Hello everybody!
I wanted to post my upcoming build here as a bit of a sanity check. I would greatly appreciate any critique the community can provide. Thank you in advance!
About me:
I live in the US. I'm a long-time veteran of custom PC building (built my first custom PC in the mid-90s), but my last (personal) build was in 2006 (not counting a few upgrades along the way). I've done a bunch of research to try and get a handle on what has changed in the last 8 years, but I probably have some blind-spots. I don't want to waste any money, but if a few extra dollars will better meet my goals (especially future-proofing) I'd rather spend it now than regret it later.
About my goals:
As a gamer I have generally moved away from AAA titles and enjoy more indie games (Minecraft, Prison Architect, Fez, World of Goo), with exceptions for my favorite franchises (Starcraft, Diablo, Crysis/FarCry, GalCiv, Bioshock, Halflife/Portal, Deus Ex, Mass Effect, Skyrim, etc.). In other words, my daily gaming needs are pretty modest, but when a game on my wishlist comes out, I'd like it to run as well as possible.
My everyday needs are also fairly modest. I publish youtube videos via webcam and game-capture software (usually Minecraft and Bandicam), and I'm a tab fiend in my web-browser (I have 20 chrome tabs open now, probably double that earlier today). I occasionally run image editing software and do some web and game development as well.
I'd like this machine to be as future-proof as possible. My current machine has lasted me 8 years with a graphics-card upgrade and a RAM upgrade in years 6 and 7. If I could get a similar lifespan out of my new one, I'd be very happy.
Looks are not the most important thing, but I've never before built a flashy PC and I'd like to make this one a looker if it doesn't add a lot of expense. I'm definitely considering a whole-system water cooling option, but I'm undecided about cost vs. benefit. After everything is settled I might even throw a bit of sexy lighting in too.
My budget:
If I can get 8 years out of the machine, my budget would be around $1200 ($150/year which is about what I got from my last machine - including upgrades).
About my (proposed) build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KMJRHx
- Case: NZXT H440 Black/Red
- CPU: Intel Core i7 4790k
- CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 Liquid Cooler
- Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Formula
- Graphics Card: Asus GTX 760 DC2OC
- RAM: G.Skill Trident X DDR3 2400 16GB Kit (2x8GB)
- Power Supply: Corsair HX750i 80+ Platinum Full Modular
I already have a copy of 64-bit Windows 7 Pro, 2 SSDs, a 1TB HDD, Monitor, Webcam, Speakers, Mic, Etc. I could definitely use a new keyboard and mouse, however.
Questions:
- Given my goals, have I wasted any money?
- Would alternative components give me more future-proofness without breaking the bank?
- Have I mismatched any components (i.e. created a needless bottleneck)?
- Is it a waste to consider a whole-system water-cooling option?
Current system:
In case anybody is interested:
- Case: Athenatech A416BS.400 (some cheapo $30 case, iirc)
- CPU: Intel Core2 6400 2.13GHz
- CPU Cooler: Stock Intel heatsink/fan
- Motherboard: Intel DP965LT
- Graphics Card: GeForce 7600 GT later upgraded to GeForce GTX 460
- RAM: 6GB of who-knows what (3 DIMMs, all different)
- Power Supply: Corsair HX750