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mATX build @$1500 equivalent

D

Darth Bobo

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
1,057
Hi all,

It's finally time to build me a new PC, below are my current plans. I'd appreciate reviews and comments on the list. Thanks.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
This i primarily a gaming build (Star Citizen alpha, GTAV and The Witcher 3 are on my to do list), apart from this it will be doing web browsing, office applications ect.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I'm in Denmark, but the equivalent $$ amount according to PC hound is $1500 ignoring tax and shipping.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Denmark, Copenhagen area.

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.
CPU, Motherboard, RAM, PSU, HDD, Case, Cooling, GPU.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
no internal parts will be reused. Current Screen is a 24" Dell U2414H that will be reused, periphials are possibly going to be reused (Sennheiser Game Zero headset, Logitech G602 and an old keyboard that my wife likes)

6) Will you be overclocking?
I will be overclocking yes. Not pushing boundaries as I'm prefer a quiet PC.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
24" 1920x1080 but I'm interested in nVidias DSR.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 14 days.

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.
None specific that will not come as default on most boards.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I will be running Windows 10 beta, if I need a license for this I will get 8.1 64bit., it's not a part of the $1500 budget.

Specifically I'm following the NOVA case tread in the SFF subforum. If possible I'd like a build that can be transferred to that case once it's done (assuming that current plans for supporting ATX psus sticks around).

Current Parts list:
PC Hound Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K ($234.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII GENE ($214.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) Vengeance Pro ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 GTX 970 GAMING 4G ($343.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: CORSAIR 760W AX series AX760 ($129.99 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: SAMSUNG 500GB 850 EVO MZ-75E500B/AM ($229.99 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Phanteks PH-ES314E_BK ($109.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: CORSAIR Hydro Series H100i GTX H100i GTX ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1,487.90
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound

Other Motherboard options I'm considering are the Asus Gryphon or MSIs gaming offers.
As for GPUs I'm partial to nVidia.

Am I good or are there better alternatives?

Thanks in advance.
 
diizzy said:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041570630&postcount=6
Might be of interest, these parts are all available in Sweden so it shouldn't be an issue to find these in Denmark (reasonably priced). You'll need a Z97-chipset if you want to overclock a lot of I'm not mistaken. You can of course go for an i5 CPU instead of an i7.
//Danne
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm already at the I5 as I don't think I will gain much from hypertreading, the Gene VII is Z97 so I can overclock as much as I'm comfortable with and I believe the AX760 IS made by Seasonic.

I do gather though that I should probably look into another harddrive than the 850 EVO, I haven't heard of issues with these drives, what are the supposed problems?

Also I'm curious if I should look into MSI mATX gaming motherboards or the offerings from Gigabyte? I tend to look at Asus ROG boards, but "less" might suffice?
 
Uhmm... I fail to see why you would shell out 2100 SEK on a motherboard instead getting a decent one around ~1300 SEK and getting a beefier CPU? You can still overclock but you cannot change the multipliter officially (Intel) but it looks like you can do that anyway, http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/ASUS-H97-PRO-GAMER-Motherboard/1866/6 as far as I can tell.

The AX760 is way overkill, these will do fine
Seasonic M12-II Evo 520W
Antec High Current Gamer HCG-620 620W
XFX Core Edition 650W

The 850 EVO doesn't have any major performance reported yet but given the series so far I would avoid these.

You'd want Intel LAN and Realtek Audio, no custom made or proprietary controllers (mainly audio). MSI and Gigabyte do offer that but most models wont have that from MSI or Gigabyte unless you want to puy a ridiculously amouts.
//Danne
 
How serious are you about making the PC quiet?

I concur with diizzy that you really should get the Core i7 4790K CPU. It lets you do a slight overclock, it's already clocked higher than the 4690K or regular Core i7 4790, and are better suited for the first two of the games you've mentioned due to the HT addition. The recommended specs for Star Citizen is a Core i7.
 
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790k ~2800 DKK (Webhallen, Komplett, Proshop)
Motherboard: Asus H97M-PLUS or H97-PLUS (I'd go for the mATX), ~850 DKK (Webhallen, Komplett, Proshop) for both
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16Gb 1600Mhz (2x8), ~1000 DKK (Webhallen, Komplett, Proshop)
Item no (Vendor): BLS2CP8G3D1609DS1S00CEU
Video card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 Strix DirectCU II OC HDMI DP 2xDVI 4GB ~3200 DKK (Webhallen, Komplett)
PSU: XFX TS (Gold) 650W - ~680 DKK (Proshop) - Seasonic S12G series seems awesome given its price
Antec Edge 750W ~ 949 DKK (Webhallen) - Seasonic S12G series, modular
Cooler Master V750S ~849 DKK (Komplett)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro 512Gb - ~2600 DKK (Webhallen, Komplett)
Intel 730 480Gb ~2500 DKK (Proshop)
Case: Fractal Design R4 ~800 DKK (Webhallen, Proshop)
Fractal Design R5 ~850DKK (Komplett, Webhallen, Proshop)
If you want an awesome keyboard have a look at Fujitsu KB900/KB910. About 300 DKK over at Proshop for the KB910.

There you have a very nice and silent build listed with danish e-tailers.
//Danne
 
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@Dangman.: I would very much like the PC to be quiet under low workloads (office applications, internet, movies), when playing games I'd settle for "as quiet as possible". I imagine that fanprofiles will go some ways to secure this.

With regards to Star Citizen I know that Hyper Treading makes a difference when not GPU limited, but I expect that in real life I'll be GPU limited long before being CPU limited even af 1080p. If that is the case, then I expect the HT benefit to be negligible compared to the additional cost of the i7. Is this an unreasonable assumption?

@Diizzy: Why would I want a H97 based MB over a Z97? Also going this route I cannot see that I will keep SLI as a possible upgrade path, in which case I could just jo mini-ITX.
 
Depending on application you may see the CPU bottleneck before the GPU. Still, the i7 is 0.5Ghz faster per core and has more cache memory so it's still a better performance tradeoff than getting a very expensive motherboard to achieve the same performance. There's just a 800 DKK difference in price and you can still do some overclocking on the H97-chipset.

As for the Z97 vs H97, it's mainly a bang for the buck issue really...
http://www.velocitymicro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/intel-9-chipset-table.jpg
As you can see there are very minor differences, sure you go for the Z97-A which would be closest offering by Asus which costs ~1200 DKK but does it really offer something that you actually will use? SLI scales pretty poorly and usually you end up getting a newer generation of video card because getting another one is more expensive and/or offers little performance compared to newer generations of video cards not to mention new graphic APIs such as OpenGL and/or DirectX. In my experience you're better off saving that money and getting a newer video when time comes. This is why I tried to find components that doesn't sacrifice performance, features and quality while having a reasonable retail price.

Comparing mine build to yours,
CPU --> +800 DKK
Motherboard --> -800 DKK
Memory --> -200 DKK
PSU --> -650 DKK (compared to the one around 700 DKK)
Storage --> +700 DKK (Samsung 850 Pro, 10y warranty) - Crucial M550 offers a better price/performance ratio but it doesn't seem to available in Denmark and the Micron M600 isn't listed at all...
Case --> -150 DKK (R4)

Sure, you can go ITX but you'll never get a silent build by doing so...
//Danne
 
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Darth Bobo said:
@Dangman.: I would very much like the PC to be quiet under low workloads (office applications, internet, movies), when playing games I'd settle for "as quiet as possible". I imagine that fanprofiles will go some ways to secure this.
Click to expand...
In the case, stick with the Seasonic PSU, Asus video card, and Fractal Design case that dizzy recommended as those are generally very quiet parts.

You'll also need a 3rd party HSF as the stock Intel HSF is rather loud. But you'll want to avoid CLCs in general due to the fact that they can be rather noisy. So basically stick to air-cooling HSF. For a quiet PC, I recommend the following HSF:
$41 - Scythe SCKTT-1000 HSF
$71 - Noctua NH-D14 120mm and 140mm HSF

Darth Bobo said:
With regards to Star Citizen I know that Hyper Treading makes a difference when not GPU limited, but I expect that in real life I'll be GPU limited long before being CPU limited even af 1080p. If that is the case, then I expect the HT benefit to be negligible compared to the additional cost of the i7. Is this an unreasonable assumption?
Click to expand...
It's a reasonable assumption if we weren't talking about Star Citizen and GTA V. However, since those are the games you've mentioned, from what I've been reading, the two games are CPU demanding at almost every resolution possible. As such, the HT benefits will be substantial enough to warrant the extra costs.
diizzy said:
Depending on application you may see the CPU bottleneck before the GPU. Still, the i7 is 0.5Ghz faster per core and has more cache memory so it's still a better performance tradeoff than getting a very expensive motherboard to achieve the same performance. There's just a 800 DKK difference in price and you can still do some overclocking on the H97-chipset.
Click to expand...
Last I checked, only AsRock H97 mobos had the ability to overclock. Do you have any information showing Asus H97 mobos can overclock?

diizzy said:
Sure, you can go ITX but you'll never get a silent build by doing so...
Click to expand...
Actually he can get a very very quiet mITX build rather easily. The only problem is that it'll end costing far more than a regular ATX setup.
 
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The Intel HSF is actually pretty good unless you want to overclock, if anything grab the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo and replace the fan with one by NMB/Panaflo and you're good to go. Noctua are just overpriced products imho.

Page 48 lists overclocking in the manual so I assume that it's correct (H97-PLUS and the H97M-PLUS is the mATX version of it so...).
//Danne
 
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You tend to see Notcua a bit more than other HSF brands. Also, one of the reasons why I recommend that Scythe HSF is because it comes with a quiet fan already and offers similar cooling to the Hyper 212 Evo.
 
OK, this thread is a little all over the place, but I can't help adding to the confusion.

With a focus on being silent and avoiding Samsung, yes I just don't like that brand, and not mixing stores.
Please remember I focus a lot on silence.

I took all prices from computersalg.dk, I do not have a preference for this shop, but they have never shafted me and they are e marked.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 1.971 kr., go for the bigger HT model if the budget allows for it.
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII GENE, 1.580 kr., your pick, I'm sure you could save money here.
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8 GB, 1019 kr., cheaper, lower profile and 1.35V
Video Card:
ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5, 2.925 kr., Fan is off when the card is at low load.
Power Supply: CORSAIR 760W AX series AX760, 1.394 kr., Fan is off at low load, coil whine only present on old models
Storage: Crucial MX200 500 GB, 1.603 kr., don't toss over 2000 kr. at Samsung, just my preference, plus Crucial has a very good SSD track record.
I don't know if the samsung has better numbers, but reviewers are struggling to prove any use able difference between SSD models at the moment.
Unless you can go NVME it's only about brand and price IMO.
Case: Phanteks PH-ES314E, 910 kr., your choice.
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15, 627 kr., don't go water unless you know that you have a problem moving hot air out of you case.
When the PSU and GPU fans don't move, you have no spinning HDD and a set of ultra low RPM Noctua fans in the case, you'll be able to hear the water cooler pump.

Total: 12.032,90 kr. including shipping.

I do not know how this lines up with your budget, but feel free to comment.
If you want to save money:
There's cheaper Z97 boards out there that will perform the same for less money.
The PSU is expensive and overkill for your use, but it is the most reasonable option if you want Seasonic quality and a fan that is off on low load. Yes the Seasonic 660 version cost about 50 kr. less, but why.

On the topic of getting heat out of the case, without OC, you are probably looking at a max of 300 watts in that case, and there's plenty of air venting, even with a heavy OC, you should have plenty of airflow with a slow front and back fan.

Finally, I don't know the fans the case comes with, but if you want proper silent fans, get some Noctua ultra low rpm fans, they come with two pairs of RPM reduction cables and I really recommend them, despite the fact they don't move a lot of air.

EDIT:
I prefer to not mix stores when building a complete system, as it is hell when the system does not boot and you have to figure out what part is DOA and where to send it.

EDIT EDIT:
I actually don't know of the Noctua D15 will fit in that case, I just looked up big air cooler. You should be able to go with a smaller thing like the Hyper 212 without any problems, may just get a little hotter/noisier under high load.
According to the H review the case will fit anything up to 195 mm, and the D15 is "only" 165 mm tall.
I don't think it is a healthy cooler to use, if you go to a lot of old fashioned LAN parties.
 
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@runs2bad: Not far from where I am right now.

I have a hard time picking another motherboard that the GENE VII, even if it overkill.

I cannot convince myself that hypertreading will make much of a difference once both the i5 and i7 are running 4.4+GHz. I'm still undecided on the CPU...

For storage I'll probably end up with the Samsung 850 Pro, but I will take a look at the Crucial offerings before ordering.

As for PSU I have come across the Super Flower Leadex Gold 750W that appears to also have 0 RPM mode fan and comes in at a much lower price than equivalent Seasonic or Corsair offerings.

RAM is a toss up, aslong as it's 1.5V or less I'm content. Currently I'm sticking with Corsair because I have had good experiences with them before, I have never used a Crucial product so I'm probably unfair.

As for GPU I'm at the Strix now also for that sweet silence at Idle or light loads, But keep in mind that the GPU will be overclocked too.

Current Build is as follows:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII GENE
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3-1600 DC 16GB
Video Card: ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Gold 750W
Storage: Samsung 850 pro 512GB
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv, white
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX
 
Well, motherboard is a bit of a complicated thing to choose, I would probably go with a Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5, but I'm not going to argue against what you have found.

On the SSD, I stated earlier that I just have a bug against Samsung, nothing else there and you would probably be hard pressed to ever know what SSD you put in the machine.

Looks like you have found a very nice alternative to the Seasonic based PSU, it has a few small design flaws but JonnyGuru review gave it a 9.7, well done :)
I recommended the AX760 based on owning one, and the fan has not started spinning once so far.

On the RAM, I'm not going to argue against brand preference.
However I would look for some memory without those stupid high heat spreaders, they are purely cosmetic and may end up blocking a big air cooler.
Additionally, yes 1.5 Volt is fine, but if they can run with the same specs at 1.35 Volt, there's room to play with the 0.15 Volt difference.

Overclocked or not, at low load or emperatures, the GPU fans will be silent.

I'm still not a fan of that AIO water cooler, but it's you money.
One of the main sources of noise in my current system is the loop pump.
 
I think that my reasoning for the Asus Gene VII is that I know exactly what I'm getting with regards to quality and features, even if I never get to use all the things it's capable of I'll be "secure".

With regards to the closed loop cooling it is a bit of a gamble with regards to potential pump noise, but it's an itch I have to scratch. If it ends up being too noisy I'll by an air cooler, but I hope that I'll be happy with it.

Anyway I'm pushing the button now, so I should have all the parts in the beginning of next week. I'll post a build tread once the parts are in.

Thanks for your replies all :)
 
Well, good luck with it.

You ask for advice, we give it, and it looks like your build has been improved a little by posting here.
 
You might run into issues with the ram due to clearance (heatsinks are overly large for whatever reason).
If noise is a concern why would you go for the Phanteks case over Fractal Design?
We've been over the mainboard, it's your call... If you're dead set on Z97, Z97-A will do the same without the gaming crap.
//Danne
 
diizzy said:
You might run into issues with the ram due to clearance (heatsinks are overly large for whatever reason).
If noise is a concern why would you go for the Phanteks case over Fractal Design?
We've been over the mainboard, it's your call... If you're dead set on Z97, Z97-A will do the same without the gaming crap.
//Danne
Click to expand...

With Regards to the RAM heatsinks I have no issues as I've chosen a closed loop cooler, so there is no overhang.

I went for the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv because I liked the design better. The build quality is close to flawless and apart from the size I have nothing bad to say about the case. Regardless I still hope that the Phanteks case is only a temporary home for the hardware.

I got all the parts yesterday and finished putting it together. The build itself was flawless, everything went into place easily and it booted without a hitch

Hardware list:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII GENE
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3-1600 DC 16GB
Video Card: ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Gold 750W
Storage: Samsung 850 pro 512GB
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv, white
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX

I have yet to set fanprofiles and fine tune my Overclock, but so far I'm running the i5 at 4.6GHz and have gained the first 100MHz on the GPU.

I got past 10K in Futuremark Firestrike which I think isn't bad at all. Hopefully I'll get to run some games on it before long, but I'd like to get my OC dialed in and stability tested first AND I need to get the Fan speed and controls properly adjusted.

171A533A-C99D-4B61-88A1-23B8482C901C.jpg
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Small OC update:

I have the I5-4690K stable now at 4.5GHz with 1.2V, tested with OCCT large data set for 8+ hours and max temps at 68C and the H100i GTX fan DC control set to "silent" in the fan monitor bios setting.

The Strix is currently boosting at 1.403MHz stable (Furmark Firestrike), I haven't been able to get past 1.500MHz stable yet, but I'll see how far it will go, on the upside it's virtually silent :)

The PSU is perfectly quiet with the fan set to ECO mode and have given me zero problems so far.
 
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