first custom build

w1ntervention · 26 May 2015 at 16:53

This is my first build i've put together so i'm fully expecting there to be some/many problems/improvements to be made

This will primarily be a build for gaming, but i'm used to laptop capabilities so i'm not expecting something absolutely amazing.

Asus P9x79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 DDR3 ATX Motherboard
Intel Core i7-4820k 3.70GHz Socket LGA2011 Processor
Corsair XMS3 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz C9 Memory Kit
Evga GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 4096MB GDDR5 Graphics
Seagate 1TB SSHD 3.5" SATA 6 Gbps Solid State Hybrid Drive

I think that just leaves the PSU, fans, CD/DVD drive and case? (I don't need a monitor or keyboard or mouse or things like that).
As for the the PSU, I was looking at various guides for selecting them, and was thinking I would prefer a multi-rail PSU as opposed to a single-rail (based on the fear of some power surge doing big damage - is that excessive paranoia?), but I don't know whether that's feasible or even worth it. But apart from that, I don't know.
If you could give advice on fans, drive and a case too that would be ideal.

Thanks.

w1ntervention · 26 May 2015 at 17:09

I was looking at DDR4 and lots of reviews said it wasn't much faster than DDR3, while being a lot more expensive, and i'd also have to get a motherboard to accommodate for it, which is also fairly costly. But I am kind of worried that if I go with DDR3, it will be quickly outdated and i'll have to get a lot of new parts soon, so do you think it's worth it? Given the current spec choice, I have a fair amount of money left to play with, so I could go DDR4 without too much trouble (I think!).
And no, I haven't bought any of the parts yet.

w1ntervention · 26 May 2015 at 23:04

Looking at motherboards with ddr4 capacity, was thinking about taking the Asus x99-s. I think the higher class variants are a bit excessive for me, at least for a while!
I would then take 2 sticks of 4gb 2400mhz RAM, and the 5820k intel i7 processor.
I understand this is limited to only using 28 lanes rather than the full 40? I'm not planning to use multiple GPUs, for a while anyway, unless I win the lottery. Although if I were to use a second GPU, it would be limited to using 8 pci-e slots instead of the full 16 it needs right? Does this mean it still increases overall speed, just not as much as if it had access to 16 slots, or will the second GPU not work at all?
I took a look at the PSUs and the 850W gold leadex model is looking good, but I don't know whether this is excessive or not enough wattage, or just right. A quick guide told me I needed ~500W (with all usb drives in use), so 850W sounds excessive ^_^
As for cooling, water cooling looks a bit intense given my relatively non-intensive build, and my knowledge hah.
That leaves the case and fans. Ideally i'd go with a mid tower, the Zalman Neo Z11 looks good, and I think everything fits. It comes with 5 fans, but should these be replaced with other ones?

That leaves me with:
Asus x99 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 DDR4 ATX Motherboard
Intel Core i7-5820k 3.30GHz Socket LGA2011-v3 Processor
Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz C14 Memory Kit
Evga GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 4096MB GDDR5 Graphics
Seagate 1TB SSHD 3.5" SATA 6 Gbps Solid State Hybrid Drive
SuperFlower Leadex GOLD 850W Fully Modular "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply
Zalman Z11 Neo ATX case
A bunch of fans, possibly 8 (some reviews say there are only 7?), if all the provided fans need to be replaced, though I assume not all fans are necessary, at least until I have a more intensive rig going?

A point in the right direction for a good fan supplier would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

w1ntervention · 27 May 2015 at 02:21

Awesome! Thanks bud, looking forward to it

w1ntervention · 27 May 2015 at 14:30

I'm aware that I could get a faster build for cheaper, but i'm hoping to significantly improve this build over time, so i'm thinking a z97 would hold me back in RAM even if not CPU? Given i'm using a 4 year old laptop for games right now (with a 640m LE graphics card), I think this will be relatively powerful, so i'm not too concerned with an immediate huge GPU power.

As for cases, I prefer the curvier stuff rather than rigid sides (I have a simple mind...), so I was thinking about the Phantom 410 NZXT, if the Zalman is tacky ^_^
This has clearance for VGA Card 305mm (w/o fan), 280mm (installed), 230mm (full pivot). Cable Management 25mm. Evga gtx 970 (I think I can live with the coil-whine) has a length of 241mm so is this cutting it too fine / full pivot is basically a necessity?

For hard drives, I was looking at M.2 stuff. If I ran a small size M.2 drive for OS and basic stuff, and then an HDD / SSHD for games, would that be reasonable or have I missed something big here?