New PC - Opinions before I buy!?!


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Hi all!

 

So I have been using my MacBook Pro as my only machine for the past couple of years as life has been pretty hectic!

 

We are now all moved into our new house an I finally have the time to start gaming a bit again.

 

I am interested in getting into RPG / MMO's like Skyrim etc, I also love Civ 5 (buying after earth on release) and the below is what I'm considering as a gaming rig

 

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3 Socket 1150 VGA DVI HDMI 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard ?95.99
Intel Core i7 4770S 3.10GHz Socket 1150 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor ?228.69
Crucial Sport Xt 16gb Kit(8x2) Ddr3 1866 ?125.00
Fractal Design Define R4 White Pearl Case ?70.48
XFX XXX 850W Semi Modular 80+ Bronze Power Supply ?83.99
SanDisk 240GB Extreme II 7mm 2.5 Inch Internal SSD - Notebook ?96.87
MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4GB GDDR5 Dual Link DVI-I HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card ?459.99
Startech DisplayPort Cable with Latches - 5 Metre ?18.50
 
 
I will be using a 29" Ultra wide LG monitor that runs at 2560x1080
I under not all games will support this but 1080p for ones that don't will be the max resolution.
 
Am I going overkill?
I would rather spend the money to ensure my rig lasts me....
 
Opinions welcome!
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I have a similar setup (Good choice on gigabyte for mobo, they just go and go).

 

After using the big brick coolers decided to try the following and have been more than happy with noise and cpu temps. I'm not an Overclocker so no idea how it performs in that regard. Nice as easy to fit and doesn't block all the airflow in your case.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-018-CS

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I don't think it's overkill for games like BF4, or Crysis...but for Civ and WOW, it kind of is. In any case, if you plan to be playing graphically demanding games, it's fine. You may want another cooler other than the stock cooler; a Hyper 212 EVO should do ok, but if you plan to overclock, then you'd need a more powerful cooler (h60, h80, h100i).

 

Also, do you need an i7, or could you be fine using an i5? What do you plan to do with this computer that isn't gaming? If you can't really think of anything, I would suggest an i5 (haswell or not), as they are good processors and are cheaper than i7's.

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a Hyper 212 EVO should do ok, but if you plan to overclock, then you'd need a more powerful cooler (h60, h80, h100i).

It's the 4770S version, which (IIRC) doesn't have unlocked multiplier, so not good for overclocking. The 4770K has unlocked multiplier.

I myself am using Antec K?hler 620 with 2 Scythe Typhoon fans as Push&Pull on the radiator. Quiet and cool.

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It's the 4770S version, which (IIRC) doesn't have unlocked multiplier, so not good for overclocking. The 4770K has unlocked multiplier.

I myself am using Antec K?hler 620 with 2 Scythe Typhoon fans as Push&Pull on the radiator. Quiet and cool.

Yeah, I remembered that he had a non-K processor. I also should have asked if he wanted a K processor... in any case, he really wouldn't need a cooler, unless he decided to buy an i5 4690K, or something like that.

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Thanks for all the replies so far

 

PC will probably also be used for Virtual Machine Labs (I work as a Virtualisation Consultant) so that's why I want the i7. It's also the main reason i'm getting 16GB RAM in 2 sticks, that way I can upgrade this to 32 easily in the future.

 

I understand the GFX Card is somewhat overkill but I'm looking for longevity plus I may end up getting into some more modern games once I've tried them!

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I would go for the i7 4790 next to the same price high clock speed. 

scan has it for ?225.80

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-core-i7-4790-1150-haswell-refresh-quad-core-36ghz-4ghz-turbo-5-gt-s-dmi-1200mhz-gpu-84w-retail

I imagine he's more concerned about the virtualization features than the clock speed.  Last I read about it, it varies dramatically between the i7s.

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besides the cooler that has already been talked about, I would swap out the SSD choice

 

I'd recommend getting the Crucial MX100. it's one of the best available right now and it's cheaper than most

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT256MX100SSD1-256GB-Includes-Spacer/dp/B00KFAGCWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412621342&sr=8-1&keywords=mx100 (?74.98 for 256gb model)

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besides the cooler that has already been talked about, I would swap out the SSD choice

 

I'd recommend getting the Crucial MX100. it's one of the best available right now and it's cheaper than most

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT256MX100SSD1-256GB-Includes-Spacer/dp/B00KFAGCWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412621342&sr=8-1&keywords=mx100 (?74.98 for 256gb model)

 

This is just the kind of advice I was looking for!

To me, I see the read / write / IOPS and decide based on this because I haven't bought one in years.

Will look into your recommendation!

 

 

I imagine he's more concerned about the virtualization features than the clock speed.  Last I read about it, it varies dramatically between the i7s.

 

 

Yes but with the Haswell CPU thats less of a problem now and the K CPU have all the Virtualization features the non K has. 

http://ark.intel.com/compare/75124,80807,80806

 

I picked the CPU I did for the low power consumption / lower temperature.

This is the same reason I'm looking at the 980 GTX over one of the 7xx cards.

 

I want the PC to be powerful but I also want it to idle at quite low so I can leave it on pretty much all the time!  :)

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Thats only when its in use all CPU's when idle use less power.

 

Yes but when this one is in heavy use it will use less power than the others  :)

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You could take a look at my build and see how things compare...

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1228519-potential-new-build-what-do-you-think

It's not actually up and running yet, I somehow forgot to order the psu, which will be here tomorrow :/

I ended up going for a Seasonic 860W Platinum for its excellent efficiency.

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Holy crap! I spent $602 on mine and it plays civ 5 and skyrim just fine with good graphics! i know that after awhile skyrim starts to slow down and they you will want something better than what i have.

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I do not want to hear about people with functionally compairable computers, that were built for 1/3 of the cost. :hmmm:

It's depressing :rofl:

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CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  (?169.98 @ Scan.co.uk) 

CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 4 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler  (?41.02 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (?139.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (?123.79 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (?74.39 @ Aria PC) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  (?289.64 @ CCL Computers) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI)  (?289.64 @ CCL Computers) 

Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case  (?187.98 @ Novatech) 


Total: ?1375.42

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-11 10:55 BST+0100

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cant believe nobody told him to not use that crap PSU

Whats wrong  with it?

Lauren says it's OK... :)

 

As do Hexus...

 

http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/psu/46501-xfx-850w-proseries-xxx-semi-modular-bronze-psu/?page=3

 

The 650 has an issue, but I don't know if that carries over...

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=181

 

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