First PC build?

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1

Ok, well i know that this topic has probably been brought up more times than can be counted but i am bringing up again. I was wonder if you guys could give any feed back on my part choices and if you think i should change any of them. Also i do not plan on overclocking my machine until i get more confident with the workings of it.

First:

CPU: I Chose the Intel core i5-4690k 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor for the mother board. This just seemed like a good processor, i might be wrong i have no clue.

CPU Cooler: I Chose the Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler. Please Give feedback on this i really haven't even heard of this cooler.

Thermal Compound: Arctic Silber 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver. This Seemed to one of the higher rated ones and again i might be wrong.

MotherBoard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard. I heard MSI is good for gaming.

Memory/Ram: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory. I have seen ripjaws used on a few builds on youtube.

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" SSD.

and Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive.

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card.

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case.

Power: Corsair Builder 600 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply.

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEB DVD/CD Writer.

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit).

Monitor: Acer G246HLAbd 60Hz 24.0" Monitor

Keyboard and Mouse: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/ Optical Mouse.

ok that's what I have put so far. I ran it through pc part picker and they say there is no compatibility issues but they could be wrong. I was wonder if i might be putting to much into one part, not enough into another, or if there will be any bottlenecking in this build.

Following PC Part Picker they say without rebates and promo discounts this build would be $1432.79.

Again i will ask if this is a good build or if i should change some aspect of this. Also the reason i added the Keyboard, mouse, and Monitor is because of the fact that i really don't own a good computer and have really only console gamed. The best monitor i have is probably the first one that was capable of using an hdmi cable.

Feedback is very needed in this topic.

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Personally, I see nothing wrong with this build, if you're willing to spend this much. (But don't buy Windows through MS-- you can get it much cheaper on Reddit, r/microsoftsoftwareswap I think? Much cheaper, just be careful!)

I would get another or another couple of the 1TB drives. If you're like me, you'll realize how much the extra storage helps, but if not, you can use them in a RAID config to try and avoid loss of data.

For the CPU, I hear good things about the i5, and quad-core is a good starting point for enthusiast systems. For the GPU, 4GB is another good starting point, it will be very useful in modding games.

Do you really need an ODD? Would it be better to buy a system monitor or fan controller panel instead, for your needs?

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Yeah i see what you mean about spending less on the operating system, another TB would be great, and for the ODD i think i might actually try for a System monitor and Just get an external Optical Drive if i really need it.

Thanks for the Feed Back

4

People reading this probably already guessed but i do plan to try and use this computer for gaming. Past, prestent, and future games. Again thanks for your time even if you just look it over.

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  • no plans for overclocking? then why a 'k' cpu save cash and grab a vanilla i5 - you can even do without the cpu cooler then or go for a cheaper one eg CM212. Also a step down to a H97 board will be fine - Z97 would be recommended if you were intending on overclocking.
  • AS5 paste = waste of money - TIM thats included with any cooler is fine. Noctua paste that is included with all their coolers is better. AS5 is also conductive btw.
  • gaming wise 8gb of ram is plenty. add more in a few years if need be.
    spend more money on a bigger ssd.
  • maybe a build like this: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CnWtyc
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I did a similar build a moth ago with the help of people on this forum :) It was my first build in a long time.

Is there a reason to go DH-12 instead of DH-14 ? DH-14 is around the same price and seems to perform a bit better unless u have compatibility issues with RAM or Case ? Other than that I think its a pretty solid build. HDD can always be added later when needed. Maybe upgraded the PSU to a gold certified so that it has a better efficiency (low noise and less heat)

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Thanks on the input. I really didn't know that the 'k' cpu is for overclocking, that is a good tidbit to know for the future. the motherboard, holy crap. i went do to the h97 and the price is almost half. The thermal paste was just a extra if need and i did not know that is was conductive.

Again thanks i plan to edit it and find the price.

8

changed the parts on pcpartpicker and the price came up to be $1306.48 as a maximum. so the priced dropped over a hundred. thanks again for the advice. also i did change the cooler to cm212. i am only getting as a precaution incase it gets really hot or something.

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Thank you one the reply. really i haven't even attempted something like this before and replies are always nice. Though with your comment i have no clue what a DH-12 is. sorry if i am bother you but could you or someone tell me. Its probably really common knowledge but i am over looking it.

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I wrote the wrong cooler. I meant NH-U12s VS DH-14. The DH-14 is twice the NH-U12s. It has 2 radiator and 2 fans but I saw u change for the CM212 which is not in the same price anymore so either Noctua may not be an option anymore since you dont plan to overclock.

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gaming on a 120GB primary drive means you'll have to move games in and out of storage. Games should be installed on primary OS drive. I wouldn't go under 250-300GB with the size of games in 2015. I would also opt for a 120hz 1-2ms response monitor, if not 144Hz. The difference is visible. OEM windows is a pain in the ass. I prefer getting raped for retail and re-install out of paranoid delusions if I so choose.

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I'm going to guess you'll be gaming on it, so.

CPU:An i5 is usually what you want to get if your budget is over 500ish dollars, though the 8350 8 core is a solid choice if you're going to be doing things other than gaming.

Cooler: A bit overkill, the hyper 212 EVO is pretty much to go to aftermarket cooler.

Thermal Paste: I'd suggest you get ceramic, I believe AS5 is conductive so there's a small risk of shortage if some gets onto your motherboard. The MX-4 is a pretty popular ceramic paste.

RAM:You probably have too much RAM, you really only need 8gbs if you're just gaming.

Storage:You'll want to bump up your SSD to a 240gb one, 120 just isn't enough for most people and it fills up quickly with modern games.

GPU: The R9 280 Is currently the best bang for your buck GPU I think, plus there was that whole 3.5gb thing.

Case:HAF XB is probably the best case to get, otherwise the N200 from coolermaster is a popular mATX case at a pretty low price.

PSU: 600w is find for what you have there, but generally you want a good part of your budget to go to the PSU since it's the most important thing in your build.

Things you mainly want in a PSU are probably going to be modular and 80 plus gold rated.

DVD drive: Do ya really need one?

Monitor: Look for 21.5" 1080p IPS monitors they're usually around $120 right now, no need to spend more for bigger pixels.

Anyways as for other things you should also consider what you'll be sitting in all day while using your PC, and what your audio set up is going to be, if you want a nice big hard mouse pad, and if you want a mechanical keyboard/higher end mouse. Or wireless peripherals.

Mainly Your budget doesn't need to all go into just your PC hardware.

13

THe build in the opening post, is a very sollid build.
Nothing has to be changed in my opinnion.

@Streetguru Going with a AMD cpu, if you can afford a unlocked i5, does not make any sense for gaming, in my opinnion.
Also GTX970 is way better then a 280X.

I would rather decide between a GTX970 and 290X.
But if he games on 1080p mainaly, the GTX970 will be the better choice there.
If he want to game on 1440p, then the 290X would be a better choice in my opinnion.

14

8gb isn't "plenty" for gaming anymore. People have been saying this for many years and now it's outdated advise. GTA 5 can use upto 10gb of memory when tabbed out. Newer games are requiring more system resources. You can get away with 8 but I wouldn't say it's plenty.

Also OP I think you should look for deals on a sapphire 290x with atleast 4gb vram. They make a 290x with 12gb vram too. Also don't get a cheap PSU, check Johnnyguru.com for reviews. They can fail after a few years, I've had this happen, sometimes they take other hardware with them.

Another tip, check craigslist for mouse and keyboard, use the saved money to spend more on the hardware

I have that Noctua cooler, NH u12s, couldn't be happier with it! It's a good buy, use the Noctua thermal compound instead of Arctic Silver 5, it's better. It is included with the heatsink.

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No they dont :)

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Is it really worth it when it's nearly the double the price though?

17

You clearly have only used systems with 16GB of RAM for GTAV - the game scales well for varying amounts of RAM and if in the off chance that there is a need for more thats what SWAP files are for.
8gb total in Win8.1 hovers around 6.1GB, 16GB of RAM it hangs about at the 10GB mark as you say and it does for me as well. Check out other memory configs as well - 6GB RAM - around 4GB is used in total.