£2000 Overclocking PC build for gaming, music production and video editing

Hi there,

I'm very new to the world of building and overclocking PCs, but I checked out a couple of videos online and think I could build one, not so sure about overclocking and stress tests though as it's really new to me. I've been gaming and doing music stuff on a macbook for a while but getting tired of lag and want a PC that can perform a lot better, problem is I don't have ANY old PC parts like a monitor, mouse and keyboard so need the entire setup. I'm planning also on starting a lets play youtube channel for modded games like Minecraft and Skyrim as well, so need a PC that can perform well in gaming but also can record at around ~30FPS for heavily modded games with high res textures + shaderpacks. Also, if it's going to hold its own in the next 5 years and will be upgradeable with next-gen hardware, that would be great

I've been doing some research online and this is a build that I was thinking of (not decided on screen yet or if I would need extra cooling fans) so would someone be able to recommend any adjustments I could make to it to get the best performance?

Gaming/Video/Music rig (Budget £2000)
Note that I need to buy EVERYTHING, including screen/keyboard/mouse and OS so actual PC building budget is more like £1500 but will stretch to £2k and go with cheaper screen for now if I can get better performance out the box.

Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VII Hero ATX
Will this mobo be useful for expansion in say 5 years time or should I get a mobo that can handle DDR4 RAM?

RAM: 16GB Ripjaws X Series PC3-17000 DDR3 2133MHz
The ASUS board can handle up to 32GB, planning on overclocking the ram

Processor: Intel Core i7 4790K Quad Core Processor
for pure overclocking power

Graphics Card: GeForce GTX-760 2GB graphics
Should I get this or go with a cheaper mobo + GTX 780? (or others you'd recommend?)

Firewire Card: Texas Instruments PCI Firewire 400 Chipset
so I can connect my audio gear and fireface 400 recording interface

PSU: Corsair Professional Series AX860i 860W ATX/EPS
Will this be enough to handle the graphics, overclocked CPU and RAM, and a firewire chipset or do I need 1000W + ?

Drives: 2 X SAMSUNG 256GB 840 Series 2.5 inch SSD
1 X Seagate Baracuda 7200.12 1TB ~£ 50
1 SSD to run OS and install game files, 1 SSD to store sample libraries for quick realtime loading, 1HDD for video files (will also shift recorded videos/audio to second SSD for the rendering/exports)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
or should I go for closed-loop watercooler? Probably won't be able to install any open-loop one myself as it's my very first build

Case: Cooler Master HAF X
This has good reviews and looks good for the price but any others please recommend, quieter is better

Fans: Will I need additional ones than what is in the Cooler Master HAF X?

I think the total for that would be around £1500-£1600. I don't need any CD drives as I download all my games through Steam at the moment, and can always add one later.

This leaves me about £400-£500 to spend on windows OS, screen, mouse & keyboard.

Any recommendations would be welcome - also if my build is a complete pile of junk, feel free to destroy it and recommend a completely different build.

Thanks

Hi and welcome.

I have looked at what you suggested and what p[arts you say you need and think I have come up with a few bargains for you.

YOUR BASKET
1 x EPIC BUNDLE: Intel 4790K, Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 7, Kingston 16GB 2400MHz Kit, Superflower 750W PSU & FREE STUFF!! **£50 SAVING** £557.98
1 x KFA2 GeForce GTX 780 3072MB PCI-Express Graphics Card - OEM (78XNH5DN9IST) £193.99
1 x Phanteks Enthoo Pro Mid Tower Enthusiast Case with Window £89.99
2 x Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5” 7mm SSD + 9.5mm Adapter (CT256MX100SSD1) £79.99 (£159.98)
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £77.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £62.99
1 x Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced CPU Cooler £41.99
1 x CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle - USB Keyboard & Mouse £29.99
Total : £1,224.49 (includes shipping : £8.00).





• The CPU+board+RAM+PSU bundle obviously helps save a lot of money and you get a free mouse mat and mug and thermal paste.

• The HAF X does cool well but has been out for quite sometime now and newer cases I feel look more elegant and still have good space for coolers/water cooling and cable management. If you do want a case with some lighting then you can get a Phanteks with ambient lighting - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-004-PT&groupid=2362&catid=2674

• If you plan on playing any decent game at a high res with high detail settings you need to do better than a GTX760, the GTX780 is currently very cheap and offers plenty of punch for 1080P gaming or even 1440P resolution. But if you wanted to add a 2nd in the future to go SLI you may find them harder and harder to find.


Instead I think you should go for a GTX970 which are a recent release.

YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming Edition 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £289.99
Total : £299.59 (includes shipping : £8.00).




That just leaves the monitor to be decided.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Or if you want the best Z97 overclocking board then,


YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 G1 Gaming 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £319.99
1 x Intel Core i7-4790K 4.00GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £259.99
1 x Phanteks Enthoo Primo Full Tower - Black/Orange £199.99
1 x Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard **Overclockers UK Exclusive** £169.99
1 x Avexir Core Orange Series 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-17200C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U21331108G-2CIO) - Orange Light £139.99
1 x Corsair Hydro H110 280mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060014-WW) £91.99
1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £85.99
2 x Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5” 7mm SSD + 9.5mm Adapter (CT256MX100SSD1) £79.99 (£159.98)
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £77.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £62.99
1 x CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle - USB Keyboard & Mouse £29.99
Total : £1,616.59 (includes shipping : £14.75).





• Note the RAM has orange lights and the case interior is orange. NZXT also do a black+orange case - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-151-NX&groupid=2362&catid=35

• The PSU is made by Superflower and has a 10yr warranty.

Hi stulid, thanks for recommending a couple of builds for ~£1500 I really didn't think I would be able to get a better GPU than the GTX760 but man the second build looks sweet.

stulid said:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 G1 Gaming 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £319.99
1 x Intel Core i7-4790K 4.00GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £259.99
1 x Phanteks Enthoo Primo Full Tower - Black/Orange £199.99
1 x Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard **Overclockers UK Exclusive** £169.99
1 x Avexir Core Orange Series 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-17200C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U21331108G-2CIO) - Orange Light £139.99
1 x Corsair Hydro H110 280mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060014-WW) £91.99
1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £85.99
2 x Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5” 7mm SSD + 9.5mm Adapter (CT256MX100SSD1) £79.99 (£159.98)
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £77.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £62.99
1 x CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle - USB Keyboard & Mouse £29.99
Total : £1,616.59 (includes shipping : £14.75).

Click to expand...

Just a couple questions on this build...

Will the mobo have support for DDR4 ram when it becomes more mainstream or is this yet unknown?

Also I saw a 750W PSU - in future when I go SLI with 2 GPUs would I need to swap this out for a more powerful supply?

I've also been thinking about case fans - will the stock fans in the case be sufficient but also quiet, or am I better off replacing these with quieter fans (I'm OK to go a bit over budget as I can always get a better screen later).

Thanks

• The board is DDR3 only (DDR4 does not fit in a DDR3 or other slot), Z97 is rumoured to also support Broadwell CPUs whenever intel release them (next year maybe).

• The 750W PSU is fine for two GTX970s or even 980s, one reason why I included it was for this "future proofing".

A few reviews of this model,

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/SuperNOVA_G2_750/

• The stock fans supplied with the case will be more than ample, it is a high end case.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel 5820K 3.30GHz (Haswell-E) Socket LGA2011-V3 Processor - Retail (BX80648I75820K) £295.99
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming Edition 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £289.99
1 x Gigabyte X99-Gaming 5 Intel X99 (Socket 2011) DDR4 ATX Motherboard £199.99
1 x TeamGroup Elite 16GB (4x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C16 2400MHz Quad Channel Kit - Black (TPKD416GM2400HC16QC01) £179.99
1 x Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full Tower Case - Black £119.99
2 x SK Hynix 256GB SSD SH910A SATA 6Gb/s - Retail (HFS256G32MNB-2201A) £89.99 (£179.98)
1 x Cooler Master Nepton 280L, AIO Cooling Solutions £87.95
1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £85.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £77.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £62.99
1 x CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle - USB Keyboard & Mouse £29.99
Total : £1,628.53 (includes shipping : £14.75).

stulid said:

• The board is DDR3 only (DDR4 does not fit in a DDR3 or other slot), Z97 is rumoured to also support Broadwell CPUs whenever intel release them (next year maybe).

• The 750W PSU is fine for two GTX970s or even 980s, one reason why I included it was for this "future proofing".

A few reviews of this model,

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/SuperNOVA_G2_750/

• The stock fans supplied with the case will be more than ample, it is a high end case.

Click to expand...

@stulid Awesome thanks a lot for all your suggestions What sort of OC speeds could I expect from the 4790K with the cooling? I've seen in some cases it's gone up to 4.7GHz which is awesome - so I guess aiming at a 4.4GHz OC will be reasonable as the case is high-end? This should help with minecraft mod loading for 1.7.10 (lots of chunk loading/worldgen mods like Ruins and Dungeons mods are unplayable on my current 2.8GHz macbook so figure I need all the clock speeds I can get!) Also read that in MC they only support one core of the CPU for chunkloading (the Optifine mod fixes that to a degree) which probably makes a higher clock speed more important for MC.

Here is the thread I found with such claim of a 4.7GHz speed, not on Overclockers but here goes:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2285689/5820k-4790k.html

I actually found this when looking at the 5820K from the other recommended build to compare the CPUs - if you scroll near the bottom, you'll see 4.5 and 4.7 clock speeds quoted with the 4790K which is pretty epic

Also just another thought, how can you run tests for bottlenecks in the system when you overclock components? At the current time there will probably be none but say when I upgrade what's the best way to test, just by pure experimentation and running stress tests etc?

@lee32uk thanks a lot for recommending that build and looks like an amazing system! Overall comparing the Z97 and X99 builds, I think the higher base and OC speeds on the 4790K is the dealbreaker for me, so I think I will stick with a Z97 board and DDR3, also the max. number of processes I will have going at once is 2, recording and gaming, or gaming and rendering (any time I do music stuff that will be the only large process running and in the past when I was back on Vista with a Core 2 Quad running at 2.4GHz, it was enough to handle a full mix session with low latency and lots of plugins and VSTis) so 6 cores would probably be overkill - but it's definitely much appreciated, thank you I will definitely look into X99 (or whatever mobo+DDR4+CPU they have in the future) for my next upgrade, as I know DDR4 is going to be huge when the price of the faster processors/ram comes down a bit.

Really liking the look of the Z97 system more and more as I'm looking into it...

I have done 4.7GHz on the same SOC Force board.

24/7 stable too.

I have even gone higher at 4.9GHz for benching,

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18628799

Using a Corsair H100i as the cooling method. The H110 has a larger radiator so should be cooler by a couple of degreesC.

But as with anything the CPU's actual abilities do differ among batches.



To test for bottlenecks I think you just need a similar system to compare against which is where some benchmark tests have an online comparison to see how well you are doing or there are a lot of threads here on these forums for different benchmarks so you can try and try to get to the top of the leader boards.

Examples of these benchmark threads,

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18628462
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18485414
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18497420
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18570604&highlight=realbench

Hi Stulid,

Sounds awesome, I will have to run a few stress tests on it to see how much juice I can squeeze out of the CPU.

Also I was looking more at the GTX970 and 980 and by the looks of things its actually cheaper to go SLI with 2 970s but get a great performance out of it - is it true that the 980 is more of an overclocked 970 so the 970 can be overclocked to achieve a similar result?

Definitely have my finger on the buy button for this... Looks really good the more I come back to it and read reviews on the different components! I think when I first get it assembled, I'm going to leave things as they come to see how well the games perform with a recording setup and heavy mods, it's just nice to know I have a lot of headroom to play with and can tinker. Also I think the 2SSD setup will help the write speed of the video file so this should improve performace of Fraps or whatever video app I can get my hands on.

The 980 also has a few more processing cores than the 970, but two 970s together in SLI are no slouch.

The Maxwell cores also over clock really well on both 970+980 cards.

Some items are out of stock now, the PSU for example is out. there are alternatives such as going upto the 850W model,

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-013-EA&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=2390


Or if you go for Superflower,
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-019-SF&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=2057

you get free delivery when you buy a PSU+case together - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18630210&highlight=superflower

So try the discount code in the basket at checkout on the different PSUs and see which one is cheapest overall.