PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Kalmado]

my shitty old laptop is going to die soon and i can get a zero-interest loan through my work for a new computer, so i have decided i am going to build a pc. the last time i built one was in preparation for doom 3. accordingly, i have no idea what i'm doing anymore (e.g., would stock cooling gear that comes with the CPU/case be sufficient? is the PSU sufficient for the estimated wattage?). i've cobbled together a list of stuff, if anyone could point out any glaring deficiencies or suggest some improvements that keep it inside the current budget ($1200) i would appreciate it!


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.45 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus MX279H 27.0" Monitor ($249.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1164.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-04 22:19 EDT-0400

First question as always, are you near a Micro Center? That can definitely change things regarding price for cpu and mobo.

CPU: Fine choice if you're not overclocking, although an AMD equivalent may be cheaper and perform similar.
MB: If not overclocking no reason to get a Z87/97 board. You can get a H board and save money.
Ram: I'd look at G.Skill Ares/Sniper/Ripjaw on Newegg when they have 2x8gb CAS 9 1866 for $99. Better value in my opinion. The ram you chose is more along the lines of 1333 speed due to CAS 11 and high timings.
ssd: Nothing wrong with it. Keep a look out for deals on other brands. If you're not shy about doing big mail in rebates you can at times get a 240gb OCZ for around $30 after rebate from Tigerdirect.
hdd: Good choice.
gpu: I'm personally not a fan of the 970 due to it being 3.5gb. Just my 2 cents, but I'd only get one if it's on massive discount, like, $280 + free game or less.
case: No opinion as it's user preference. I do have the 300R and I really like it.
psu: I'm not a fan of the Corsair Builder line. It's middle of the pack quality at best. XFX 550w for $27 after rebate is a good buy if you're looking to go cheap but keep quality.
monitor: Seems very expensive for just 1080p. I understand it's 27", but for that price I would suggest getting a QNIX 1440p monitor for $280. http://www.ebay.com/itm/QNIX-QX2710-...item1e876ecd0b

I hope this helps!

Edit: If you're set on something similar to the Asus monitor, or are looking to save as much as possible, right now Newegg has a LG 27" 1080p monitor for $171 after promo code at checkout. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824025041

[Kalmado]

So I'm gearing up to build a rig. It will be my first time from the ground up, but I will have assistance with the installation. My situation is trying to find a suitable medium for high-end gaming while also using it for 3D modeling purposes (AutoDesk, Rhino, etc).

I went through my first iteration of parts below. The GPU may flip around depending on deals but that's the one I chose for now. I'd also like your opinions on M.2 vs SSD storage - I want to primarily have my OS and 3D programs on the SSD while my bulk data goes to an HDD (I'm sacrificing QOL/speed for $ and storage capacity - I'm already teetering near 500gb with just movies/games alone).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($98.37 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($208.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($95.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270X 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($154.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Titanium) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($27.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1388.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-04 23:36 EDT-0400

Micro Center near by?

I'm not savvy regarding 3d modeling so I do not have any feedback regarding anything specific to that. Same with M.2 vs SSD. From briefly reading about it, it seems like more money for better transfer speed. For someone like myself I probably wouldn't even notice the difference, but for your applications it may be worth the money.

Build overall looks good. Only thing I 100% would not get is that power supply. Better for similar price can be had. I use the same PNY SSD and I have zero complaints. I'd look into a Seagate 3TB when there is a deal. Can usually score one for around $75-$85 after rebate.

GPU: If you can pull the trigger right now, Newegg has the XFX R9 280 for $150 after rebate and it comes with Dirt Rally. I'm a huge fan of XFX and it's important to note that gpu has a lifetime warranty. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150706

The monitor you chose also is on sale right now on Newegg for $120 after rebate and promo code EMCATAR36 at checkout. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236174

Hope this helps!

[Jaybar]

Micro Center near by?

I'm not savvy regarding 3d modeling so I do not have any feedback regarding anything specific to that. Same with M.2 vs SSD. From briefly reading about it, it seems like more money for better transfer speed. For someone like myself I probably wouldn't even notice the difference, but for your applications it may be worth the money.

Build overall looks good. Only thing I 100% would not get is that power supply. Better for similar price can be had. I use the same PNY SSD and I have zero complaints. I'd look into a Seagate 3TB when there is a deal. Can usually score one for around $75-$85 after rebate.

GPU: If you can pull the trigger right now, Newegg has the XFX R9 280 for $150 after rebate and it comes with Dirt Rally. I'm a huge fan of XFX and it's important to note that gpu has a lifetime warranty. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150706

The monitor you chose also is on sale right now on Newegg for $120 after rebate and promo code EMCATAR36 at checkout. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236174

Hope this helps!

Luckily there is a Micro Center about 1mi from me in the city. Thanks for your input it is much appreciated! I'm not sure I want to pull the trigger just yet because I don't plan on getting parts together until sometime towards the end of this month - if that deal you posted is a steal then perhaps I will. I thought since the new GPUs just came out I could expect a better price drop on the previous gens later this month. Thoughts?

I'll keep looking into M.2 stuff because I'm not sure how much help it will be for modeling. Most 3D modeling software asks you to get the workstation GPUs (the $1000 ones with the same architecture as the gaming versions), but I am not going to get into that crap.

[Kalmado]

With the Micro Center being close that will save at least $40 on the motherboard. Fun fact, you still get the combo discount on open box motherboards and rebates apply to them as well! I'm going to trek to the closest MC and get an AMD 8320E + Asrock 970 board for around $106 after tax, rebate, and coupon. Oh! MC coupon for $5 off $30 single item. Not much, but still it's savings! http://instore.thread.co/retailmenot...HHIU244FXKRWAQ

That XFX gpu has been that price a few times. Same with the Sapphire equivalent. I don't see it going up in price, but you're right in the respect it may go down once Fiji is released. Another thing you can try to do is ask your MC to give a better price on any open box gpus they have. For instance, I purchased an open box Asus R9 290X OC Edition for $232 after tax and rebate. I also received a copy of Dirt Rally with it. Someone on [H]ardforum.com got a Titan X for $675+tax!

I always piece together my stuff as well. I never buy everything all at once. Too expensive that way! Keep an eye on slickdeals.net for hot prices on items you're looking for. It helps!

[synistar]

Also since you are doing 3d modeling & rendering, you may as well throw down for an i-7 or AMD equivalent multithreading processor. If anything, you will future proof any CPU bottleneck. That's my only 2 cents on the build.

And if you are not planning on overclocking, no need to get an unlocked CPU. Save $20-30 there.

[Jaybar]

I will be outsourcing the rendering to a render farm at my studio so I don't think I will need the i7 for multi-threading. I'd probably end up overclocking anyway, though.

[Jaybar]

Thanks for the heads up on the deals, Kal. I went ahead and got that monitor and picked up the open-packaged MOBO, saving me about $50 right there. Trying to check out other PSUs and came across this one - it has more power than I need but should be pretty efficient then.

Power Supply: Antec HCG M 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)

[Moridam]

First question as always, are you near a Micro Center? That can definitely change things regarding price for cpu and mobo.

CPU: Fine choice if you're not overclocking, although an AMD equivalent may be cheaper and perform similar.
MB: If not overclocking no reason to get a Z87/97 board. You can get a H board and save money.
Ram: I'd look at G.Skill Ares/Sniper/Ripjaw on Newegg when they have 2x8gb CAS 9 1866 for $99. Better value in my opinion. The ram you chose is more along the lines of 1333 speed due to CAS 11 and high timings.
ssd: Nothing wrong with it. Keep a look out for deals on other brands. If you're not shy about doing big mail in rebates you can at times get a 240gb OCZ for around $30 after rebate from Tigerdirect.
hdd: Good choice.
gpu: I'm personally not a fan of the 970 due to it being 3.5gb. Just my 2 cents, but I'd only get one if it's on massive discount, like, $280 + free game or less.
case: No opinion as it's user preference. I do have the 300R and I really like it.
psu: I'm not a fan of the Corsair Builder line. It's middle of the pack quality at best. XFX 550w for $27 after rebate is a good buy if you're looking to go cheap but keep quality.
monitor: Seems very expensive for just 1080p. I understand it's 27", but for that price I would suggest getting a QNIX 1440p monitor for $280. http://www.ebay.com/itm/QNIX-QX2710-...item1e876ecd0b

I hope this helps!

Edit: If you're set on something similar to the Asus monitor, or are looking to save as much as possible, right now Newegg has a LG 27" 1080p monitor for $171 after promo code at checkout. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824025041

awesome, thanks for the suggestions! will be making some tweaks over the weekend and hopefully get everything finalized early next week to start ordering. i do have a microcenter near-ish, but unfortunately gas/sales tax (and my general aversion to driving into boston) are just high enough to wipe out any savings. if i could grab that i5-4690k combo online i'd be all over it.

regarding the H vs. Z series for motherboards, all of the H line stuff i've looked at seems to max out at DDR3 1600. will a higher-rated stick like the CAS9 1866 still drop in and work? is it worth spending the extra $10-20 on a Z just for the headroom as far as memory speed is concerned?

also, if you were to opt for something that isn't the 970, what's a good alternative to look at in terms of neighbors in price/performance ?

i do agree as far as the cost vs. specs on the monitor, but i chose that one specifically because it's both 27" and tested at sub-1-frame input latency. which normally doesn't matter all that much, but it's really important for fighting games. since it's going to be a dual purpose pc/console monitor, i want to make sure all of my bases are covered.

[Kalmado]

awesome, thanks for the suggestions! will be making some tweaks over the weekend and hopefully get everything finalized early next week to start ordering. i do have a microcenter near-ish, but unfortunately gas/sales tax (and my general aversion to driving into boston) are just high enough to wipe out any savings. if i could grab that i5-4690k combo online i'd be all over it.

regarding the H vs. Z series for motherboards, all of the H line stuff i've looked at seems to max out at DDR3 1600. will a higher-rated stick like the CAS9 1866 still drop in and work? is it worth spending the extra $10-20 on a Z just for the headroom as far as memory speed is concerned?

also, if you were to opt for something that isn't the 970, what's a good alternative to look at in terms of neighbors in price/performance ?

i do agree as far as the cost vs. specs on the monitor, but i chose that one specifically because it's both 27" and tested at sub-1-frame input latency. which normally doesn't matter all that much, but it's really important for fighting games. since it's going to be a dual purpose pc/console monitor, i want to make sure all of my bases are covered.

MB: Right this minute there doesn't seem to be any good H option available price wise. They do come up, it's just getting the right one. If the price is right on a Z87 or Z97 I would definitely pull the trigger. It was a few months ago, but Frys had a MSI Z87-GD65 gaming board for $30 after rebate. That sold out extremely fast. I have a MSI Z87-G45 Gaming that just came back from MSI so it's factory refurbished. Either the board was bad or it just really really dislikes the Pentium G3258. Either way, it didn't work correctly so they sent me this one. I'm going to sell it for $50 if you're interested.

GPU: This is a tough one because so many sites are biased on team green vs. team red. I'm team wallet so I don't care what's on the label. I had a Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 and it was good, but I wanted more. I ended up selling it and for only $125 more (after rebates and selling included games) I have crossfire Asus R9 290x. I really like them so far and they perform great. They do run hotter than the 970, but I find them on the same noise level. R9 290 can usually be found for $240 after rebate. It's said to overclock extremely well. If you're not in a hurry I would definitely wait to see what deals pop up. It's been awhile, but there was even a 290x for $243 after rebate.

Monitor: I'm not super monitor savvy so someone else may be able to offer a better suggestion or correct me if I'm wrong and educate me. Looking at the specs of that Asus it states it's 5ms response time. My understanding what that's the important to fps players and what not. Today only this Acer 27" is 4ms response time and $180 with promo code (that I can PM if you don't receive Frys promo codes). From what I've seen while monitor shopping Asus tends to be the most expensive. LG, Acer, BenQ, and the Korean 1440p options seem to be a much much better value once at 27"+.

[Moridam]

i thought about it for a bit, and came to the conclusion that a 27" monitor for my primary display with the way my room is set up is actually pretty overboard. i'm stepping down to a 24" benq model for something like $70-80 cheaper that meets the ~zero-frame-lag test.

now the big question is whether i want to hold out for the 16th, as i guess the new radeon 300 line is going to release then. price point seems to be right around what the GTX970s run right now, and i'm assuming they'll be higher up on the performance curve. any thoughts?

$50 for that board sounds like a steal -- i'd definitely be interested if it's still up for grabs. will it be eligible for factory exchange in the event that it has any hiccups?

[Kalmado]

I've bought many MSI products and have only had to RMA two. Neither time have they asked for proof of purchase or receipt. I purchased that board 09/24/2014 and it has a 3 year warranty so it's good until 09/24/2017. Per MSI's product page for the G45, the I5-4460 may is compatible, but per pcpartpicker it may need a BIOS update for it to work since it's a Haswell Refresh chip. It may be factory updated to accept the Haswell Refresh chips since it's a refurb. I'd have to unseal it from the factory settings, but I'm more than happy to check tomorrow.

Regarding the gpu, I'd wait it out. It's only a week and could possibly be a swing in price. Worth it if you ask me.

[Cal]

My current GPU is an MSI - and I couldn't be happier. I tend to stick with ASUS boards, admittedly, but mostly from the background of hackintoshing (they and Gigabyt are a bit more friendly to that, and I have only heard horror stories about Gigabyt).

I'm definitely expecting the GTX9XX series to swing in price pretty wildly for a bit; didn't the 980 Ti just release on the 31st? I admit I'm a bit out of date, since I don't intend to upgrade my card (and tend to not follow things as much when I'm outside of my typical upgrade cycle). But, that should typically affect pricing (at least in my experience).

[Arkanna]

Counter to Kalmado's experiences with MSI, a long time ago I purchased an expensive MSI board. I'd give you more detail in this story if I could remember it; it's been literally ten years though. The board I bought was a performance board and was in the $250-$275 price range. I had it installed and working (in a new build), noticed it was a few versions back on the BIOS, so I flashed it. The flash procedure bricked the board and I am tech-savvy (so I knew I didn't do anything wrong), so I Google'd on another PC to see if others had the same problem with it. I ended up finding a LOT of forum posts and even a few news articles about the problem. Even after telling them that and proving it with URL's and screen captures, MSI still refused to do anything about it, saying "You flashed the board, it got bricked, your fucking problem".

So I gave up and put MSI on my never-buy-again list, though I did fuck up a few years back and bought an MSI 7970 before I realized it.

Again, this was 10+ years ago, so they may have changed entirely. But when I get fucked over, I remember it. I've got a good Ford story too, but that's obviously not for this thread. >.>;;

*edit*

Thinking back, Newegg was good about it. Since MSI refused to help me, Newegg gave me store credit on the board, provided I returned it in the original packaging and used the credit on a similar board from a different manufacturer.

[Adajer]

My ASRock motherboard is the only component of my PC that has never been changed. Pretty rock solid, they always have great performance reviews and are cheaper in price.

Video card wise. I would never buy anything from EVGA. Too many horror stories about coil whine, high temps, and bad quality control. I have owned a bunch of MSI video cards and a couple Gigabytes. MSI was the best imo until 900 series of Nivida.

[Kalmado]

Counter to Kalmado's experiences with MSI, a long time ago I purchased an expensive MSI board. I'd give you more detail in this story if I could remember it; it's been literally ten years though. The board I bought was a performance board and was in the $250-$275 price range. I had it installed and working (in a new build), noticed it was a few versions back on the BIOS, so I flashed it. The flash procedure bricked the board and I am tech-savvy (so I knew I didn't do anything wrong), so I Google'd on another PC to see if others had the same problem with it. I ended up finding a LOT of forum posts and even a few news articles about the problem. Even after telling them that and proving it with URL's and screen captures, MSI still refused to do anything about it, saying "You flashed the board, it got bricked, your fucking problem".

So I gave up and put MSI on my never-buy-again list, though I did fuck up a few years back and bought an MSI 7970 before I realized it.

Again, this was 10+ years ago, so they may have changed entirely. But when I get fucked over, I remember it. I've got a good Ford story too, but that's obviously not for this thread. >.>;;

*edit*

Thinking back, Newegg was good about it. Since MSI refused to help me, Newegg gave me store credit on the board, provided I returned it in the original packaging and used the credit on a similar board from a different menufacturer.

Wow that's really crappy to hear! I too recall hearing about how awhile back there were major issues with MSI and updating BIOS. While none of mine have bricked, it's incredibly annoying regarding this specific G45. I've used from them a G41, 3x PC-Mate, a P33, and will soon be doing a AMD 970. Only this G45 has given me issues. I'm going to reach out to Newegg. I thought it over and I do not feel comfortable selling it to someone using a Haswell Refresh or Devil's Canyon chip because if they face the same issues I've had they will need to RMA and will have to pay the shipping.

edit: No luck with Egg. Said it's past the return date and since it's a refurbished model they cannot accept it. Oh well.

[Greatguardian]

So, I just bought a new Corsair 750M PSU (This) to go with my new R9 290x (replacing an old 550W PSU and a 6870), and I've been hearing a ton of coil whine whenever the machine starts up or is idling. The noise dissipates whenever the system is under load, but it's easily the loudest component in my system otherwise. Newegg is willing to let me RMA it, but my basic googlefu and wikifu tell me that this is a fairly common issue for modern PSUs and coil whine doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.

Is it worth rebuilding my system with the old GPU/PSU for a week or two to RMA this thing or will coil whine just be something I have to deal with in higher wattage PSUs?

[Kalmado]

I'd say yes replace it with something else unless you got that psu for under $40. I'm not a fan of Corsair's CX (builder) for anything other than basic computing pcs. Assuming you paid $60 (if not more) I'd look into a XFX, EVGA, or Antec. As an example, This EVGA SuperNOVA G1 750w 80+ Gold Fully Modular is $69.99 after rebate. Rebate ends 06/13/15. In my opinion it's a much better value than that Corsair and also comes with a 10 year warranty.

[Weltall]

Thinking about building a 2nd machine for the heck of it. What are the go-to parts these days?

[Arkanna]

Thinking about building a 2nd machine for the heck of it. What are the go-to parts these days?

Intel is still the performance king. What calibre of 2nd machine are we talking here?

[Weltall]

$1800-2500 range without needing a kb, monitors, mouse, etc. I have plenty of those (thanks to buying shitty Razer products and replacing them).