New Gaming PC Build - up to €1800

jonski

1. What is your budget? [up to €1800]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? [Gaming/] (If gaming include which games) [ BF1, Elite D, Company Of Heroes ]

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [Yes and No I think , I have an original Win 7 Ultimate disk that I have upgraded to Win 10 , not sure if I can use this or not. Either way I will need a copy to sell on this PC ?]

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [ 250G SSD and 2 TB HD ]

5. Do you need a monitor? [Yes, but it doesn't have to be straight away plus I should get at least €300 for my old pc so that can go towards one]

5a. If yes, what size do you need. [24"]

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? [see above]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [Nope]

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [rather not, probably due to outdated thoughts on same ]

8. How can you pay? [Credit card and amazon vouchers]

9. When are you purchasing? [ was going to hold out to see what effect Ryzen has on the market but I'd like to get the ball rolling on some of the gear]

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [ I should be ok putting it together but I will expect absolutely everyone to be online at the time just incase ]

If you have a sample build yourself, use [ I don't because I'm finding it a bit confusing but I have ideas that I want to flesh out below] to format it nicely.


I'm really looking for both general thoughts on what the build should be and then specifics on certain parts and any advice in between .

For example I was wondering if there is a case that has been designed with AIO liquid cooling in mind , just thought it would be handy for mounting the rad outside but no idea if there is such a thing or if it's even necessary . I'd also like the case to be light, if possible, as I'm getting on a bit and have a bad back and I like to take the PC out from under the desk every few weeks and clean the dust from around it . I'd also like it to take a full length graphics card ie. my current one is 406mm .

As regards the mobo, I assume if I am going intel then it's the Z270 but there are sooooooo many brands and so many variations .

CPU i7 7700 or 7700k , but I read an article the night before last that reckoned the i5 7600k was better for gaming ?

And lastly ( for now ) , it was hard to put that money together and I'd rather not spend it foolishly or unnecessarily if I don't have to . I'm sure I'll have more questions so it might be an idea to petition the mods to ban me .

SterlingArcher

Get the i7700k. Even if not overclocking.

1 coz you have the budget.
2 the stock clocks are good enough you may overclock in the future.
3 like above longevity.

Brand board. Msi or asrock are good bets.

Personally forget water Cooling. Decent air one will do. You won't be overclocking much..

A good 500-600 modular psu around

100 euro case

Ram ddr4

A gtx 1070

You are talking around 1200 -1300 ish. So plenty to save considering your initial 1800.

Get a 1440p 144hz monitor. Will run you around 5-600 but be perfect for a rig like that. Woops most are 27 inch.

jonski

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Get the i7700k. Even if not overclocking.

1 coz you have the budget.
2 the stock clocks are good enough you may overclock in the future.
3 like above longevity.

Brand board. Msi or asrock are good bets.

Personally forget water Cooling. Decent air one will do. You won't be overclocking much..

A good 500-600 modular psu around

100 euro case

Ram ddr4

A gtx 1070

You are talking around 1200 -1300 ish. So plenty to save considering your initial 1800.

Get a 1440p 144hz monitor. Will run you around 5-600 but be perfect for a rig like that. Woops most are 27 inch.

Yeah , I should have mentioned that longevity was something I was going for .

As for water cooling , I find it quieter, cooler and easier to clean plus I have a H55 sitting around here doing nothing . Down through the years I have always fitted the stock fan first and then found about a year later that I would need to replace it with an after market one, I made the jump to water cooling a few years ago and found it great .

TerrorFirmer

Definitely get the i7 if you can afford it, in games that scale well across cores it easily out-performs the i5 - Battlefield 1 is a good example and it's a game you're going to be playing, but also true for games like Fallout 4, Warhammer Total War, etc. Articles often point to the i5 as better value for the average gamers budget, but with a budget like yours the i7 is the far better option.

Given you already have the SDD, water cooler and HDD, I'd aim for a 7700K, 16GB DDR4, Z270, GTX1070 and 27" 1440P monitor. You can actually drop the Z270 in favour of a far cheaper board if you're not going to overclock, B250/H270/etc depending on what features you're looking for or need in terms of connectivity, expansion, etc.

There's no foolish spending there, and the result is Battlefield 1 at 1440P ultra settings at 80-100fps

jonski

Thanks for the replies guys .

I would like the mobo to be a bit future proof but it doesn't need to have any extras like wifi or anything out of the ordinary . Does anyone have any particular mobo in mind that they would recommend or should I just pick any one from the brands I am familiar with ie: Gigabyte or Asus .

I can't see myself being able to wedge in a 27" monitor to the little corner my family have afforded me, god bless them

I can imagine the slagging I'm going to get on teamspeak when the hear the lead fanboy for AMD is going down the route of Intel and Nvidia but then I have always been building on a tight budget .

I suppose from here I should really go away and get the models of the few parts I am thinking of and come back and see what ye think .

K.O.Kiki

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (€367.84 @ Mindfactory)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (Purchased For €0.00)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z270M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (€135.02 @ Mindfactory)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (€125.93 @ Mindfactory)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For €0.00)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For €0.00)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 8GB AMP! Edition Video Card (€656.83 @ Mindfactory)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€56.84 @ Mindfactory)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€106.84 @ Mindfactory)
Total: €1449.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-02 12:51 CET+0100

With all the parts you have already, you can go for a GTX1080 build even.

TerrorFirmer

For the GTX1070, and especially the 1080, you would want at least a 1440P monitor (even if 24" is the limit, and ideally 144hz as well if possible), otherwise the GPU won't show close to the full benefits.

If staying at standard 24" 1080P/60hz, either card would be a waste, and I would go for an RX480 8GB for now - loads of power and more economical to replace that in a few years rather than shell out 500-600 on a card that won't show you any returns.

jonski

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

For the GTX1070, and especially the 1080, you would want at least a 1440P monitor (even if 24" is the limit, and ideally 144hz as well if possible), otherwise the GPU won't show close to the full benefits.

If staying at standard 24" 1080P/60hz, either card would be a waste, and I would go for an RX480 8GB for now - loads of power and more economical to replace that in a few years rather than shell out 500-600 on a card that won't show you any returns.

Ahhh , once more my inexperience with the latest and greatest shows through, I never stopped to think that I would need to go 27" to get the best out of 1440P . I had been looking at the Benq mentioned in the recent thread on here , I suppose I could wedge a 27" in here and move it back a bit ( out with the measuring tape ) . I also spend a fair amount of time in front of it using it for my TV watching , live sports etc.

K.O.Kiki

Eh, I have a 1080p 24" at around 12" distance and it fills my view nearly completely.

TerrorFirmer

I wouldn't argue there is any issue with a standard 24" 1080p monitor, but about the sense in getting a GTX1070/1080 build with such a monitor, it just doesn't make any sense nor would it show any returns.

I think if sticking with 24" 1080P @ 60hz, an RX480 8GB is the better option (or possibly even a cheap R9 Fury if there are still any around at the €320 mark like there were, otherwise no).

For a GTX1070, I'd go 1440P, even at the 24" size as image quality is obviously much superior all the same and the GTX1070 can stretch its legs.

For a GTX1080 I'd ideally be looking for a 1440P 144hz monitor personally to get the full value from it across a broad range of games.

Whether it is 24" or 27" in size is really up to the OP, I agree that not all sizes suit all setups, a 24" 1440p might suit him much better.

I've a 27" 1440p but I have a huge desk. I replaced it with a 32" at one point but that was actually a total wash out as it was too big for the space and playing FPS was quite awkward.

jonski

So , I'm kinda hoping I have this sorted . I hadn't realized so much of my budget was in the form of amazon vouchers so thats where I'll be buying .

And this is what is in my basket ( God help me )


Acer 27-Inch Predator Wide ZeroFrame WQHD LED Gaming Monitor with Foot Stand - Black/Red

Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2 GHz QuadCore 8MB Cache Processor

Gigabyte GA-Z270M-D3H M-ATX 1151 7th Gen DDR4 M.2 Motherboard - Black

Zotac ZT-P10800C-10P GeForce GTX 1080 AMP Edition 8GB GDDR5X Graphics Card - Black

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Windowed Mid-Tower ATX Computer Case - Black

EVGA SuperNova P2 650 W Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply Unit

Corsair CMK16GX4M2B3200C16 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) Vengeance LPX DDR4 Memory Kit - Black

I have another monitor in there as well, just for comparison as this is where I am probably most confused and unsure if I'm throwing away cash or not .

AOC Agon 27 inch 165 Hz G-Sync 2560 x 1440 IPS Gaming Monitor, Display Port, HDMI DVI, VGA, HDMI, Display Port, Speakers 4 x USB 3.0, Vesa AG271QG


Now, I'm well aware that I have annoying in my questions but I'm hoping someone could throw an eye over this and see if I am making any glaring mistakes .

K.O.Kiki

Looks good to me.

wotzgoingon

Looks good to me.

About the monitor it is really up to you as you will be the one viewing it. Personally I like the Predator styling.

SterlingArcher

jonski wrote: »

So , I'm kinda hoping I have this sorted . I hadn't realized so much of my budget was in the form of amazon vouchers so thats where I'll be buying .

And this is what is in my basket ( God help me )


Acer 27-Inch Predator Wide ZeroFrame WQHD LED Gaming Monitor with Foot Stand - Black/Red

Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2 GHz QuadCore 8MB Cache Processor

Gigabyte GA-Z270M-D3H M-ATX 1151 7th Gen DDR4 M.2 Motherboard - Black

Zotac ZT-P10800C-10P GeForce GTX 1080 AMP Edition 8GB GDDR5X Graphics Card - Black

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Windowed Mid-Tower ATX Computer Case - Black

EVGA SuperNova P2 650 W Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply Unit

Corsair CMK16GX4M2B3200C16 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) Vengeance LPX DDR4 Memory Kit - Black

I have another monitor in there as well, just for comparison as this is where I am probably most confused and unsure if I'm throwing away cash or not .

AOC Agon 27 inch 165 Hz G-Sync 2560 x 1440 IPS Gaming Monitor, Display Port, HDMI DVI, VGA, HDMI, Display Port, Speakers 4 x USB 3.0, Vesa AG271QG


Now, I'm well aware that I have annoying in my questions but I'm hoping someone could throw an eye over this and see if I am making any glaring mistakes .

Reviews on the aoc are bad.

Much prefer this one sameish price.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B016QR3NR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1486472137&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dell+1440p&dpPl=1&dpID=41MuFur7WdL&ref=plSrch

jonski

SterlingArcher wrote: »

Reviews on the aoc are bad.

Much prefer this one sameish price.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B016QR3NR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1486472137&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dell+1440p&dpPl=1&dpID=41MuFur7WdL&ref=plSrch

Oddly enough ( or not ) , thats just what I was told last night , and recommended the exact same monitor

I was also told to be a bit wary of the Zotac "go with Gigabyte or EVGA GFX cards, reason is the warranty & chip binning (binning meaning you get the best chips, less issues). ASUS & MSI are also good"

So, basically the two most expensive things in my build, whatta you know, they were the cheapest in their class for a reason .

SterlingArcher

jonski wrote: »

Oddly enough ( or not ) , thats just what I was told last night , and recommended the exact same monitor

I was also told to be a bit wary of the Zotac "go with Gigabyte or EVGA GFX cards, reason is the warranty & chip binning (binning meaning you get the best chips, less issues). ASUS & MSI are also good"

So, basically the two most expensive things in my build, whatta you know, they were the cheapest in their class for a reason .

I have a rog swift and if it went kaput. the Dell would be my choice.

Hmmm as for the Zotac thing. I'm not so sure. Plenty of people have had zotec and no issues ( higher stock clocks than most the bigger brands)they're not exactly bargain basement. Just not as high profile as the others..

In my opinion all gpus can be a lottery. Hence why I recommend you use amazon to get it and monitor from. That said I went for the MSI 1070 armor( cheaper variant) and I gotta say it is pretty damn quiet and cool compared to the other gtx gigabyte gtx g1 gaming 970 I have running also.

K.O.Kiki

jonski wrote: »

Oddly enough ( or not ) , thats just what I was told last night , and recommended the exact same monitor

I was also told to be a bit wary of the Zotac "go with Gigabyte or EVGA GFX cards, reason is the warranty & chip binning (binning meaning you get the best chips, less issues). ASUS & MSI are also good"

So, basically the two most expensive things in my build, whatta you know, they were the cheapest in their class for a reason .

https://www.zotac.com/eu/page/product-warranty-policy

"Chip binning" exists, but not between manufacturers - they all (should) receive the same chips, after which they can decide to save the better-binned chips for high-price SKUs.

jonski

SterlingArcher wrote: »

I have a rog swift and if it went kaput. the Dell would be my choice.

Hmmm as for the Zotac thing. I'm not so sure. Plenty of people have had zotec and no issues ( higher stock clocks than most the bigger brands)they're not exactly bargain basement. Just not as high profile as the others..

In my opinion all gpus can be a lottery. Hence why I recommend you use amazon to get it and monitor from. That said I went for the MSI 1070 armor( cheaper variant) and I gotta say it is pretty damn quiet and cool compared to the other gtx gigabyte gtx g1 gaming 970 I have running also.

Ah stop , what are ye doing , stalking my Amazon basket , thats the exact card I replaced the first one with .

As I said earlier on, it's only me being a pussy about spending this kind of money, I'm still afraid I'll make a novice type error like order a freesync monitor instead of a G-sync ( which almost happened ) or order 3200 memory when the mobo only takes 2400 ( which almost happened ) or even a board that does crossfire ... when I am ordering nvidia .

There is going to be a slight ( maybe longer ) delay while my son decides if he wants my old pc for €300 ( valued at around €500 ) so thats giving me a bit more time to read and think . I have a site opened in another window thats going to teach me the difference between Z H and B boards and also I finally figured out how I can use PC PartPicker to choose what I will need in a board .

K.O.Kiki

Crossfire / SLI is nonsense though, there's very few scenarios where 2x GPUs makes more sense than selling what you have & upgrading.

jonski

Just adding this in here for my own benefit, so I can look back at it later on and say to myself " why didn't you stick with that one "

I'm telling myself I'm just waiting for the monitor to come back in stock so I can pull the trigger . ( while I chance my arm with Custompc, who have them in stock, to see if they will haggle over the price ) .

Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2 GHz QuadCore 8MB Cache Processor

Gigabyte GA-Z270M-D3H M-ATX 1151 7th Gen DDR4 M.2 Motherboard - Black

EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SC Gaming with ACX 3.0 Cooling 8 GB GDDR5X PCI Express 3 Graphics Card - Black

Dell S2716DG QHD LED Gaming Monitor, 27 inch - Black

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Windowed Mid-Tower ATX Computer Case - Black

EVGA SuperNova P2 650 W Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply Unit

Corsair CMK16GX4M2B3200C16 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) Vengeance LPX DDR4 Memory Kit - Black

jonski

Trigger pulled , God save us all .


Ordered the monitor through Scan.co.uk using their pay through amazon feature due to it being out of stock in some places and others not wanting to deliver to Ireland .

jonski

So this arrived this morning , I ended up going with the GA-Z270-HD3P ( for some unknown reason, I was sure I had picked the GA-Z270M-D3H ) .

I am attempting to put it together using the H55 Cooler but I'm going to try and use the backing plate off the H60, for one reason and that is that I have already used the sticky pads when I used the H55 on an AMD processor and they aren't reusable so the H60 plate seems to stand off better on the back of the board ( he said , thinking he knew what he was talking about ) . I'm going to try it without paste first just to see if it makes a solid connection .

jonski

Power supply is confusing me a small bit , the 4x4 cpu connection to the mobo doesn't look right . In my own little way I call the tops square or round . It should be square round round square on top and round square square round on the bottom ....but it's not .

Digital Solitude

Pics?

K.O.Kiki

jonski wrote: »

Power supply is confusing me a small bit , the 4x4 cpu connection to the mobo doesn't look right . In my own little way I call the tops square or round . It should be square round round square on top and round square square round on the bottom ....but it's not .

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=446

Unfortunately, this unit keeps the tradition started by the 650W G2 unit... the CPU cable has two daisy chained connectors on it. One a full 8 pin, the other a modular 4+4 pin.

jonski

Like I ever manage to upload pics correctly

http://imgur.com/a/DeGW8

second try , god damn it where did I put that link to how to upload pics !

Digital Solitude

That's 2x4, one does the CPU and one just hangs I believe, can we see the port

jonski

ah , that actually works .K.O. Kiki the leads you actually get in the box are slightly different . The CPU one is 8 pin at one end and just 4+4 at the other . There is an adapter cable as well but it has the right type of connections with the 2 8 pin connectors but unfortunately the 8 pin socket is the same as the motherboard so the 2 x 4 pin doesn't line up correctly

jonski

Digital Solitude wrote: »

That's 2x4, one does the CPU and one just hangs I believe, can we see the port

http://imgur.com/a/FP1PH

Digital Solitude

Ah here I'm not at the races at all, listen to Kiki

K.O.Kiki

jonski wrote: »

ah , that actually works .K.O. Kiki the leads you actually get in the box are slightly different . The CPU one is 8 pin at one end and just 4+4 at the other . There is an adapter cable as well but it has the right type of connections with the 2 8 pin connectors but unfortunately the 8 pin socket is the same as the motherboard so the 2 x 4 pin doesn't line up correctly

4+4 will fit together if you line them up side-by-side, should only fit one way.

Don't turn the PSU switch on until you are happy they fit without forcing them in.