Building a gaming pc on a budget

[Stario]

Specs:

Intel​ I5-4​690K,​ 3.50​GHZ, ​Quad ​core (cpu)
ASUS Z97-PRO-WIFI-AC/4 x DDR3/2 x PCI-E 3.0/1 x2.0 x 16/4 x PCI-E 2.0 (motherboard)
8GB C​orsai​r 8GB​ DD​R3 16​00MHz (ram)
1TB S​eagat​e Bar​racud​a (drive)
Samsung SATA Black Internal 24x Speed Plus DVD±RW Drive
ASUS ​GTX 7​60 OC​/2GB ​GDDR5​/ 256​ bit/​PCI-E​ 3.0 ​2GB (gpu)
Nzxt ​Phant​om 82​0 (case comes with x4 fans and further x5 fans option, up-to 9 fans total)
1050W​ Seas​onic ​X-Ser​ies P​SU - ​80Plu​s Gol​d (psu)
Micro​soft ​Windo​ws 7 ​Profe​ssion​al 64​-bit (os)
Armaggeddon GigaFreeze GF-600 Liquid Based Cooling System AMD/INTEL
OR...
Corsair Hydro Series H110 280mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler



So the time has come to replace my 8 year old aging AMD64. I am basically working on a 2-2.5k budget, and the above is what I can get for that sort of budget range (I am from Australia and things ain't so cheap here).

Anyways, the short term plan is to OC the CPU...the long term plan being to eventually get a better GPU (once prices fall and the current one start to struggle), and the option up to 32GB RAM (if we ever get the need for that much in near future, there is the option for more Hard drive and/or even the option of SSD...etc).
From what I already read about the motherboard, it seems nice and easy to OC things with it. The case can fit up to 9 fans (case comes with x4 fans already installed), and there is the water cooling option.
...and here lie my dilemma with water cooling
1. should i go with the Armaggeddon which looks complicated to install (as this is my first time dealing with liquid cooling), or the Corsair Hydro which seems much easier to install?
2. any suggestions re: something different/better I should be installing instead as far as cooling goes welcomed.

[Totalheadache]

Specs:

Intel​ I5-4​690K,​ 3.50​GHZ, ​Quad ​core (cpu)
ASUS Z97-PRO-WIFI-AC/4 x DDR3/2 x PCI-E 3.0/1 x2.0 x 16/4 x PCI-E 2.0 (motherboard)
8GB C​orsai​r 8GB​ DD​R3 16​00MHz (ram)
1TB S​eagat​e Bar​racud​a (drive)
Samsung SATA Black Internal 24x Speed Plus DVD±RW Drive
ASUS ​GTX 7​60 OC​/2GB ​GDDR5​/ 256​ bit/​PCI-E​ 3.0 ​2GB (gpu)
Nzxt ​Phant​om 82​0 (case comes with x4 fans and further x5 fans option, up-to 9 fans total)
1050W​ Seas​onic ​X-Ser​ies P​SU - ​80Plu​s Gol​d (psu)
Micro​soft ​Windo​ws 7 ​Profe​ssion​al 64​-bit (os)
Armaggeddon GigaFreeze GF-600 Liquid Based Cooling System AMD/INTEL
OR...
Corsair Hydro Series H110 280mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler



So the time has come to replace my 8 year old aging AMD64. I am basically working on a 2-2.5k budget, and the above is what I can get for that sort of budget range (I am from Australia and things ain't so cheap here).

Anyways, the short term plan is to OC the CPU...the long term plan being to eventually get a better GPU (once prices fall and the current one start to struggle), and the option up to 32GB RAM (if we ever get the need for that much in near future, there is the option for more Hard drive and/or even the option of SSD...etc).
From what I already read about the motherboard, it seems nice and easy to OC things with it. The case can fit up to 9 fans (case comes with x4 fans already installed), and there is the water cooling option.
...and here lie my dilemma with water cooling
1. should i go with the Armaggeddon which looks complicated to install (as this is my first time dealing with liquid cooling), or the Corsair Hydro which seems much easier to install?
2. any suggestions re: something different/better I should be installing instead as far as cooling goes welcomed.

that armaggedon is an air cooler right? (from what i can gather) cant see any trouble installing that tbh..done a few myself.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...FQQGwwodXj4A2A

i think this is the better option (or the one u chose)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...-013-CS&tool=3

i prefer corsair cases..

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...362&catid=1489

but yeah those nzkt are good as well..

re the rest looks fine to me. no ssd?

windows 7?

are you planning on sli/xfire in the future or a full water cooling build...if so then a full tower is prob best although both those case i.e the corsair and the phantom are future proof. (phantom is a tad more expensive here in uk..)

reason i ask is because u have listed a 1000w psu...which is overkill if you are only going to run 1 gpu...(even 750w should do a 780ti for example). brand is good though.

from guru3d
•GeForce GTX 780 Ti - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
•GeForce GTX 780 Ti 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 800 Watt power supply unit as minimum.
•GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 1200 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

p.p.s no actual experience of those water cooled cpus as i went from a noctua heatsink to a full water build. but temps+nose better on the liquid coolers. make sure u get a 3 yr warranty ideally..well i would.

[Stario]

@ totalheadache,

Well I like the look of the Corsair Obsidian 750D you posted. I looked supplier website and they have it , whats even sweeter is that i can fit a Corsair Cooling Hydro H100 liquid CPU cooler in it.
The ARCTIC-ACCELERO-HYBRIDII liquid cooler for GPU takes the cost to around 2.3k. So I might just go with this option. Still anymore ideas/suggestion welcomed.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

best case price performance is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro makes COrsairs cases seem rather overpriced for what you get.

As for the Liquid cooler you picked its horribly overpriced look into the Swiftech H220-X

Its $140 USD give or take compared to the Gigafreeze being $289 USD for the same setup. Swiftech is self contained but it CAN BE UPGRADED and EXPANDED on for even more cooling performance.

[Totalheadache]

best case price performance is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro makes COrsairs cases seem rather overpriced for what you get.

As for the Liquid cooler you picked its horribly overpriced look into the Swiftech H220-X

Its $140 USD give or take compared to the Gigafreeze being $289 USD for the same setup. Swiftech is self contained but it CAN BE UPGRADED and EXPANDED on for even more cooling performance.

yep that phanteks looks good and would save you some cash...save $100 here of there might get u a better gpu...

[Mangerman]

The GTX 770 is supposedly going down in price soon to compete with AMD's R9 285. Don't know if and when you will notice that in Australia, but it would be a nice leg up from the 760.

[Stario]

Ah thanx Mangerman, I probably wont be able to put together anything for at least a few weeks (so that's good to know I will keep eye and see if prices fall), I am also tempted to wait till next year for the after Christmas sales but I guess we'll see.
Oh and crazyeyes, the swifttech H220-X seems to have gotten nice reviews. I am also looking at CorsairHydro SeriesH100 Liquid Cooler (280mm radiator), and maybe changing the stock fans it comes with with some better fans etc.
How effective are those liquid coolers anyways? Will I be able to get some nice CPU overclocking with something like the H220-X or CorsairHydroH100?

[Crazyeyesreaper]

THe COrsair H105 / H100i etc all get loud at full loud, the Swiftech beats them all and is quiet.

H220-X is the best cooler I have had the pleasure of testing. considering I have 50+ coolers that have crossed my test bench to date that is saying something.

From the H90 and H110 to the H105 / Noctua NH-D15 etc they all fail to offer the price / performance / memory and socket clearance of the H220-X. Add to that a case that is actually decent aka Phantek Enthoo Pro and you will be just fine. I myself am not a fan of the NZXT Phantom cases. too much chincy plastic.

[Totalheadache]

two more cases to look at

http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/the...r_chassis.html

http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages...-review,1.html

almost tempted to rebuild myself with one of these..

[mrmouth]

I replaced my Antec 1200 full tower with the Corsair 500r that I happened to find on Newegg for $75 with a $20 rebate and a $20 Visa gift card. Basically the same deal they are running now and one of the best deals I ever stumbled upon. Stupid nice case for $60. Used to be $125-150. Very solid and well built.

The design of these mid tower cases now makes full towers all but pointless but for the craziest water cooled x3 SLI rigs. Back when I got my first full tower the mid-towers were nowhere near as well engineered as they are now. They pretty much all have a top or rear exhaust space for a 280mm radiator. I was just amazed at how much space there is in this thing. Air cooling is basically just as good as in the Antec 1200.

[Ishan]

@mrmouth: Yeah it's an excellent case for that price.

[Totalheadache]

I replaced my Antec 1200 full tower with the Corsair 500r that I happened to find on Newegg for $75 with a $20 rebate and a $20 Visa gift card. Basically the same deal they are running now and one of the best deals I ever stumbled upon. Stupid nice case for $60. Used to be $125-150. Very solid and well built.

The design of these mid tower cases now makes full towers all but pointless but for the craziest water cooled x3 SLI rigs. Back when I got my first full tower the mid-towers were nowhere near as well engineered as they are now. They pretty much all have a top or rear exhaust space for a 280mm radiator. I was just amazed at how much space there is in this thing. Air cooling is basically just as good as in the Antec 1200.

Yeah as long as you stick to just single gpu+cpu on a 360 radiator you are fine. My current temps could be lower and I have considered an extra radiator but as long as they arent over 50c or so it's fine.

I'd probably still get a full tower just as the more roomy the case the easier the build tends to be. But will def consider one of the mid towers as well.

P.s some full towers are monsters. was very close in picking up a corsair 800d till i actually used a measuring tape and realized how much of a monster it really is..

[Crazyeyesreaper]

THe Phanteks is not that bad but the features its loaded with nothing in its price range comes close even cases in the $150-190 range offer little in terms of features in comparison.

[Stario]

Another question i wanted to ask.
With this new SSD technology (well it is to me as i am still running old almost 9 yo rig), is there any need for a hard drive?
Say for example if I was to get a 500gb SSD (even 250GB might probably be enough), as I am only planning to use this rig for gaming (seems like 250/500 would be adequate space). So should I even bother with a hard drive?

[Ishan]

Another question i wanted to ask.
With this new SSD technology (well it is to me as i am still running old almost 9 yo rig), is there any need for a hard drive?
Say for example if I was to get a 500gb SSD (even 250GB might probably be enough), as I am only planning to use this rig for gaming (seems like 250/500 would be adequate space). So should I even bother with a hard drive?

Only you can answer your own question depending upon your storage needs. If you find 256-512 GB of SSD space more than adequate you don't need additional space. If you think you download a lot of stuff, like high definition 1080p videos and stuff then you may need an additional 1-2 TB HDD space.

[Totalheadache]

I run a 120gb ssd and a 750gb caviar hdd. I'd def get a 250gb ssd and my current is quite easily filled..(just got fifa and bf4 on it rest of games on the hdd inc r2).

Still keep your old hdd but they can fail so bear that in mind...

(make sure you get good warranties on the ssd/hdd). I know some peeps who have had to rma several ssd's..

http://www.guru3d.com/articles-categories/memory-%28ddr2|ddr3%29-and-storage-%28hdd|ssd%29.html

ten yr warranty!!!

http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages...-review,1.html

[mrmouth]

I'd probably still get a full tower just as the more roomy the case the easier the build tends to be. But will def consider one of the mid towers as well.

P.s some full towers are monsters. was very close in picking up a corsair 800d till i actually used a measuring tape and realized how much of a monster it really is..

I never compared the Antec 1200 and the 500R by eye but I worked extensively in both and they never felt different in terms of work space. The Antec was longer and taller but it just never felt like it was a step down in space going to the mid. Some engineering wizardry.

So for me, I'm a converted mid-tower guy until something changes. My temps are never over 55c, even in the summer, running an old Hyper 212 and a GTX 770. I had the first Corsair sealed water cooler and while it would be cool to buy another I just don't see the need. Air is still enough for me and this case is just as good as the full-tower it replaced which was just about the best air-cooled case of all time.

The Antec was just stupid big and heavy. The panels were thicker and heavier than most quarter panels on modern cars. Fully loaded it must have pushed 50 lbs. It was overkill but people still swear by them. I sold the thing for $160 to a local guy who always wanted one. For that money he could have bought a new model of the same case but I guess the original 1200 still has appeal to crazy overclockers.

So in total my conversion from 1366 to 1150 with a new case cost me like $25 after I sold my x58 board and the i7 920. That was awesome.

[Stario]

Thanks for all the advice guys.
I am definitely waiting till feb of next year till i start purchasing/building anything. My nagging wife is going on an overseas vacation so I will be able to do as I please for a few weeks in feb-march (she really hates computers and computer games even more).

[Stario]

OK I've shopped around and for 2k i can get this:

MOBO: Asus Maximus VII Gene
CPU: Intel​ I5-4​690K,​ 3.50​GHZ (which I plan to OC)
CPU cooling: H60 Hydro liquid cooling
Memory: G.Skill Trident-X 8gb kit (4GBx2) DDR3 2400
GPU: Ausus STRIX 4GB GTX 970 (OC)
Storage: 1TB S​eagat​e Bar​racud​a + 240GB SSD
Case: Corsair 500R
PSU: Corsair 750w (80+ platnum)
OS: Windows 8.1

ps. just could not find Phantex + H220X anywhere without shipping from far away places (which i am hesitant to do + it adds to price).

pps. Also have any of you have any experience with the Gene VII MOBO? Seems like a very good looking micro-ATX board with all the features of regual atx boards short of some monster triple slot GPU (which i am not planning to do anyways for a budget PC).

Anyways this set up seems nice for OC'ing and seems better than my OP setup for same price. What you all think? I hope to play the Attila TW game when it comes out on max or near max options.
Also I hope it will improve performance of some older CPU intensive multiplayer games I am currently still playing.

[LestaT]

OK I've shopped around and for 2k i can get this:

MOBO: Asus Maximus VII Gene
CPU: Intel​ I5-4​690K,​ 3.50​GHZ (which I plan to OC)
CPU cooling: H60 Hydro liquid cooling
Memory: G.Skill Trident-X 8gb kit (4GBx2) DDR3 2400
GPU: Ausus STRIX 4GB GTX 970 (OC)
Storage: 1TB S​eagat​e Bar​racud​a + 240GB SSD
Case: Corsair 500R
PSU: Corsair 750w (80+ platnum)
OS: Windows 8.1

ps. just could not find Phantex + H220X anywhere without shipping from far away places (which i am hesitant to do + it adds to price).

pps. Also have any of you have any experience with the Gene VII MOBO? Seems like a very good looking micro-ATX board with all the features of regual atx boards short of some monster triple slot GPU (which i am not planning to do anyways for a budget PC).

Anyways this set up seems nice for OC'ing and seems better than my OP setup for same price. What you all think? I hope to play the Attila TW game when it comes out on max or near max options.
Also I hope it will improve performance of some older CPU intensive multiplayer games I am currently still playing.

Nice.