New PC Build

Hi, guys! So, I'm considering replacing my current gaming PC with something a bit more powerful. I've got a few ideas kicking around, but I wanted to get some input before really considering anything.

I will be building the PC myself, so I'm looking for a list of suggested components for a build.

My budget is $1,200 USD, though I'm not overly strict about it.

Only must have is a 1 TB+ SSD.

I'll post later with some of my ideas.

Thanks for the help! ^-^

 

Well my First question I ask of anyone before building them a PC is what do you intend on doing with it?


Play video games at max capabilities?

have 600 Apps running at once? (I am exaggerating at the number but you get my drift).

Simply browse the internet?

Let me know what your planning on doing and we can go from there.

As for the storage the that's not a huge concern as it can easily/cheaply be upgraded as you go forward if needed....

 

Well I can't point to you the exact parts but I can tell you what's out now.

CPU
The biggest thing is the processor at the moment. I wholly recommend Intel. AMD has fallen so far out of the processor race that it would be criminal to suggest even their budget minded stuff. Intel's newest is the Skylake processor. The budget minded I3, the mid tier I5, and the overly expensive but behemoth of the I7. You should definitely look for a motherboard that supports the new DDR4 RAM. This is important because that's the new thing that separates these processors from their predecessors. I think it was those Z170 boards or something.

I think the I5 6600k or I5 6600 (the non k) are the sweet spot. Don't buy any other I5 processors between the I3 and top line I5. You want the top I5 or nothing. I couldn't really spend the extra $ for the 6600 but the lesser I5's looked kinda wimpy compared to the incredibly cheaper but still very good I3. Intel has a weird pricing thing going on. I don't see the point of the I7 unless you are going crazy with a whole bunch of video stuff.

If planning to overclock then spend the extra for the one with the "k". The non k seems like the same but slightly slower and without the overclock ability

RAM
RAM is more important this time around, anyone stockpiling the old DDR3 sticks would be disappointed with the jump to DDR4. I don't remember if Skylake was compatible or not with the previous ram...that's not something you should test out.

8 gigs is still enough today imo. Actually the speed of the RAM actually helps Skylake boards more so then previous wisdom usually holds (ram speed and overclocking the RAM did very little). The high clocks of DD4 RAM does make a difference. I can attest to that personally. I have two Adata sticks (some cheapo brand I think) with a whooping 2800 mhz. When I downclock the ram to the base 2333 mhz I lose 10 frames per seconds in my Fallout 3 game. That wouldn't happen before with DDR3 RAM.
Keep in mind I'm playing straight out of the stock integrated graphics so your millage may vary.
In a nutshell, when the CPU needs to do the work the RAM in this processor acts like a secondary overclock. Oh there is timings to worry about, I'm not entirely sure on this.

GPU
And now the graphic card. Since you did mention a 1000$ price then I'm assuming a gpu. I don't do duel card setups. Wouldn't know where to begin. I like the "one card to rule them all" mantra.
This is very difficult for me to recommend at the moment. I have also been looking for a gpu but the problem is there hasn't been a NEW gpu in YEARS!
From the AMD side you have those Radeon 3xx something cards which are basically buffed up Radeon 2xx something cards which themselves are basically buffed up Radeon 7xxx cards.

I still know people who play games on ultra with 7890 Radeons. How many years ago was that released? And if you have a 79xx then your set for life it seems.
Nvidia is slightly different. While they did change their cards 900 series, the changes were more focused on energy management (which helps of course).

I would honestly wait for the next gen of cards rumored to be around the corner. The market for gpu's seems to have frozen.

If you can't wait then then you have to ask what kind of gaming is expected. Do you want the current standard of 4K gaming? That requires a good monitor (and there are good one's coming out for it) and a good GPU (which has lagged behind). Honestly I don't think any current single card is good enough for 4K.

For 1080P however then things get complicated.
The Nvidia GTX 980 will crush every 1080p game out there but it's 500$. The GTX 970 is around 400$ but there is a rather large drop off. I wish they had a ti version that closes the gap.

I'm not to sure from the AMD side but I know I looked real hard at the 380X. AMD is generally cheaper while still being competitive. I don't really buy the whole driver sucks issues, that's old news from a hundred years ago. Nowadays Nvida sucks too
Complaining about drivers...it's what people do.

Neither GPU is the "ultimate top end" but they are both on the high spectrum. You did post a 1000$+ budget. It's not like you really wanted a Titan X or anything...

Spoiler

Or did you ?

Like I said a bunch of times though, I'll wait a while on the GPU front. The stock integrated graphics on Skylake is leaps and bounds ahead of everything Intel has done before. I know that's not saying much but I maxed out most last gen games and can play Battlefield 4 on low/medium. Take that as you will.

One more thing and this is important.
There is no difference between a 2GB card or a 4GB card for 1080p gaming. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Don't fall for the market hype. I know you want to spend the extra 10$ but that's like buying insurance at a blackjack table. The chances it will actually give you a result is pathetic and even if you do get results is pathetic.

Just saying. I know someone is going to get mad that I called them out for this but I had to say it.

PSU
PSU is dependent on the GPU choice. All Intel CPU's are excellent on the power supply. Some people say a good 600 watt PSU is all you ever need. There is a trend to lower the power consumption for GPU's. Also don't buy based purely on how much watts it puts out. I'll just look for one of the major brands for this.

Harddrives are cheap so whatever there.
Ahh...a solid state drive! Good choice! This is the real upgrade! Seriously I put one of these on a Intel Core Duo and tricked my parents into thinking it was a new computer!
Don't worry about those old rumors that SSD's will wear out and lose all your data faster then a Harddrive. I think you are more likely to break your harddrive.
Samsung is a good choice I think. A safe bet. You can get good deals on something with 256 GB. I heard Samsung is releasing a Goliath with 1 terabyte. That's crazy but in a good way. That means everything else drops in price.

To be honest 12000$ sounds like a lot. I got my computer somewhere less then 700 and it's great. The real penny killer is the GPU. You might be tempted to go full speed with the I7. I think that's better served dedicating to a great GPU or even new monitor.

But then I don't do video editing stuff so I wouldn't know. If for gaming, then I5. If heavy duty video stuff then I7 only if you can afford it. Otherwise the I5 is still a great fallback.

For anyone else a a very tight budget and really old computer from 10+ years ago...
I would really suggest a solid state drive. Pair that up with a budget I3 and you'll survive another 10 years.

 

I hope this is a typo from you or him cause a 12000$ rig would be a beast !

 

Sorry, wasn't clear enough. It's a new gaming rig. My current one is okay. It's a few years old, not a custom build, got it for cheap during Black Friday. It certainly gets the job done, but there's a lot of room for improvement.

Yeah. What I'm planning to do is use my current mechanical 1 TB to host my documents, pictures, apps, etc. and to run Windows and the like. I plan on having an SSD, however, that is solely devoted to games.

XD

I'm considering a high-end i5 or possibly an i7. Probably 16 GB DDR3. The GPU is the sticking point for me. I'm currently running an AMD Radeon HD 6670. I don't really keep up with the latest GPUs. So I don't really have any real context for what I'm wanting out of it. So long as it can handle most modern AAA games on the higher (highest) graphical settings with little to no hiccups, I'll be happy.

Here's what I'm currently using: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229361

I'll try to post a part list that I'm considering, once I have time to do so.

 

Already I'm sure folks are going to hate me for this. I know you wish to build your own PC ,but I would like to throw the option of just buying your own. Recently my brother and a friend's uncle I work with both purchased gaming PC's from Ibuypower. For roughly $1400-1500 you can get all of the following. Yes it's more money ,but your covered and backed by a company. You get Intel's fastest Quad core Processor being the Skylake. And do take my word on this the thing is hellishly fast. You got liquid cooling which helps aid overclocking if you chose to do so. DDR4 2800Hz memory that is perfect for your needs. Some leverage options with a GPU (I just selected the 960, but that's not to say you are not looking for something else), but the GTX 960 should dust nearly every game you throw at it. The motherboard is practically future proof for later down the road. You got a PSU that'll easily run your system. Next you got your SSD ( I know it isn't the 1TB, but you save $ with the 512GB and can throw in a 1TB Western as a Data Drive). You don't need to concern yourself with an optical drive, soundcard, or networking card. As for the only thing you have to worry about is a monitor or TV to hook it up to. If your curious as to what option to select to tinker around with this build or another one the builds in the desktops tab in Intel Z170 and this is the Gamer Special Z170. Also if you want to save like $75 on the order enter in the coupon code GEEKS and it'll knock %5 off the total price.

By zero means am I trying to discourage you I'm just giving you another option to look into. Everything aside from that I agree with nearly everything Doomguy said.

Case 1 x Chimera 5 - Flame Edition
Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i7-6700 Processor (4x 4.00GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - Free Upgrade to Intel i7-6700K
Processor Cooling 1 x Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid CPU Cooler - Standard 120mm Fan
Memory 1 x 8 GB [4 GB x2] DDR4-2400 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand **Free Upgrade to DDR4-2800 ADATA XPG**
Video Card 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 - 2GB - [FREE Upgrade to GTX 960 4GB]
Free Stuff 1 x [FREE] - McAfee Antivirus PLUS - FREE with any System ($49 Value)
Motherboard 1 x MSI Z170A Gaming Pro - *Free Upgrade to MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon -3x PCIe x16, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0, 1x M.2, DDR4 Memory
Power Supply 1 x 600 Watt - Standard 80 PLUS Bronze
Advance Cabling Options 1 x Professional Wiring - for all standard default cables inside the system
Primary Hard Drive 1 x 512 GB Samsung 850 Pro SSD -- Read: 550MB/s, Write: 520MB/s - Single Drive
Data Hard Drive 1 x 1 TB Western Digital Caviar Blue Hard Drive -- 64MB Cache, 7200RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
Optical Drive 1 x 24x Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW - Black -- Free Upgrade to 14X LG Blu-ray Re-writer
Sound Card 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Network Card 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
Operating System 1 x Windows 10 Home + Office 365 Trial [Free 30-Day !!!] - (64-bit) *Newest Microsoft Windows*
Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Keyboard
Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Mouse
Advanced Build Options - Packaging 1 x iBUYPOWER Specialized Advanced Packaging System - Protect your investment during transportation!
Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service

 

More options and opinions is good!

WOAH
Lol yeah a typo. I meant 1200. How large would that room be? Imagine that sound system though. And the Cpu case? I'll submerge the system inside an elaborate fish tank and encase the electrical parts in a gold plated case decorated with gems from ancient Persia. To water cool the system I'll use the same water from the fish tank and make it a self purifying water fish tank. I'll then fill the tank with fresh water fish from the Great Lakes in North America. I'll put brigh neon lights and big windows on the case so not only I could see it from outside but the fish can too!

Oh yeah and the main monitor will be mounted on the fish tank. I can play games and watch the fish at the same time.

Okay I think I just came up with the greatest computer system setup in history.

Ah the old 6000 series. Okay that's about two entire generation away. Yeah that could use an upgrade. I made a mistake earlier, I mentioned the GTX 970 but should have mentioned the very interesting Radeon R9 390. Both might fit your budget. Unfortunately this is the cutoff point where the next step is another hundred dollars.

I don't know what the price for your card was back then. I'm going to guess somewhere between 150-200. In that case you can get a GTX 950 or 960 for that price. Both are infinitely better. The 960 is considered the sweet spot for many people, it's forte is 1080p gaming and it does very well in that respect.

Specifically the 6670 card barely compares with anything decent now to be honest. It's entirely possible that the integrated graphics they put in all Intel computers is better then that.

That processor is holding you back. When the best choice I have to offer you from AMD is the same exact processor you know AMD dropped the ball.

If you buy the new Skylake processors (6xxx stuff), then you have to get DDR4 Ram. There was a premium for early buyers back then but I think the prices are pretty much the same as DDR3 now. I think.

If Skylake isn't in your area you can get the previous line up that is the 4xxx processors. Those use DDR3 Ram. Still with the architecture change I would jump on board to the next one since you'll be dead ending yourself with a DDR3 setup. If you wonder what happened to the 5xxx processors then keep wondering. Intel decided to limit those for whatever reason. Getting one is even more expensive but it has some unique properties that they didn't transfer over to the next. I forgot the names for the two lineups, only the current name I remember.

All the current Intel comps use the I3, I5, and I7 stuff. If getting an I5 don't gimp on the lineup. Get the top I5. The I7 is a beast on another planet though. It won't help on games but will do everything else at the same time you game.

You can get a very good computer with that budget

EDIT: Oh yeah, don't forget to tack on another 100$ for Windows OS. Eh...I hated that part. Skipped it entirely by telling my sister to give me her Win7 Ultimate Edition. Chew on that Microsoft.

Or use Linux. I don't like babysitting infant operating systems though. Too much driver troubleshooting there for me.
Microsoft OS is a fire and forget missle.
Linux is a smart bomb that requires you to program before flight and sometimes during flight
Apple is the Garden of Eden. Just don't eat the apple or God will void you.

 

Now I have to buy a fish tank.

I'll certainly consider it and compare the costs. Thanks!

Thanks. I'll have a look at the 960 and consider DDR4.

I got the whole rig for about $480 during Black Friday, a few years ago. Which isn't bad, considering that it can play just about anything that I want it to. But I notice that each year, with each new release, the performance suffers a little. And I think it's dragging too far behind on most modern (2014/15+) games to remain a viable option for PC gaming.

EDIT: Oh, btw. Liquid cooling or just case fans?

 

if you are looking to a bit of flare to your PC then id say liquid cooling otherwise case work

 

Something to consider: SSD drives are not what they're entirely cracked up to be. For gaming, they don't have the storage capacity of a HDD for the same cost nor do they have the endurance for excessive gaming use. SSD's do work for operating systems because the work load isn't nearly as heavy, but don't go with a SSD for gaming right now. If anything, use it for your operating system and save a bit of money and either get something around 120 GB or 240 GB.
What I suggest (and I have gone this route) is go with a SSHD, or Solid State Hybrid Drive, for your gaming installation. It has the mechanical parts of a hard drive for the excessive read/write loads and the storage capacity to boot, the performance of a solid state, and it's cheaper to grab. I bought a 4 TB SSHD off NewEgg, brand new, for about $100, give or take $20 (at the time) and it's just fantastic. Right now, it's about $145 for a 4TB drive which is normally $250.

Also, if you run steam, then you're probably aware of that long bootup process for Steam. Install Steam on an SSD and it's takes about the same amount of time. You really can't tell the difference, so there's really no benefit to it just yet.

Also, take a look at NewEgg DIY bundles to configuration ideas. If you still want to build one yourself, you can probably find some pretty good deals there (and with $1200 as your guide budget, you can probably get a pretty good upper end DIY bundle). If not, well you'll at least be able to see some bundles and find parts that you might be looking for. I went with a cheaper end (between $700 - $850), and it's pretty good. Got a video card not "technically supported" by Assassin's Creed Syndicate, but runs the game with no problems. Runs Ark: Survival Evolved pretty well and it's considered as a "medium-low" graphics setting in the game's configuration. I can play most of the new generation games on low to medium settings, even make a few tweaks to get better details in the graphics and still run pretty smooth.

As far as skipping buying Windows, you can always opt into the Technical Preview, for which you get a free operating system, but at the cost of getting early release updates and being their guinea pig by trying out these new patches, changes, and fixes. *shrugs* Personally, it's a fair bargain, especially if you're in the slow ring since updates feel just like regular patch day updates, and their builds aren't released as often as you'd think, so it feels like a legitimate retail copy. Free OS, test some updates/builds before the general public release, use an OS without registering an OEM, Retail or Business license key. Plus, you get to tell Microsoft what you think about each build that's pushed for your ring. If you go with Windows 8 or 8.1, you might as well just go with Windows 10 because it's just way better than Windows 8 and 8.1. If you have Windows 7, then use Windows 7.

As for the CPU, I've got an AMD FX-8350. Eight core processor and it work well. Whether it's better than an i7, I can't say for sure. I've used both. Both were 8-core as reported by a Windows OS. But I had an Intel HD 4000 in the i7 computer, while I have nVidia GeForce 780 Ti in the AMD FX-8350. So which one is better, well I couldn't put it to the test and be fair. The processor hasn't failed me yet and I haven't had any faults with the processor. And honestly, DDR3 still works well for games. I use HyperX Fury for the ram.

 

Completely forgot about hybrid drives. So I guess the question is, is it worth having an SSHD for games and a separate SSD/HDD for booting Windows/other utilities? Or would I be better off with a single 4 TB SSHD for everything?

 

In the mean time, the computer can be used in a mineral oil tank. Conducts no electricity, and can cool better than air. But you would still have a rather small amount, compared to using air. And for fish, you could make deep fried fish sticks while torching some shmuck on Fallout 4.
(Mineral oil not intended for consumption)

 

Best practice is keep your Operating System separate from your data/games. In the event your operating system becomes inoperable, you can just wipe that system drive clean and install the OS again, while keeping your games and data intact. You might have to run the installers again to repair the installations, but some (if not most) should recognize an existing install when you point it to the same directory as before. You can also make backups of your registry and do repairs that way as long as you keep the same hardware as before, with the exception of drives (makes it easier to do a recovery and get it back up faster). Just make sure that all drives are using the same letters as before. So ideally, yes. Keep your personal/private/important data separate from your operating system to make the recovery process a lot less demanding. Whether you go with SSD or HDD for the operating system is up to you. SSD does have a performance boost, especially for Windows, as well as no rotating disks to scratch (which in general, a tower should worry about it as much as a laptop would), but not much else about an SSD is favorable compared to HDD right now.

I went with a 4 TB to allow for expanding my gaming library, and it's the biggest I found for a SSHD. There are 1, 2, and maybe 3 TB drives. How much space you need for games depends on how many games you intend to install and how many are enormous in disk space requirements (Such as World of Warcraft, Assassin's Creed, Dragon Age: Inquisition, etc). If you have a small library, a 1 or 2 TB would do fine, if you intend to have an enormous library with quite a few large games (that range between 20 - 60 GB per game), you may as well get a 4 TB and then worry about whether a 6, 8, 10, or 12 TB drives come into existance for SSHD. Otherwise, you can go with a Western Digital 6 TB drive, which they considered it to be NAS (Network Attached Storage) level drives and it's built for that in mind.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think I might have a build in mind.

One final question, which Windows OS should I use?

Most installs of Win 7 and 8 come with a free upgrade to 10. So would it be worth getting one of them and upgrading to 10, should I feel like it?

I'm currently running 8.1 and don't mind it. But I'm leaning toward 7 for nostalgia's sake (it being the supported Windows OS that most resembles classic Windows OSes).

I've briefly played around with 10, but don't yet have an opinion on it.

 

If you can get Windows 7, stick with 7. If you can't get 7, just get Windows 10 and skip Windows 8/8.1. If you go with Windows 10, download the Windows 10 Tech Preview ISO (you'll need to register for the Windows Insider Program, which is free). Windows 8/8.1 isn't worth installing just to end up pushed into an upgrade. I have a Windows 8.1 product key just in case I had to register a product key at Windows 10's release, but so far my copy of Windows 10 has remained a legitimate copy, despite it being a tech preview version. Also the upgrade from 7 and 8.x only last for a year from the release date of Windows 10. After that, all upgrades cost the usual upgrade price, which is why you might as well install Windows 10, and if you go with Windows 10 Tech Preview, you won't have to worry about paying for Windows 10 if you can't get Windows 7.

 

Do what I do install windows 7 Ultimate.
Just download the ISO somewhere,
Then do all your updates you should then you get a message saying windows is not legitimate.
Then a little magic with the registry (I have the command of what to do some wheres) and trick windows 7 to think you know what I am legit. Download remaining updates to get the free windows 10 upgrade and upgrade to windows 10 pro (since its ultimate you get pro with your upgrade).

and voila upgrade to windows 10 pro for free and its based on your mobo so you should be good there....

I did this on 5 machines in early August and no issues yet with illegitimacy.... so 7 months or so....


Let me tell you doing this the first time was a bitch I nearly wanted to put my head through concrete lol but once I got it done the first time and saved my steps it was easy peezy....

 

I settled on a build and ordered the parts, yesterday. Thanks for the advice, everyone! ^-^

 

@BaconMan8910
Please send part list for us that are curious and full of envy at your new build! aww to be young again and be able to buy new computers

 

@BaconMan8910 and @Cpt_K3nny You probably don't even need to do that. If you join the Insider Program and connect your Microsoft account to your Windows 10 Tech Preview, you get a free upgrade regardless if you had an OS, pirated OS, or no OS at all (new DIY PC build). http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-confirms-windows-10-preview-users-will-get-a-1712774167
So even those Windows XP people that lagged behind or refused to upgrade to an eligible OS can still get a free upgrade, just for being an insider and connecting their Microsoft account to the Tech Preview machine. Should still be eligible for it since it's still within the promotional year of Windows 10's release date.

 

Update:

So, after a shipping error on the part of Newegg that led to one of the most frustrating customer experiences I've ever had, I finally got all of my parts today and assembled my new computer.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback. I'll include the part list and pics, below.

The PC:
1x Gigabyte G1 Z170X motherboard
1x Intel Core i5 6600K Skylake quad core CPU
1x EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB FTW
1x Cooler Master CPU cooler
4x 8 GB Cosair Vengeance DDR4
1x Corsair CX 750W PSU
4x 140mm case fans
1x 200mm case fan
2x blue cold cathode tubes
1x ASUS DVD burner
1x Mushkin Enhanced Reactor 256 GB SSD
1x Samsung 500 GB SSD
1x NZXT Phantom case, white

Spoiler