feedback on this gaming PC build?

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Dstarzero

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Topic # 160568 12-Jan-2015 10:11

Hi guys

first time trying to build a gaming pc.

Just wanted to get your opinion on this PC. Basically I want to keep this PC as it is and not upgrade for 2 to 3 years ( except if I'm adding ram)

http://nz.pcpartpicker.com/p/yTMZHx

thoughts?

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Reply # 1212446 12-Jan-2015 12:35

what is your budget? what games will you be playing?

Dstarzero

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Reply # 1212447 12-Jan-2015 12:37

less than $2,000.

planning to play farcry 4, evolve, LoL, batman arkham knight and mortal kombat x on it.

Jase2985

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Reply # 1212455 12-Jan-2015 12:47

get a better CPU

change the 1tb for the bigger Hdd, you can get a WD green 3TB for double the price of the one you have there.

also go on the computer lounge forum and get them to do you a combo deal on the parts it may work out cheaper

timmmay

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Reply # 1212508 12-Jan-2015 13:30

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Why is a better CPU needed? i5 is generally fine for games and it's the latest generation, hyperthreading isn't meant to help that much. WD green are slower, not meant for day to day use, they'll fail sooner as they spin down more often. Barracuda drives are fine (mine have been reliable) otherwise Western Digital blue/black. Forget the other colors.

The build looks pretty good to me, though I haven't checked for example that that CPU fits onto that motherboard. Don

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reven

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Reply # 1212511 12-Jan-2015 13:37

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looks good, CPU is fine IMO, I might go up to 16GB RAM, but that can easily be purchased if needed later. Also agree upgrading 1TB hdd to a 3TB. 1TB isnt much these days.

Jase2985

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Reply # 1212519 12-Jan-2015 13:46

If he wants to future proof it and has an additional 400 odd dollars why not? the best i5 is not even 50 more.

whats wrong with the green? hes got a 256gb hdd for OS and Games whats going to go on the other drive? storage so a green is fine for that.

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Reply # 1212532 12-Jan-2015 13:56

Dstarzero: Just wanted to get your opinion on this PC. Basically I want to keep this PC as it is and not upgrade for 2 to 3 years.

Looks good to me.

An i5 CPU is enough.
The only upgrade I would suggest is a larger HDD.

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timmmay

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Reply # 1212583 12-Jan-2015 14:51

Jase2985: whats wrong with the green?

Green hard drives spin down after 10 seconds or so of inactivity, which means they spin up and down constantly if they're accessed. That wears the disk out much more than just spinning. That's why they're targeted as archive drives, not drives for regular use.

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Jase2985

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Reply # 1212627 12-Jan-2015 15:59

timmmay:
Jase2985: whats wrong with the green?

Green hard drives spin down after 10 seconds or so of inactivity, which means they spin up and down constantly if they're accessed. That wears the disk out much more than just spinning. That's why they're targeted as archive drives, not drives for regular use.

and in a system like that what would it be used for? everyday use/games and apps would be on the SSD

Item

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Reply # 1212639 12-Jan-2015 16:19

I would agree that if you can stretch, a little more storage than 1Tb might be worth it.

CPU is fine unless you want to overclock, in which case you should substitute the 4690k

GPU is good and you have the opportunity to SLI further down the line if needed.

Don't forget OS and monitor as well!

timmmay

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Reply # 1212640 12-Jan-2015 16:20

Jase2985: and in a system like that what would it be used for? everyday use/games and apps would be on the SSD

You're likely right, but say if email was on there it would spin up regularly, each time explorer starts, etc. For the sake of $30 - $50 might as well get a hard drive designed for desktops not archival.

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NZtechfreak

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Reply # 1212641 12-Jan-2015 16:22

Looks pretty good, I presume the gaming is intended to be done at 1080p?

I only ask, as could nearly get a second GTX 970 in there in the given budget... like RAM of course, this could always be done as an upgrade later.

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garvani

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Reply # 1212643 12-Jan-2015 16:26

Core i7 wouldnt be a bad idea, all new games are targeted towards the consoles which have 8 threads, its true that games at present only use 4 cores but this may not be the case in a years time.
Youve only got ddr3-1333 ram, get 1866 at the least.
Would go with a samsung 840/850 ssd.
Gpu is where i would throw any left over money

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Reply # 1212654 12-Jan-2015 16:45

garvani: Core i7 wouldnt be a bad idea, all new games are targeted towards the consoles which have 8 threads, its true that games at present only use 4 cores but this may not be the case in a years time.
Youve only got ddr3-1333 ram, get 1866 at the least.
Would go with a samsung 840/850 ssd.
Gpu is where i would throw any left over money

epeen and benching notwithstanding, you get little meaningful difference between 1333 and 1866 RAM when gaming...

...and the "games are going to start making full use of 8+ cores any day now!" has been mooted for years and has yet to bear any significant fruit, nor does it look like doing so anytime soon!

Of course, all that said, I would always buy the very best my budget allowed in order to get the most out of the system for the longest period.

timmmay

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Reply # 1212678 12-Jan-2015 17:24

RAM speed not really that significant IMHO. Agree with the 840/850 SSD though. I got the i7 2600K (or something like that) maybe 3-4 years ago now and it's still going strong.

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