Looking to Spend $1500 on a Custom Gaming PC - Please Check My Specs

Empharand on 03/12/2015 - 23:21
Last edited 08/12/2015 - 00:36

Hi everyone,

First time poster, long term lurker on the forums.

Long story short, I'm looking to build a gaming PC with a budget of about $1000-$1200 Now $1500. Looking to get the best specs I can within my budget.

I have had a play around with PCPartPicker.com, and so far this is what I have managed to come up with
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/qh6WFT
HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED TO THIS- PLEASE SEE BELOW

As I'm not an expert of Gaming PC's (Novice - Moderate knowledge at best) I'd just like to know if my specs are good in the opinion of those that know their gaming PC's and what to look for.

If you would like to make any alternations to my specs, feel free however I want to try and keep it below $1200 if I can.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Computing

Comments

  • Axelstrife on 03/12/2015 - 23:58
    +3

    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/TZLQrH
    The GPU is the main component of a gaming pc.
    Go intel for cpu and in this case it's cheaper lol trust me i went amd and regretting it.
    unless you need to sound card for some thing you don't need it for gaming.

    I know it's slightly $10 above but it's a much more powerful pc.

    if you could stretch slightly more go 16gb ram but it's not needed really.

    i have a similar case but the spec 03 nice case.

    i didn't add the opticle drive but for a gaming pc you wouldn't need anything more then a $20 dvd burner from any computer shop i haven't used mine in months.

    • ItsMeAgro on 04/12/2015 - 10:18

      Yep, for a $1200 gaming PC you want to be spending almost half that budget on the GPU, these days.

      And even for a gaming build, if you're budget is more than $600 or so, it seems silly not to spend 100 and get an SSD for the C: drive.

    • klaw81 on 04/12/2015 - 11:16

      You definitely should spend the extra and get an SSD. Totally worth every cent.

      Also agree that you don't need the sound card, unless audio is incredibly important to you. The integrated sound card is fine for everyone except audiophiles.

      The GTX 750Ti is poor value these days. Go for the GTX960 minimum, or GTX970 if you can spare the cash. Get the very best GPU you can - this is the thing that will make your gaming performance good or bad.

      You probably don't need the optical drive at all. Nothing really requires it these days.

      Pre-built option: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/33982

  • idjces on 04/12/2015 - 00:06
    +1

    I'd agree with holden93 and choose an intel system, with most of the $ going towards the graphics card. As in $500 of your budget going towards the gpu, because these days the only thing limiting most games is gpu power. Budget end cpu, memory, etc, are more than adequate.

  • Charity on 04/12/2015 - 08:06
    +3

    you said you didn't need an SSD… but you do! lol

  • Jemz on 04/12/2015 - 08:26

    I agree with holden93 as well.

    I pretty much had the same specs as holden93's parts list up until my recent upgrade.

    Only things which were different were the processor and motherboard, I've got an old i7 2600 which is still a beast so I don't know how that will compare with the newer i5

    Ram size was same, video card was same but I had G1 Gaming version.

    The thing was a beast and played all new games at 1080p 60+ fps with no problems at all.

    You don't "need" as SSD at this stage but you can get away with a cheap 250GB and it is worth every cent.

    Have you factored in the price of an OS, eg windows?

  • ItsMeAgro on 04/12/2015 - 10:14

    Also post this to reddit.com/r/buildapc - there are dozens of experts there who love to give advice on gaming builds exactly like this.

  • Olga on 04/12/2015 - 16:05

    Check out http://www.ticomputers.com.au/

  • Empharand on 06/12/2015 - 13:35

    Ok guys, thanks for the responses. I have had a good look at my list, and have since revised the list (and also revised my budget). This is now the system I'm looking to build. All up, the final cost should be about $1500 (I will be going through one supplier, and I will get them to price match a few things, which is why it should come out to $1500)

    Please take a look, and let me know what you think. Thanks.
    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/jL2pCJ
    (The Case comes with a PSU)

    • IceCreamBandit on 06/12/2015 - 23:22

      I would highly recommend that you do not use the included PSU with the case, especially if you're planning to do any overclocking (which seems likely if you have 'K' processor with a liquid cooler).

      The included PSU is only 500W and it is not even 80+ rated, meaning its reliability and quality cannot be guaranteed. If you've spent that much money on the rest of the build, you really need to power it with something a bit better.

      Edit: You really really should get a different PSU if the specs page of the case is anything to go by. According to that you'll only get 1 x PCIe 6pin for graphics cards.

      Your MSI GTX 970 requires 1 x 8 pin and 1 x 6 pin. Yes you can probably get adapters to make the molex connectors into 8 pins, but like I said, if you're spending that much on such a good build, you really shouldn't be going with a PSU like that.

    • Powershopz on 07/12/2015 - 16:56

      Change your CPU. You don't need an i7 processor and would be better off saving $158 and getting the Intel Core i5-4690K. There will be no noticeable difference to your gaming.

      To be honest this build is really awful. A lot of the components are poor choices. Look at some of the completed builds on PC Part Picker and filter/rank by highest rated and use them as a guide. Reddit, Whirlpool forums, Tom's Hardware, mmochamp has a good PC building forum etc - can probably get better advice than on OzB.

      Things I'd note straight away:

      Change the CPU cooler - go with one of the coolermaster air cooled ones e.g. Hyper 212 EVO $65 is fine and will handle basic OCs. Water cooling isn't worth it.

      Get a Case without PSU and the PSU seperate. Thermaltake cases are fairly shit imo and their fans are prone to becoming noisy/faulty much quicker than other brands. Coolermaster/Corsair are good alternatives.

      With a few changes and tweaks and if you're patient to buy things on sale you may even be able to get a GTX 980 into your build.

  • donnot on 07/12/2015 - 18:00

    Okay, from MSY, I've put something together that you could consider. An i7 is not required for gaming purposes and will provide no benefit over an i5. Also, the R9 390 offers arguably better performance, however it uses more power than a GTX 970, so you could switch that to a GTX 970 if power consumption is an issue. You'll need to add $135 if you need an OS. The i5 6400 stays relatively cool under the stock cooler, so no need to waste money on an aftermarket one.

    • Core i5 6400 - $269
    • G-Skill 8GB Ram - single: $56
    • Asus B150M-K-D3 - $106
    • Lite-on DVD writer - $17
    • Antec VSK-4000B-U3 case - $49
    • Corsair VS550 Power supply - $67
    • Gigabyte G1 Gaming R9 390 - $489
    • TP-Link TL-WN821N 300N Wireless adapter - $16
      Total: $1069
  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 19:04

    Is this better,

    • I have changed to an i5-4690K, and changed the graphics card to the R9 390 (Since it seems to be a favourite among many)
    • changed the motherboard as the Z97's support overclocking and is overall better suited for the CPU I have chosen (Fyi, I'm not looking to overclock)
    • changed the SSD to a Samsung as Kingston's SSD's have a reputation for slow speed from what I have been told.
    • changed the case, and chose a separate PSU
    • removed the CPU cooler (Probably isn't needed anyways, only if I do choose to overclock in the future)

    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/pTmdZL

    Thank you.

    • Powershopz on 07/12/2015 - 22:50

      Definitely get an aftermarket CPU. The stock ones are beyond terrible.

  • kywst on 07/12/2015 - 21:12

    I see a few people have already suggested a more powerful graphics card. If this is to be a gaming machine then the graphics card is the most important component as it will have the largest single impact on frame rate. I seriously doubt you'll notice a difference from overclocking the CPU … and I don't mean you won't notice that Super PI says it calculated x digits of PI faster either.

  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 21:20

    Yeah I already had, I changed it from a MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB to a MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB as per recommendations I have received from people on other forums

  • Katicai on 07/12/2015 - 21:27

    Skylake processors do not come with stock cpu coolers, If you have any qusetions ask me as i have past experience in building pc's!

    • donnot on 07/12/2015 - 23:16

      Only the K series (unlockable) skylake Processors don't come with a stock cooler. All others do.

  • Katicai on 07/12/2015 - 21:31

    Also a i5-6600 would be a much better choice if you want cool temps with a air cooler, as kywst said, overclocking on your first gaming pc could lead to major crashes. Think about the money on the line and I highly suggest you do not overclock until you have familiarized yourself with PC Building, with that said, I'm not discouraging you, I'm just saying be careful. 1.5k is alot of money. :)

  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 21:34

    I want to try and stick with the i5-4690k, I'm not planning on overclocking.
    So from what you are saying, I need a CPU Cooler?

    What about the overall build, is it sound?

  • kywst on 07/12/2015 - 21:44

    If you're looking to use your GPU for rendering - blender3d cycles engine for example … go with NVIDIA. Apart from that the build looks solid - maybe no need for optical drive? I have had a DVD writer in this current machine for 3 years or so and it's never been used. Not only has it never been used but I didn't even feed it power during the build … just sits there in the bay and frankly it's an eyesore.

  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 21:46

    Nope, not doing any rendering. Just purely for gaming.
    I'm a little 50/50 about using a optical drive, I still have use for one, but I don't use it very often (Maybe once every month), I do have a external optical drive, so that would likely suffice.

  • kywst on 07/12/2015 - 21:57

    This is what happens when solid state media's price falls such that it's feasible to deliver content as cheaply as it was with optical media. DVDs/Bluerays are the new VHS and it's time to say goodbye. As you said, an external drive would do you when/if you need it. Saves a good $89 - $30 more and you can get another 16GB RAM should you decide to run some virtual machines down the track or increase the size of your SSD.

  • Katicai on 07/12/2015 - 22:01
    +1

    If you are not planning on overclocking, then why would you get a i5-4690"K", An i5-4690 is cheaper. The overall build is solid, but that ssd will run out of space if you are planning to store games on it,a s some demnading gasmes like GTA 5 already takeup 60gbs+ of space. Also, MSI is a good company, (my laptop is MSI), I have bought a motherboard from them and it didn't work, they sent me a replacement adn that also had problems like the screw holes being tight. I highly recomend ASUS motherboards as they haven't failed me and also most "PC BUILDERS" will recommend it. I recommended the skylake processor as it is newer and better tech as it is built on the 14nm technology, it costs about the same and is newer so i just suggested.

    Here is what i would go with for a budget Computer in your situation; Also factor in Monitors and peripherals to the cost.

    Core i5 6400 - $269
    A NOCTUA CPU cooler- $50 - 100 range
    G-Skill 16GB DDR4 Ram - $151
    Asus B150M-K-D3 - $106
    Antec VSK-4000B-U3 case - $49
    Corsair VS550 Power supply - $67
    Samsung 850 evo ssd 250gb - $129
    Asus Strix r9-390 - $512
    TP-Link TL-WN821N 300N Wireless adapter - $16

    Total= Roughly $1374 when cpu cooler costs $75

    Just want to say, this is my opinion but go with what you think is right for you.Good Luck Building :)

    • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 22:17

      Ok, just out of curiosity, if I was to look at overclocking in the future (ie. in 3-5 years time), would what I have be suited for it.

      I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting confused, mainly because I have this post on 2+ different forums, and I'm getting different responses all-round.

      All I basically want to do is be able to play the latest games for next few years, ideally on high settings.
      My plan would be to host the essentials on the SDD (ie. OS, Program Files etc) and host the games on my 2TB SATA 3 HDD

      • kywst on 07/12/2015 - 23:06

        In 3-5 years you will no longer be able to play the latest games on max settings with this configuration. The GPU simply won't be powerful enough. Remember we are currently transitioning into 4k and I suspect 8k will transition faster than FHD-4K. I have a GTX560 in this machine which is 3 and a bit years old and it struggles on lower settings for some games. I can only play Rust on minimal for example and that's at 720p.

        And with the CPU overclocking … you'll notice that SuperPI or whatever benchmark you're using says your CPU is faster but you won't notice it in reality. You'll also be putting the CPU under strain reducing it's effective lifespan. CPUs aren't designed to accept voltage above and beyond their designed specification. Sure they'll take it and run a bit faster but the trade-offs are stability and lifespan.

  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 22:02

    Some people on other forums are telling me to change the processor to skylake processor, ie. i5 6600 - Not sure if I need to or not.

    • Katicai on 07/12/2015 - 22:03

      Did you read my post yet?

      • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 22:18

        Yeah just read it now.

  • Empharand on 07/12/2015 - 22:59

    Ok ladies and gentleman, thank you for patience. To give me a better understanding, and make sure that I'm on the right path

    What I have currently would be suited for overclocking (with the addition of a cpu cooler, which I have yet to add)
    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/pTmdZL

    Otherwise, if I don't want to overclock, this would be a suitable build
    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/qPY6Jx

    Am I correct?

    • donnot on 07/12/2015 - 23:20

      If you don't want to overclock, go for a non-k series CPU (such as the i5 6400). Won't need an aftermarket cooler either. Also, try and get pricing of components from one shop, as it can save you a lot compared to the pcpartpicker lists you have compiled. Skylake (6000 series) CPUs are a worthy improvement to the haswell (4000 series) CPUs.

    • matabuntu on 11/12/2015 - 17:32

      Your 6600k build looks good. I recommend to get the z170 motherboard instead of b150. You already have K series cpu + aftermarket cooler, you can oc anytime if you like.

      Also you can save another $100 on r9 390 from this deal. Powercolor PCS+ cooling is one of the best out there.

      Edit: for the motherboard choice, Gigabyte z170 d3h (atx) motherboard or MSI Z170A pc mate is only $10-20 more expensive than your current choice, but allows you to overclock.

  • donkeydoc on 11/12/2015 - 18:40

    Value for money: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/dTLy6h $909 excluding your card. You can save almost $50 with a 120GB SSD, also with only 8GB ram you can save almost $70, though the price for 240GB SSDs are great now.

    CPU: i5-6500
    MOBO: B150M
    RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4
    SSD: 240GB Crucial
    HDD: 2TB Seagate
    Case: Silverstone PS09 (solid case with good cooling and great price)
    PSU: Silvertsone 600W 80+ bronze

    The card you pick depends on the games you play, your budget and your monitor. I'm assuming you have a 24" 1080p monitor.
    I'd recommend a GTX 970 which you can pick up for $450. total build cost $1359

    To get the build right for you it is best to know what games you're playing. Do you need a monitor and other peripherals?

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