19 replies to this topic

[Raining Fire]

Hey all. I've never posted to the forums but this time I need some quick advice.

I've been gaming on my Asus G75VX laptop for the past few years and am looking at upgrading to a gaming desktop. I'd like to ask for any input as to whether I'm missing anything/components, or if there is any better hardware for the price. I live in Canada so this is in Canadian dollars, and unfortunately our tech prices are slightly inflated.

This is what I have in mind right now, and with some Cyber Monday deals I might be able to cut a couple hundred dollars off:

https://ca.pcpartpic...com/list/yXywkT

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($393.98 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($123.98 @ DirectCanada)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.49 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Founders Edition Video Card ($879.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($124.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ NCIX)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($169.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC56 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($69.99 @ NCIX)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 High Performance Edition (2-Pack) 62.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($34.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Monitor: Asus VN248H-P 23.8" Monitor ($164.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Other: BELKIN BP112230-08 8 Feet 12 Outlets 4320 Joules Pivot-Plug Surge ($111.72 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $2659.05

6th gen i7 processor, GTX1080, 16GB DDR4 RAM, Windows 10 Pro. I aim to run most games on ultra, do a little video editing, and I hope/expect to run MWO on maxed setting as well.

Thanks for your time and input, I much appreciate it!

Edited by Raining Fire, 27 November 2016 - 01:11 PM.

[Smokeyjedi]

nothing much wrong with that build @ all, but if you were going to stay 1080P yo may want to think about a higher refresh rate because they 1080 will smoke 1920X1080 probably 40% of the cards power lost to vsync.

[Vxheous]

You don't need to buy any thermal compound, the Corsair H105 comes with precoated compound already which works just fine. I'd also go with the Corsair H115 vs the H105 (dual 140mm vs dual 120mm, the 140mm runs quieter for more airflow) it's the same price. You might also want to buy a higher end version of the ASUS motherboards, you're basically pairing a high end i7 and a high end video card to a low-mid end motherboard. Look at maybe the Asus Sabertooth, or the ROG Maximus HERO VIII (I know costs go up, but you're already spending on an i7 and a GTX 1080). You're also pairing a GTX 1080 with a 60hz 1080p monitor, might be better off either getting a 144hz 1080p, or move up to a 2560x1440 monitor (again, increasing costs, but then you're buying a GTX 1080 and then not utilizing it's full potential)

I would also buy a non-founders edition GTX 1080 (either the ASUS or MSI, EVGA is having ram cooling issues right now)

Alternatively, if you don't go with the ASUS Sabertooth or ROG Maximus HERO VIII, the ASUS Z170-Deluxe or Z170-Premium both come with wifi on the motherboard, which means you don't need to buy another wireless adaptor.
Apart from that, everything else looks good.

Edit: For disclosure, I run a very similar system to the one you're looking to buy. I have a i5 6600K @ 4.7Ghz cooled with a Corsair H115i, GTX 1070 with a ASUS VG248QE (144hz monitor). I have the ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero motherboard (it has an upgraded soundchip and better power phases for overclocking) and 2666 ram instead of the 2400, same storage that you have picked, same PSU (EVGA superNOVA G2 750W)

Edited by Vxheous Kerensky, 27 November 2016 - 01:58 PM.

[Raining Fire]

Okay yeah I might forgo the thermal compound. I may have a look into the other cooler as well.

I'm looking at the two other motherboards now:

http://www.newegg.ca...1-877-_-Product

http://www.newegg.ca...2-565-_-Product

The price difference isn't crazy at $70, I'm leaning towards the Hero out of those two, but will it make much of a difference? I'm not a huge computer guy so I'm not sure what's different between the Hero and the Z170.

Edited by Raining Fire, 27 November 2016 - 02:02 PM.

[Vxheous]

Wrong sabertooh, it's this one: http://www.newegg.ca...2-715-_-Product
In terms of the difference, the HERO has a better soundcard vs the Sabertooth as well as more power phases (for smoother power delivery in overclocking). Both are great motherboards though, my friend has a Sabertooh while i have the HERO VIII and we both have no issues overclocking.

Actually, the ASUS z170I Pro-gaming might be your best bet: http://www.memoryexp...roducts/MX59635 It comes with built in wifi and and upgraded sound vs z170-a model. It's also $209.99 CAD

I mentioned this earlier, but the GTX 1080 will be overkill for 1080p 60hz gaming. If you intend on playing 1080p 60hz, you're best served with saving a little money and buying a GTX 1070.

I'm a firm believer in properly balancing out system components, so I generally don't match one high end component with something that's low-mid end, etc.

Edited by Vxheous Kerensky, 27 November 2016 - 02:27 PM.

[Raining Fire]

Thanks. After looking at the Hero Alpha and the Z170I Pro Gaming, I think the Z170I knocks it out of the park when the price is considered. I'm glad you pointed that out to me!

Yeah the GTX 1080 will be overkill for 1080p 60hz, I might upgrade the monitor to either 144hz or to 1440p. It might be worth mentioning that I plan on recording some gameplay for myself as well, so I expect some more load on the GPU from that. 1080p60 recording for example.

But yeah, so with the Z170I Pro Gaming motherboard, and maybe a different monitor, do you have any other input? I'm actually getting nervous because this will be a pretty big/nice investment hahaha.

With respect to the GTX 1080, is the RAM cooling issue with EVGA a big problem or just something a few people have? Also, what about something like the GTX 1080 FTW instead of the Founders edition?

http://www.newegg.ca...7-245-_-Product

http://www.newegg.ca...43CVF-_-Product

Edited by Raining Fire, 27 November 2016 - 02:41 PM.

[Vxheous]

Normally I'd say get the EVGA FTW, but the ram cooling issue is a pretty big deal right now (basically the ram has no contact with the cooler causing the chips to overheat. eVGA is sending out thermal pads for people to apply themselves to correct the issue.) I have owned 5 different EVGA cards in the past and this time I went with the MSi Gaming X model, no regrets. The Founders version of cards have also had heat issues with the cooler, so people have to set a custom fan profile or it starts to throttle (which means alot more noise).

The third party cooler builds I would go with are:

http://www.memoryexp...roducts/MX62656

or

http://www.memoryexp...roducts/MX63447

With the parts you've picked, you should be able to overclock that 6700K to 4.4Ghz easily with minimal effort. 4.6Ghz+ will take some more tweaking and testing, but you should be able to do 4.4Ghz with set and forget settings and still be very safe in terms of temps and voltage.

Edited by Vxheous Kerensky, 27 November 2016 - 03:12 PM.

[Raining Fire]

Okay I think I may end up going with the Asus STRIX. One, rather insignificant, reason being because there aren't any other MSi parts in the build.

So now we've figured out the GPU, and saved a few extra dollars on it as well which is nice!

With the motherboard, GPU, and monitor situation solved, do you have an opinion on the cooling? The 3 fans the case comes with, 2 extras, and a corsair water cooler for the CPU. That should be more than sufficient right?

[dwwolf]

Do you really nead the 6700K over an 6600K ?
Personally i'd sink the extra money into mobo, more SSD storage or an aftermarket cooler GTX 1080
or : Better monitor. ( especially since you have an GTX 1080 ).

[Raining Fire]

I definitely get your point there. It's just that I figured if I was going to build this thing I'd go all out for the CPU and GPU. I think I'm willing to spend the extra ~$100 for the 6700k. But what were you saying about an aftermarket cooler for the GTX 1080, should I look into that?

[Vxheous]

dwwolf, on 27 November 2016 - 03:14 PM, said:

Do you really nead the 6700K over an 6600K ?
Personally i'd sink the extra money into mobo, more SSD storage or an aftermarket cooler GTX 1080
or : Better monitor. ( especially since you have an GTX 1080 ).

If he wants a 6700K, I'm not going to stop him, he does want to do some video editting and such.

Raining Fire, on 27 November 2016 - 03:12 PM, said:

Okay I think I may end up going with the Asus STRIX. One, rather insignificant, reason being because there aren't any other MSi parts in the build.

So now we've figured out the GPU, and saved a few extra dollars on it as well which is nice!

With the motherboard, GPU, and monitor situation solved, do you have an opinion on the cooling? The 3 fans the case comes with, 2 extras, and a corsair water cooler for the CPU. That should be more than sufficient right?

The 3 case fans that come with the case should actually be enough. I personally use 3x140mm fans as intake, and the 2x140mm on the radiator as outtake (creates some positive pressure inside the case which helps with dust retention). There's many articles about whether to intake or outtake air over the cooling radiator, so do whatever works best for you. As reference, my house temp is typically 21*C, and during gaming, my CPU temps sit about 61*C (that's with a 4.7Ghz overclock and 1.38V).

I prefer 140mm fans over the 120mm fans due to higher airflow for lower rpm (less noise) but since the case comes with 3x120mm fans, just stick with those and see (don't spend money where you don't have to). Be aware that the ASUS motherboards come with this shroud that goes over the back panel jacks (makes the motherboard look prettier) that can potentially get in the way of you top mounting the radiator to exhaust. My case had that issue and i ended up having to vent out the front of the case instead of top.

Raining Fire, on 27 November 2016 - 03:28 PM, said:

I definitely get your point there. It's just that I figured if I was going to build this thing I'd go all out for the CPU and GPU. I think I'm willing to spend the extra ~$100 for the 6700k. But what were you saying about an aftermarket cooler for the GTX 1080, should I look into that?

He meant get a 3rd party cooled GTX 1080, not the founders edition. Both the MSI Gaming X and ASUS Strix fall into this category of aftermarket cooled cards (as well as the EVGA FTW but we already covered that).

Edited by Vxheous Kerensky, 27 November 2016 - 03:41 PM.

[Raining Fire]

Vxheous Kerensky, on 27 November 2016 - 03:30 PM, said:

He meant get a 3rd party cooled GTX 1080, not the founders edition. Both the MSI Gaming X and ASUS Strix fall into this category of aftermarket cooled cards (as well as the EVGA FTW but we already covered that).

Oh alright that clears it up.

Alright maybe I'll leave out the 2 corsair fans to start. They can always be purchased later. The ambient temperature at my place is about 19-20C. I like it a tad cooler because sweaters are comfortable hahaha.

And I'll keep the Asus motherboard shroud getting in the way of the fans in mind as well.

There shouldn't be any problems with fitting everything in the case I've chosen, are there?

Just another question, MWO runs fine on Windows 10 right? I remember reading about it back when it came out, but I don't exactly remember.

Edited by Raining Fire, 27 November 2016 - 03:51 PM.

[Vxheous]

Yeah, mwo runs fine, just make sure that after the win 10 anniversary update, to disable xbox dvr (just google how tobdo it)

[Raining Fire]

Awesome, I'll remember to do that then.

Now, just before I start ordering parts, I'm checking myself, but all of the components I've selected are compatible right? I can't find anything that doesn't connect, but I've never built a PC before either. And if it is all compatible, ordering those items should get me absolutely everything I need? As in I shouldn't need any extra cables?

[Vxheous]

Raining Fire, on 27 November 2016 - 04:30 PM, said:

Awesome, I'll remember to do that then.

Now, just before I start ordering parts, I'm checking myself, but all of the components I've selected are compatible right? I can't find anything that doesn't connect, but I've never built a PC before either. And if it is all compatible, ordering those items should get me absolutely everything I need? As in I shouldn't need any extra cables?

Should be good, the motherboard box comes with all the cables, and all power cables come with the power supply

[Raining Fire]

Alright, great! Well it looks like my bank account's about to take a critical hit! Between today and tomorrow the parts should be on their way to my mechbay (these puns are bad, I know).

Vxheous Kerensky I appreciate all of your input. It's been fantastic advice and you've been a great help. Thanks goes to Smokeyjedi and dwwolf as well.

When I get it up and running I might make another post to tell you how it went. Otherwise see you on the battlegrounds and have a good night!

[Vxheous]

Raining Fire, on 27 November 2016 - 04:41 PM, said:

Alright, great! Well it looks like my bank account's about to take a critical hit! Between today and tomorrow the parts should be on their way to my mechbay (these puns are bad, I know).

Vxheous Kerensky I appreciate all of your input. It's been fantastic advice and you've been a great help. Thanks goes to Smokeyjedi and dwwolf as well.

When I get it up and running I might make another post to tell you how it went. Otherwise see you on the battlegrounds and have a good night!

You're welcome, let me know how it goes

[Napoleon_Blownapart]

i would say dont base your vid card requirements on MWO and think about what your future needs might be.VR or 4k monitor in the future? maybe go with the best card.

[VorpalAnvil]

Vxheous Kerensky, on 27 November 2016 - 01:35 PM, said:

You don't need to buy any thermal compound, the Corsair H105 comes with precoated compound already which works just fine. I'd also go with the Corsair H115 vs the H105 (dual 140mm vs dual 120mm, the 140mm runs quieter for more airflow) it's the same price. You might also want to buy a higher end version of the ASUS motherboards, you're basically pairing a high end i7 and a high end video card to a low-mid end motherboard. Look at maybe the Asus Sabertooth, or the ROG Maximus HERO VIII (I know costs go up, but you're already spending on an i7 and a GTX 1080). You're also pairing a GTX 1080 with a 60hz 1080p monitor, might be better off either getting a 144hz 1080p, or move up to a 2560x1440 monitor (again, increasing costs, but then you're buying a GTX 1080 and then not utilizing it's full potential)

I would also buy a non-founders edition GTX 1080 (either the ASUS or MSI, EVGA is having ram cooling issues right now)

Alternatively, if you don't go with the ASUS Sabertooth or ROG Maximus HERO VIII, the ASUS Z170-Deluxe or Z170-Premium both come with wifi on the motherboard, which means you don't need to buy another wireless adaptor.
Apart from that, everything else looks good.

Edit: For disclosure, I run a very similar system to the one you're looking to buy. I have a i5 6600K @ 4.7Ghz cooled with a Corsair H115i, GTX 1070 with a ASUS VG248QE (144hz monitor). I have the ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero motherboard (it has an upgraded soundchip and better power phases for overclocking) and 2666 ram instead of the 2400, same storage that you have picked, same PSU (EVGA superNOVA G2 750W)

All good advice. I would add that $170 (even in Canuck funny money) for Win10 is seriously overpriced. https://www.kinguin....x/?q=windows+10

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

I have a 1080 GTX(EVGA SC),16 gigs of 3200 mhz ram and 6700K,and some hiccuping still occurs at 1440p,everything on very high except particles on low,because they are excessive.

Your best bet for performance while streaming and editing is 5820K + semidecent X99-motherboard + quad channel(4 sticks)of 3000 + Mhz memory,dont go for 6800K,they overclock really badly.I recommend the X99X Fatality from Asrock,it has great memory support,good vrm and build quality for the price.