For the last month or more, I've been wanting some gaming machine and since my main computer is a laptop, I'd rather have a laptop, due to it taking a lot less space and I can use it anywhere in the house. Unfortunately, the ones that would satisfy me go for at least 1400$ before tax, and tax is 13% here, so it's over 1500$ and that's way more than I am willing to spend right now.
I was tinkering with pcpartpicker.com to see how much cheaper would a gaming PC cost me, and found out that even with the monitor, I can probably go under a 1000$, anyways, here's the build and I know it's not optimized, it's horrible, it's more of a draft than an actual build.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1eca0
My original thought was to get the haswell i5 and use integrated graphics until a decent GPU goes on sale, but if FX-8350 (or maybe FX8320?) would be a lot better and the rest of the build could be optimized to be cheaper, I might just go with AMD. I am not planning to overclock the CPU or GPU a lot, probably not at all until I get bored and want to tinker a bit, but I have never OC'd for more than few hundred MHz anyway.
Also, as you may or may not have noticed, I have a monitor in the build. I have heard good things about Asus monitors, but if there are better options that are cheap, I'll be more than happy to hear them! :)
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9
This is a better power supply than the entry level CX. Getting a good PSU is important.
I don't think you've gone wrong with the parts you've chosen. High frequency RAM doesn't contribute to gaming. Get 1600, if you can find it cheaper.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs238hp
This is an IPS panel. It has the best colour accuracy. Figured it would be worth the investment.
AMD are pretty much equal to Intel in gaming performance. The 8350 or 8320 would make for a good gaming and editing specification.
I would maybe pick a different chassis. Parts in Canada seem quite expensive. I can't find the usual budget cases at good prices.
+1 on the monitor choice.That is the monitor I am currently using and I have no problems with it!
I vaguely remember people on this forum discussing IPS vs LCD for gaming and I don't really remember the outcome, but I guess the pros of LCD (if any?) are nothing compared to pros of IPS, is that right?
Edit: the link you provided is not IPS, is this the one you meant? http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs239hp
So for the RAM, would it be wiser to go with lets say this http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8gbrl rather than 2133 MHz one for 10$ more? And would the slightly higher profile would cause issues if I were to add an aftermarket cooler? Would it be better to get this RAM instead http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/mushkin-memory-997002 ?
And once again about the cpu... The 8350 is 199$ and 8320 is 159$, whereas the i5-4670k is 249$. Is the performance that much different between these 3 CPUs? I would assume 8350/8320 would be more futureproof (last longer performance wise) due to more cores. So, are there any arguments why i5 would be better, other than having the iGPU?
If I went with AMD cpu, is this a good motherboard for it? http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-990fxextreme4 It comes as a combo with the cpu for a little less.
Also, I picked a case that looked like it's fine, but it doesn't have USB 3.0 ports in front (should I care? I don't have any USB 3.0 devices), I don't really know much about cases...
1. It comes down to preference. IPS is better for colour accuracy and viewing angles. LCD can have faster refresh rates, but really poor image quality. I would only potentially invest in an LCD if it was 120-144Hz. It makes games look more fluid. However, I prefer to game on IPS 60Hz panels. 60Hz still makes games look buttery smooth, providing you have the GPU performance.
2. If it's only $10 more, you can certainly get the faster RAM.
3. Depends on the aftermarket cooler. You can get some good coolers that do not block the ram slots, like the Phanteks 12DX. Again, that is down to your preference.
4. No such thing as future proof. Though, I understand what you're trying to say. They're pretty much equal in terms of gaming performance. The 83xx has more physical cores, which makes it better for multi-tasking. There are reasons to choose either platform. I went Intel because they have a stronger selection of motherboards that include PCIe gen 3. This is due to Intel updating their sockets more frequently.
5. I'm not the biggest fan of ASRock. Plenty of people will tell you that the Extreme 4 is a good enough motherboard. My preference would often be something by ASUS. As a rule of thumb, ASUS generally get things right. But hey, that's just my preference. You've certainly chosen the correct chipset. The higher-end AMD CPUs should be on the 990/99 chipset.
6. If you do get any USB 3.0 devices, you can connect them to the motherboard rear I/O. Since most motherboards actually come with 3.0 ports at the back.
Whatever RAM you choose, please match it to the colour of the motherboard. Same can be said for any aftermarket cooler.
Or I will get mad.
well, I would say the 8320/50 because
a) the motherboards, although there is slightly less variety, tend to be cheaper for about the same features/the same brands
b) the next generation AMD CPUs will be compatible with the AM3+ boards i believe, so that is somewhat more future proof than intel which changes socket each generation.
also, if you are buying a graphics card the intergrated graphics with the intel argument becomes completely irrelevant.
So right now the build looks like this http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1eEMZ , I can't really see what else could/should be changed? Perhaps there are better cases anyone could recommend?
P.s sorry Berserker, most of the cheaper RAM sticks seem to be red :(
Edit: replaced motherboard with this http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a99fxpror20
sorry Berserker, most of the cheaper RAM sticks seem to be red :(
Damn you, Canada!
You had better find a red mobo!
I would pick something by Fractal, or something with good cable management, like the NZXT source 210 elite. Those chassis seem to be a little more expensive in Canada, which is a shame.
Build looks fine. Great thing about PC is that you can add to it, swap out parts. Unlike a laptop. You won't regret saving money on a gaming laptop. I always expect laptops to break or get stolen. They never last long.
And that would be my preferred choice of motherboard
Would this case be better than what I had picked out before? http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-s210002
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1eFfF
Under $1000 before tax, with monitor.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1eFkm
Or stay with 2133 memory for $20 more
Would difference between 2133 and 1600 memory be noticeable and how much?
And I've heard that HD7950 can even compete with GTX 770 in certain games, so would it be worth paying the extra 30$ for HD7950 over the GTX 760?
Does anyone know how shipping works with this stuff? Is the shipping separate for each item or is there one total for all the items you order from one store? I'm new to buying online in Canada...
Depends on where you are when it comes to shipping. If you're in Ontario, BC (in select regions), or some areas of Quebec, it's not that bad. My best suggestion is see if there is a brick and mortar NCIX nearby, as they always price-match the PC Part Picker list (at least in my experience). I can't say the same for Canada Computers.
As for the 760 vs 7950, they pretty much trade blows as far as gaming. It's your shot, but I chose the 760 for the setup because it's newer and apt to be supported by drivers for a bit longer.
I will probably go with the 760 then, because that's what I was going for initially, but a lot of people seemed to recommend 7950 over 760 in other threads, so that confused me.
I was looking up info on Asus VH238H monitor (in the build you linked) and I found a few people saying that it is a 120 Hz monitor, but I couldn't find any info to confirm it. Edit: Nevermind that, even if it was 120 Hz, I don't think it would matter with this setup.
As for the brick and mortar - I'm in Newfoundland and there is absolutely nothing here, so online is pretty much the only option...
Well.... that sucks. The east coast and the praries are shit for shipping cost. Try punching it in for NCIX. For me, it would be $40 for shipping. Could be 60 or 80 for you. Give it a shot
I'm gonna go to bed now and tomorrow I'll try to minimize the shipping costs in the build...
Thanks for all the help liferescripted and Berserker! Perhaps will have more questions tomorrow, haha