Building My First Gaming PC

navithmastero

navithmastero

navithmastero

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Joined
16 Jul 2014
Posts
3
Location
Birmingham
Hi,

I very much enjoy gaming, and currently play on a Dell Inspiron 7000 Series - 7537, however, some of the games I have purchased require a machine with higher better hardware to even play on the lower settings (an example being Metro: Last Light). Therefore, I've decided that I'd like to build myself a gaming rig as it is much cheaper than buying a high-spec machine, and is, by all accounts, a fun experience! My budget is around £1200, and I've already put together a parts list using another site. However, as I am new to building PCs, I was wondering if you guys would be willing to take a look at the build I've listed below, and tell me what you think of it (what improvements to make, am I spending too much on one thing and not enough on another, etc.)

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790k
Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid
MOBO: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" SSD & Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 780 6GB TWIN FROZR
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower
PSU: XFX 850W ATX12V / EPS12V
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
Wireless Network Adapter: Patriot PCUSBW1150 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0

In terms of my preferences, I don't mind whether I get Intel / AMD or Nvidia / ATX, however, in this build, I've gone with the Intel CPU, as it beats AMD on benchmarks, and people say that it is better than AMD, and therefore, having a GeForce felt like a natural pairing, I'm not really aiming for an aesthetically pleasing build, and this is why I've gone with a lower end case. I have not specified an OS, as I already own Windows 8, and so I intend to go with that. I also already have a monitor, so I have not listed one in the parts list.

I want my PC to be able to play nearly everything at the highest graphics setting, but I also intend to use it for video editing and streaming.

Thanks,

navithmastero
 
Last edited:
Hi there

That link doesn't work, but that is good as it is against the rules to link to competitors websites anyway :)

Can you find the parts on overclockers and post them here ? You can use this shopping cart plugin to make it look neater.

Google chrome - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ocuk-shopping-cart-viewer/empfloiadabicdlgahhamannadefhehj

Other browsers - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18371076&highlight=browser

As you are doing video editing and streaming as well as gaming, then I would suggest an i7 4790K cpu and 16GB Ram for starters.

The AMD graphics cards offer better value for money over Nvidia. If you don't specifically need the features of Nvidia then I think you should consider something like the R9 290.

What resolution is your current monitor ?
 
lee32uk said:
That link doesn't work, but that is good as it is against the rules to link to competitors websites anyway :)
Click to expand...

Okay, removed, and added in a parts list, will change formatting tomorrow.

What resolution monitor do you have?
Click to expand...

It's just a 1920 x 1080, but next year I will likely upgrade my monitor to one with a higher resolution.

-navithmastero
 
I think you put a pretty decent spec together. I would suggest a few changes though.

The 6GB graphics card isn't really worth it over the 3GB 780. At 1080P you won't need that much Vram. You might see the benefit if you were running multiple 1080P screens, but for 1 monitor it doesn't really make much difference.

If you decide to go 1440P then you would be fine with 780 sli or 290 crossfire.

I would suggest a Z97 motherboard over a Z87 one. The Z97 is the newer chipset, and it supports the 4790K out of the box. The Z87 might need a Bios update to work.

I would look at EVGA or Superflower for the PSU. The XFX is a good PSU (I have one myself) but the warranty support is pretty poor.

The rest looks ok.
 
If you can find someone who is good at building a pc id advise using your budget to buy the parts yourself and build it from scratch, i did something similar and it worked out a fair bit cheaper and you will get a better system for your budget imo.
The down sides are no build warranty and only the part warranty's of the individual components.
 
Thanks all. I'll have a look at the 290 / 290X and for larger coolers, and also have a look at the EVGA and Superflower PSUs. As for the BIOS update, I'm not too concerned as I can write my own BIOS update (or get someone else to do it for me ;))

Thanks again.

-navithmastero
 
id say the more vram the better, it does tend to future proof you a bit especially if you go sli or crossfire down the line, eg 2 3gb gtx 580s are still pretty good and would beat/match a single 780, however 2 1.5 gb 580s will be showing their age now in same games, especially at 1440p +
 
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