Thoughts on Gaming Build

[Jake_Jerkum]

All it would be an understatement to say that I don't post much but I need some thoughts on this build. Any advice would be appreciated. My current machine looks like its going to be giving up the ghost soon and I would like to build another one. Right now I only play ESO but that could change in the future.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? General web browsing and gaming

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included? $1200 shipping included

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

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, Memory, Storage, Video Card, Case, Power Supply, Optical Drive, Operating System

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model. None

6) Will you be overclocking? No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it? 22 inch 1080p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? In the next month or so

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. Nothing special

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Need to buy windows 8.1 64bit OEM


Proposed Build:

CPU Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core
Motherboard ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150
Memory G.Skill AEGIS 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600
Storage Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" SSD
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0
Case Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower
Power Supply Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V
Optical Drive Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
Operating System Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

 

[Dangman]

What's the price for that RAM and SSD?
Which Antec 620W PSU are you talking about? Antec has two different 620W models.
How long is the drive to the following Microcenters for you?:
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/westbury.aspx
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/yonkers.aspx
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/queens.aspx
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/brooklyn.aspx

Though there are some problems with your build as is:
- Unless that Core i5 4670 is $180 or so, it's not worth getting over the cheaper Core i5 4590 CPU.

- That case is just a bad case for the money. I recommend the following higher quality cases:
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$55 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R Windowed ATX Case
$63 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case
$70 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black w/ Window ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 V2 ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$100 - Phanteks “Enthoo Pro Series“ Black ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$116 - Thermaltake Chaser A71 Full Tower ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Graphite Series 730T ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Obsidian Series 450D ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$133 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case

 

[Jake_Jerkum]

Whoops thought I put in the prices. I will list them below. I appreciate the input. A lot of this build was put together in February so its a bit dated. The Westbury store is the closest to where I work but its like an hour and a half away.

CPU Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core $218.93
Motherboard ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 $81.98
Memory G.Skill AEGIS 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $144.99
Storage Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" SSD $129.99
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 $329.99
Case Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower $54.99
Power Supply Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V $79.98
Optical Drive Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer $19.98
Operating System Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) $89.98
Total 1150.81

 

[Jake_Jerkum]

The power supply I was looking at is Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W

 

[Dangman]

Well in addition to what I said earlier about the CPU and case, that PSU isn't the best choice at the $80 price point. This Seasonic is of higher quality:
$80 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU

Not worth going to Microcenter in your case. So go with the cheaper Core i5 4590:
$195 - Intel Core i5-4590 CPU

 

[Jake_Jerkum]

Thanks for your help. I had a feeling some of the components on the list were a bit dated. I wish I had a Microcenter closer to me but oh well.