PSUs, one of which is using a XFX non-modular PSU:
IMG_4042

IMG_1513

As you can see, even with non-modular PSUs, you can get fantastic airflow and clean cable management as long as you choose a good case and know what you're doing. Barely any of the cables are in the way and you're still getting a nice clean look. For comparison purposes, here's my own PC with a modular case and a NZXT Phantom case:
IMG_7912

Practically the same results as the non-modular setups in terms of cable management with the non-modular being a little bit less tidy looking IMO.

As such, the XFX PSU that diizy recommended is still a solid choice. Modular PSUs already comes with all the cables you need. If you still wish to get a modular PSU, I recommend the following modular PSUs:
$80 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU
$113 - eVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 750W Modular PSU

Between the PC Mate and the Gigabyte I highly doubt that there's any difference at all, but lacking Intel LAN and being very value oriented it's not something I would count on in the long run. I would much rather go for a H97M-PLUS in that regard or set up to the Asus Z97-A.
//Danne

And I'd have to disagree. There is a difference between the MSI PC Mate and Gigabyte: the MSI PC Mate has an established track record whereas the Gigabyte really doesn't. When it comes to motherboards, from my experience, it's generally better to go with the motherboard with the better and longer track record even if multiple motherboards seem similar in certain aspects.

From what I've seen of Asus, MSI, Gigabyte and AsRock motherboards, I hold them all on the same level of quality and reliability. I've worked with enough shitty motherboard from all four motherboard manufacturers to know that.

 

[diizzy]

This if you can live with the bronze rating is a solid choice
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371059

Otherwise I would rate this much better value than the Seasonic and/or the eVGA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371073
Seasonic, rebrand
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Antec/TP-750C/4.html

@ Dangman
I have to disagree here, both are based upon already existing platforms just severely cut down and I would take your Amazon vs Newegg reviews with a grain of salt. Both sell a lot more than that and I can tell you that user reviews in Europe differs a lot from Newegg/Amazon in general even if its exactly the same product (MIC/MI* and all). That said, I wouldn't recommend either of those to boards. Experience says stability > features on paper at an overly low price ;-)
//Danne

 

[Dangman]

@ Dangman
I have to disagree here, both are based upon already existing platforms just severely cut down and I would take your Amazon vs Newegg reviews with a grain of salt. Both sell a lot more than that and I can tell you that user reviews in Europe differs a lot from Newegg/Amazon in general even if its exactly the same product (MIC/MI* and all). That said, I wouldn't recommend either of those to boards. Experience says stability > features on paper at an overly low price ;-)
//Danne

They may be based on similar platforms but the implementations of the cut-downs can and do differ enough that the resulting motherboard can differ from one another. Asus has multiple examples of that. Their Z87-K and Z97-K motherboards are essentially cut-down versions of the Z87-A and Z97-A motherboards yet both have significant reliability issues. This is backed up by both the Newegg reviews and my own personal experience with those -K motherboards.

You are right that one should take user reviews with a grain of salt. However, considering that there is no way one can indistinctly or luckily choose the right reliable every single time, user reviews are a helpful factor. It's better to have some form of guesstimation rather than, what appears to me at least, the random shots in the dark method.

As for user reviews differing from North America to Europe, I'm not surprised by that. However, since the majority of the people we're helping here are based here in North America, the different shipping, storage, handling, and experience seen in Europe don't necessarily apply.

I have no problem recommending the MSI Z97 PC Mate as I've seen first hand that decent relatively cheap motherboards can still survive long enough for the usable lifetime of the PC. I've also seen first hand that $150+ motherboards can and do die literally days after the warranty expires.

 

[diizzy]

My point wasn't expensive equals good, rather that if something is overly cheap compared to the rest of the models available there's most likely a reason for it and usually not a good one...
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

So here is my build, a few of the parts I was going to get spiked up in price literally hours before I was going to purchase such as the Antec TruePower Classic 750w which went up by $50! FML

Anyways, here is the setup: - I upgraded the CPU to an i7-4790k, can I stick with the same motherboard?

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790k
Mobo: ASUS Z97-A / USB 3.1 1150 ATX
Memory: Crucial 8GB 4GBX2 DDR3 1600
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO HSF
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB
Computer case: Antec Eleven Hundred V2
PSU: XFX TS Series P1-650G-TS3X 650W
Monitor: ASUS 23” LED HD VS239H-P
GPU: ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 GeForce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5
HDD: TOSHIBA DT01ACA200 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 3 (6.0 Gb/S) 3.5"
Optical Drive: ASUS DVD Drive
Software: Windows 7 w/ upgrade to Windows 10

Lastly! If I have Windows downloaded onto a USB drive, can I still install it on my computer when building this thing or is it mandatory to have it on a disk? I haven't bought windows yet and I was wondering if disk or downloadable version is necessary.

Also, does anyone know where to get Windows 7 or 8.1 for cheap? I am also a student, the best place I saw was on Microsoft for $69.99 (downloaded) no disk.

Is this 650W XFX power supply good enough for overclocking in the future?

This build has turned out to be roughly $1300 which is fine. Any major suggestions I'd greatly appreciate, i'm fairly flexible with the prices as you can see.

But yeah, please let me know if this meets your standards. I'm iffy about the power supply but it was cheap. 650W, i'm probably going to overclock in the near future. Dangman, diizzy, and all, your help has been very useful, Thank you.

 

[diizzy]

Looks good overall, although just grab a single 8Gb stick instead of 2*4Gb. It'll be much more useful in the end and the fewer memory stick you have the better if you're going to overclock.

The XFX PSU will do more than fine

The student discount on microsoft.com will be the cheapest way to get Windows and you can put it on a USB stick using the download tool.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool

I'm not too fond of the EVO series by Samsung but it'll do I guess...

As for the whole Windows install... (adapting this for Win 8.1 from a previous post)

A painfree (and fast) installation would go something like this... (no network cable attached)

Prep:
Download Autopatcher (autopatcher.com) and let it dl updates for Win7/Win 8.1 (whatever you get), .NET Framework, Visual C++ Runtime and DirectX.
Copy Autopatcher on a USB flash drive
Download fresh drivers for the mobo and video (they'll work fine despite saying NUC) and save all on the USB flash drive:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24474/Chipset-Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...abit-Ethernet-Controller-driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24503/USB-3-0-Intel-USB-3-0-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24504/Audio-Realtek-ALC-Audio-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24500/Intel-ME-10-Management-Engine-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
http://www.geforce.com/drivers/results/85817

Installation:

* Install Windows
* Disable UAC, Disable System Restore
* Run Autopatcher and install _only_ Visual C++ runtimes
* Run Autopatcher again and install only .NET Framework 4.5.2 and DirectX (no updates) - Reboot if needed
* Install chipset driver, install Intel Management Engine Driver (reboot)
* Install ethernet, USB and Video driver (reboot) (you don't need to install ASUS's utilities at all)
* Install audio driver (reboot)
* Run Autopatcher again and install _all_ updates
* Install your favourite anti-virus of choice, (I prefer Kaspersky Anti-Virus myself but NOD32 is also decent)
* Plug in the network cable and let Windows Update run
* Install various applications (7zip and what not)
* Done

Don't forget to flash the latest BIOS before installing Windows (there's a built in utility for that during bootup, you need a FAT/FAT32 formatted flash drive) and make sure that it uses AHCI and not IDE/RAID/Compatibility mode. I personally always enable Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-d) and disable Virtu ("CPU Graphics Multi-Monitor") as it may cause instability.
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1150/Z97-A_USB31/Z97-A-USB31-ASUS-2401.zip <--- Latest BIOS

//Danne

 

[Zoda]

Looks good overall, although just grab a single 8Gb stick instead of 2*4Gb. It'll be much more useful in the end and the fewer memory stick you have the better if you're going to overclock.

The XFX PSU will do more than fine

The student discount on microsoft.com will be the cheapest way to get Windows and you can put it on a USB stick using the download tool.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool

I'm not too fond of the EVO series by Samsung but it'll do I guess...

As for the whole Windows install... (adapting this for Win 8.1 from a previous post)

A painfree (and fast) installation would go something like this... (no network cable attached)

Prep:
Download Autopatcher (autopatcher.com) and let it dl updates for Win7/Win 8.1 (whatever you get), .NET Framework, Visual C++ Runtime and DirectX.
Copy Autopatcher on a USB flash drive
Download fresh drivers for the mobo and video (they'll work fine despite saying NUC) and save all on the USB flash drive:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24474/Chipset-Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...abit-Ethernet-Controller-driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24503/USB-3-0-Intel-USB-3-0-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24504/Audio-Realtek-ALC-Audio-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24500/Intel-ME-10-Management-Engine-Driver-for-Intel-NUC
http://www.geforce.com/drivers/results/85817

Installation:

* Install Windows
* Disable UAC, Disable System Restore
* Run Autopatcher and install _only_ Visual C++ runtimes
* Run Autopatcher again and install only .NET Framework 4.5.2 and DirectX (no updates) - Reboot if needed
* Install chipset driver, install Intel Management Engine Driver (reboot)
* Install ethernet, USB and Video driver (reboot) (you don't need to install ASUS's utilities at all)
* Install audio driver (reboot)
* Run Autopatcher again and install _all_ updates
* Install your favourite anti-virus of choice, (I prefer Kaspersky Anti-Virus myself but NOD32 is also decent)
* Plug in the network cable and let Windows Update run
* Install various applications (7zip and what not)
* Done

Don't forget to flash the latest BIOS before installing Windows (there's a built in utility for that during bootup, you need a FAT/FAT32 formatted flash drive) and make sure that it uses AHCI and not IDE/RAID/Compatibility mode. I personally always enable Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-d) and disable Virtu ("CPU Graphics Multi-Monitor") as it may cause instability.
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1150/Z97-A_USB31/Z97-A-USB31-ASUS-2401.zip <--- Latest BIOS

//Danne

Lord jesus almighty i'm fucked. I don't know 95% of the stuff you just posted. I'll give it a try I guess... and i'm depending on exactly what you posted diizzy. I'll use it as a guide. Are there any secret hints or procedures I need to look out for or do I simply assemble my rig, fire it up, and see what happens?

 

[diizzy]

* If you need to apply force, you're most likely doing it wrong
* Carefully align CPU and heatsink (you might need to apply a little force _evenly_ here)
* Make sure you're using standoffs everywhere
* Be careful about ESD, ground yourself and avoid plastic.
* Connectors are something fragile (SATA etc) so be a bit careful and avoid touching them (golden parts).
* Do not connect the power cable until you're done assembling everything.

Something like that
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

* If you need to apply force, you're most likely doing it wrong
* Carefully align CPU and heatsink (you might need to apply a little force _evenly_ here)
* Make sure you're using standoffs everywhere
* Be careful about ESD, ground yourself and avoid plastic.
* Connectors are something fragile (SATA etc) so be a bit careful and avoid touching them (golden parts).
* Do not connect the power cable until you're done assembling everything.

Something like that
//Danne

Okay man, i'll give this a go. If not I'm guna call up Microcenter and tell them diizzy told me to do it lol. Is it pretty self explanatory once I open up Windows to be uploaded? Or is it going to be a pain in the ass for a first timer? I have no friends around who can do this for me.

 

[doug_7506]

Okay man, i'll give this a go. If not I'm guna call up Microcenter and tell them diizzy told me to do it lol. Is it pretty self explanatory once I open up Windows to be uploaded? Or is it going to be a pain in the ass for a first timer? I have no friends around who can do this for me.

It really is not that bad. Just remember that youtube is your friend. There are literally thousands of video guides out there on how to do it. NewEgg has a nice series on how to build a rig that pretty decent. Part 1 Part 2 They have a nice table of contents in the description that'll help you out a lot.

Best of luck, you pieced together a very nice build.

 

[diizzy]

No, as long as you read and follow the instructions you'll be fine.
//Danne

 

[Dayaks]

Lord jesus almighty i'm fucked. I don't know 95% of the stuff you just posted. I'll give it a try I guess... and i'm depending on exactly what you posted diizzy. I'll use it as a guide. Are there any secret hints or procedures I need to look out for or do I simply assemble my rig, fire it up, and see what happens?

Install windows off the DVD.
Install all the stuff on your mobo disk.
Install graphics drivers off the internet.
Install antivirus of your choice.

Bam done. Watch out for bloat ware on the mobo disk btw. If you're not sure what isn't needed just install everything. If you're really ambitious install updated software for your mobo off the mfg website.

 

[diizzy]

That's how you do it the wrong way and that's far from "done"... ;-)
Use the vendor site for drivers which I linked to above.
That said, no sane user/admin would install old drivers.
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

Lol, I have my Windows 8.1 on a USB drive formatted to FAT32. Is this going to work?

A few questions as well,

I'm thinking of adding 7 fans to my computer, so I take it I can go lower speeds since I have so many, any recommendations of a fan that will do the job?

Also, does my ASUS A-97 3.1 Motherboard allow for fan speed control?

What free anti-virus software is there? I don't usually buy anti-virus.


Thanks!

 

[diizzy]

1. Yes
2. Why on earth would you do that? You'll only need the front fan and the one in the back which is included as far as I can tell? Panaflo/NMB-MAT is the way to go if you want to replace fans...
3. Yes
4. They're usually crap, don't bother.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832355103
It works great and really cheap right now.
//Danne

 

[Zoda]

1. Yes
2. Why on earth would you do that? You'll only need the front fan and the one in the back which is included as far as I can tell? Panaflo/NMB-MAT is the way to go if you want to replace fans...
3. Yes
4. They're usually crap, don't bother.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832355103
It works great and really cheap right now.
//Danne

I love fans and the lights that come with it. I just want to fill the spots that have options to put a fan. Will it be too loud or will it be okay still? I already have 3 exhaust fans and i feel like I should have at least 4 intake fans to create positive pressure. and if I don't fill those spots there will be vent for air to leak out and not have enough positive pressure, no?

Panaflo for sure? I see Corsair, Antec, and Coolermaster. Any of those cheap, quiet, and somewhat good for airflow?

Thanks

 

[diizzy]

Well, for my taste it'll be loud with even two fans (I love the sound of silence) and there's no need for anymore really. But yeah, you should balance in- and outtake.

Scythe makes pretty good fans too, not sure if they're still around in the US.
//Danne

 

[Dangman]

I love fans and the lights that come with it. I just want to fill the spots that have options to put a fan. Will it be too loud or will it be okay still? I already have 3 exhaust fans and i feel like I should have at least 4 intake fans to create positive pressure. and if I don't fill those spots there will be vent for air to leak out and not have enough positive pressure, no?

Panaflo for sure? I see Corsair, Antec, and Coolermaster. Any of those cheap, quiet, and somewhat good for airflow?

Thanks

You don't really need to add that many fans. Yes adding more fans tend to add to the noise level slightly. I highly recommend reading this article on case fan setup:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/02/10/the-big-cooling-investigation/1

If you still want to replace your stock fans for whatever reason, Scythe fans, as diizzy noted, are pretty quiet and are available here in the U.S via Amazon.com and Performance-pcs.com:
http://www.performance-pcs.com/brand--scythe

The Scythe Gentle Typhoons are still available from Amazon.com but are a tad pricey at ~$19 per fan. Basically, pick two out of the three fan factors you mentioned when picking fans. The Scythe Glidestream fan that comes with the Scythe Kotetsu CPU HSF that I used for a mITX setup is also pretty damn quiet.

Hit up these articles if you want to explore other fan options:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Scythe_Fans_2013
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Fan_Roundup_7

Well, for my taste it'll be loud with even two fans (I love the sound of silence)

Ahh! I knew you were one of those! That's why you always keep pushing the R4/R5!

 

[diizzy]

I would however rate Panaflo/NMB-MAT much higher than Scythe in terms of performance / noise. Scythe fans are good but not as good as Panaflo/NMB-MAT.
//Danne

 

[gawkgawk]

Coolermaster evo 212 is an awesome cooler man. I had one (with 2 stock fans) on my 3930k 6-core, stock 3.2ghz, would leave on all night 100% cpu usage encoding video would never go over 58C with ambient temps around 78-80F (26C)