New Gaming Build

Syribo

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
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My boyfriend is looking into a new build, and while I'm researching parts and deals myself, you guys always helped me way more and save WAY MORE money that I ever could do on my own! :) So any advice is appreciated!

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming is most important.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1700, tax and shipping not included.

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

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, Mobo, RAM, HDD, Case, off market HSF?, PSU,

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
He is re-using his EVGA GTX 780 Superclocked 3GB GPU and will need a second for SLI but not yet. So an additional GPU is not needed at the moment, but down the line it will be.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes, plan to OC the CPU and also the GPU(s).

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
He uses four monitors currently at 5760 x 1080. Three to stretch games across, and the fourth for other out of game stuff. So the build would need to be able to support a quad monitor setup.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the month, or 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.
Most important is it be SLI compatible.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 64-bit
 
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He has Ultimate, and yes, that MicroCenter is just a few blocks from where he works so it's very very close :)
 
I was putting together some build ideas with him.. I came up with all of this so far:
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A71 --- $129.99 (MC) -$20 MIR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=814129

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 --- $269.99 (MC)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=583369

Mobo: MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming LGA 1150 --- $187.99 (MC) -$10 MIR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=614891

PSU: Corsair Professional Series HX 1050 Watt --- $239.99 (MC) -$20 MIR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=916791

RAM: Vengeance Series 16GB DDR-1600 --- $159.99 (NE)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233365

HDD: WD BLACK SERIES WD1003FZEX 1TB 7200 RPM --- $89.99 (NE)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236625

SDD: SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 128GB SATA III --- $119.99 (NE)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO --- $34.99 (NE) -$5.00 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

TP: Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound --- $9.99 (NE)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038

TOTAL (Without tax and shipping): $1242.91 Before GPU

GPU: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked 3GB --- $529.99 (NE or MC) -$20 MIR

TOTAL (Without tax and shipping): $1772.90 With GPU
After rebates: $1697.90


He would go with getting another 780 GPU right off the bat if the other parts all came out to less enough that he could get the GPU with them and still be at $1700. So, it looks like with the parts and sales above... it should be okay. Now to just make sure these are good picks and parts, and everything will definitely work well together!

I realized, he doesn't need a DVD/CD drive, he is re-using one. I forgot to add that.
 
Working down the list:

Do make sure that you get the 4770K and not the 4770 you wrote. They're actually two different CPUs. In addition, Microcenter's $30 off motherboard discount only works with the 4770K and not the 4770. As for the motherboard, it's a solid motherboard. Not a fan of the Killer NIC to be honest but a solid motherboard nonetheless.

The PSU is fine. Thou you would be fine with this lower wattage and cheaper but higher quality 850W PSU instead:
$180 - Corsair Professional Series Gold AX860 860W Modular PSU

RAM wise, that RAM isn't a good choice for two reasons:
1) It's a tad overpriced considering that you can get this cheaper Kingston RAM with similar specs:
$149 - Kingston HyperX Red 2 x 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM

2) Its tall heatspreaders will interfere with most air-cooling HSF, especially with something like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo.

HDD wise, IMO, Black drives aren't really worth it in general unless you absolutely have to have a five year warranty on your drive. P{ersoanlly, I'd want more storage space, something like this:
$87 - Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

SSD wise, good SSD. But just not worth it considering that you can get double the space for a slight loss in performance and really not noticeabl drop in quality for the same price:
$140 - Samsung 840 Evo Series 250GB SSD

As for the HSF and TP: You don't need the extra thermal paste as the thermal paste that comes with most mid to high-end air coolers are solid enough. With that said, for not much more than that combined $45 total for the HSF and thermal paste, you can get this liquid AIO:
$48 - Cooler Master Seidon 120V Liquid Cooling System

Considering that the 4770K runs significantly hot when overclocked (but relatively and extremely cool when not OC'd), I would get that Coolermaster Seidon 120V. It cools better than the Hyper 212+ and does bring that WOW factor to a PC.

Finally the case: Honestly the only bad thing I have to say about this case is its looks. Not my cup of tea. I've worked with the Chaser A31 (the mid-tower relative of the A71) and it's a very solid case for the most part. Everything is laid out and set up correctly, stand-offs are pre-installed, there's an 8Pin extension cable included, and the HDD mounts for the HDD trays are great. The A71 solves my chief complaint about the A31: Its cramped interior length.
 
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Thank you so much for the suggestions!! :)

I wasn't sure if an ~800 watt PSU would be enough for that. So even with this build and two GTX 780's, that will be enough power?

About the RAM, Is there a difference between the exact one you linked (Model #KHX16C10B1RK2/16) and another one that is Model #KHX16C10B1RK2/16X? They look.. the same. One just says XMP?

Wow, I have been out of the loop on most new hardware for a while.. Since I can't personally afford to upgrade my severely aged system, I have stayed away from even looking at new hardware because it makes me sad and jealous ;) I had no idea there even were coolers that were liquid... but didn't require the maintenance of a complete water cooled system! That's pretty amazing. So there's really no maintenance to it? It just... cools on its own?

And thanks for the feedback on the case! I know that's a really subjective part for everyone to pick, since everyone has such different tastes. I remember picking out my Thermaltake Armor on here, and some people liked the looks, and some didn't haha :) It's good to hear that the case is pretty good! He should be purchasing the parts in the next few days or so, very excited!
 
Thank you so much for the suggestions!! :)

I wasn't sure if an ~800 watt PSU would be enough for that. So even with this build and two GTX 780's, that will be enough power?
Yes as you can see here:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013...0x_crossfire_video_card_review/9#.UyKWsPldUul

A fully overclocked Core i7 3770K, a single HDD, and with GTX 780 SLI ran to around 600W of power. So 850W is plenty.

About the RAM, Is there a difference between the exact one you linked (Model #KHX16C10B1RK2/16) and another one that is Model #KHX16C10B1RK2/16X? They look.. the same. One just says XMP?
Nothing really.

Wow, I have been out of the loop on most new hardware for a while.. Since I can't personally afford to upgrade my severely aged system, I have stayed away from even looking at new hardware because it makes me sad and jealous ;) I had no idea there even were coolers that were liquid... but didn't require the maintenance of a complete water cooled system! That's pretty amazing. So there's really no maintenance to it? It just... cools on its own?
Yup. Just dust it out like you would with a normal air-cooling HSF every once in awhile and you'll be set.

And thanks for the feedback on the case! I know that's a really subjective part for everyone to pick, since everyone has such different tastes. I remember picking out my Thermaltake Armor on here, and some people liked the looks, and some didn't haha It's good to hear that the case is pretty good! He should be purchasing the parts in the next few days or so, very excited!
IIRC, I think I was one of those who didn't like it in your thread.
 
God.. I barely remember back that far! It's actually been exactly 6 years this week, I think, since that build! I would love to go back and see if anyone warned me about wire maintenance.. because to me, that case sucks for it ;) Still using it!

So it looks like this is the final build with your suggestions in place:
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A71 --- $129.99 (MC) -$20 MIR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=814129

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770k --- $269.99 (MC)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=583369

Mobo: MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming LGA 1150 --- $184.99 (MC) -$10 MIR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=614891

PSU: Corsair Professional Series 860 Watt AX860 --- $179.99 (NE) -$20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139044

RAM: Kingston Technology HyperX Red 16GB Kit (2x8GB) --- $148.74
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XQ9PEA

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB --- $89.99-$79.99 (NE) -$10 Promo Code (EMCYTZT5868)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

SDD: SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE250BW 250GB --- $144.99 (NE)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147248

Cooler: Cooler Master Seido 120V Liquid Water Cooling System --- $49.99 (NE) -$10 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103195

TOTAL (Without tax and shipping): $1188.67 Before GPU

GPU: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked 3GB --- $529.99 (NE) -$20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130918


TOTAL (Without tax and shipping): $1718.91 With GPU
After rebates: $1638.66


I hope I even did the calculations correct.. it looks great, I'm excited! It's also pretty good to know that all of this can be run on ~800 watts. Hopefully that means when I upgrade my own system one day, finally, my 750TX will be able to still be used :)
 
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Apparently the fan that comes with the Seidon is pretty loud. You may want to upgrade to a pair of quiet, high static pressure Gentle Typhoons (or better, Noiseblocker Multiframes). But at that point, you may as well get a Noctua U12P.
 
So after purchasing all of the parts and putting together, first issue started.

While powering on, fans start up for about one rotation, power seems to go on, and then it all goes off (light on mobo stays on?). No beeps, no POST, nothing.

I would think it's possibly a short? Would you suggest taking the mobo back out, on a safe surface, and trying to power on the system that way, to see if there's an issue with the standoffs first? Or test the PSU by swapping it with a known working one?
 
I would think it's possibly a short? Would you suggest taking the mobo back out, on a safe surface, and trying to power on the system that way, to see if there's an issue with the standoffs first? Or test the PSU by swapping it with a known working one?

The former first.
 
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