After using "gaming" laptops for the past 7 years, I decided that enough is enough after watching the Build the Best $750 Gaming PC - Dec 2014.
My problem is that I live in Norway, so I can't get the sale offers they emphasize are so important for this build
Here is a (somewhat accurate)list of what I'm planning to buy that's mentioned in the video:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WQxNWZ
I'm planning on finding myself a nice looking and silent case, so ignoring that for now.
The prices on these items here in Norway are:
- CPU: 200$
- CPU Cooler: 37$
- Motherboard: 85$
- Memory: 100$
- Storage: 120$
- Video Card: 484$
- Power Supply: 93$
Yeah, prices are a bit higher here.
So here comes my barrage of questions:
- Is it still worth it when everything is at full price? If not, what should I change?
- I'm not really sure if I'm getting the overclocked version of the graphics card here in Norway, is there any way to tell from the site I'm buying it on(doesn't use the word overclocked anywhere)? And how much does it matter?
- If I decide to use ~90$ extra on the system, what should I upgrade?
- Should I consider buying an extra GTX 970 in the future, or will it be pointless?
- If the answer to the above question is that I should, should I then buy a stronger power supply originally?
Extra comments:
I'm planning of using this machine for gaming, every genre.
I'm not planning on buying anything before in a month(January).
No need to think about OS, Keyboard, Screen, etc. I'll fix that myself.
If you want to get an estimate of much power your computer will pull to help pick a power supply, I would suggest using this calculator: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp.
- Is it still worth it when everything is at full price? If not, what should I change?
It's a bit pricy - but as you stated, you're in Norway. The only thing that's good about the US is somewhat cheap electronics lol. I can't answer "is it worth it". It's not a BAD price-performer, but it isn't a killer deal either.
Stuff you could change:
CPU: FX-8320, if it's a decent amount cheaper. Same chip, lower clock speed.
Motherboard: I have no idea why logan recommended the MSI 970A-G43. It's a terrible motherboard. The G46 is essentially the same low quality board with large heatsinks strapped to it. Grab a motherboard like:
- Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P
- MSI 970 Gaming
- Asus M5A97 Evo R2.0
- Asus M5A99X Evo R2.0
- Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
Whatever's cheapest on this little list will perform great with the 8 core CPUs.
- I'm not really sure if I'm getting the overclocked version of the graphics card here in Norway, is there any way to tell from the site I'm buying it on(doesn't use the word overclocked anywhere)? And how much does it matter?
Check the clockspeeds? To be honest, it doesn't really matter at all.
- If I decide to use ~90$ extra on the system, what should I upgrade?
Case suggestion: Fractal Design Define R4/R5, NZXT H440.
Consider moving to Intel if you intend to play a lot of CPU-intensive games, or have applications that benefit from a better ipc(better single core performance).
- Should I consider buying an extra GTX 970 in the future, or will it be pointless?
Depends on the resolution you're playing at, and if your motherboard supports it. For 1080p, it's pretty pointless.
- If the answer to the above question is that I should, should I then buy a stronger power supply originally?
It depends if you plan on overclocking your CPUs and GPUs. I would get at least 650w still, but if you're going to be overclocking you'll want to get some higher wattage stuff. 750w is probably not a bad idea, as these GTX 970s and 980s are known to overclock a lot.