Need help building a system for 1440P/1600P gaming please

[orbitalwalsh]

Don't forget if you want 4k, technically you want minimum 32" , 40" is perfect but they cost a bomb and not gaming based . Hopefully with 120hz 4k monitor and HDR monitors out next year larger ones will appear

 

[texasjohn]

Maybe I go with something like that AOC for now and upgrade the monitor next year or two. 32” is a big step up from what I have now.

I have nothing else that will exploit the 4K capability like a PS Pro or BT TV so it seems the wrong time for me to start splashing out on 4K, as nice as they are.

As for size of display, even if I bolt it to the wall it’s going to be at most 80-90cm away from me. I think I’ll be sat too close to something any bigger than about 36-38” if it’s 16:9.

 

[texasjohn]

no single gpu can push 4kx60hz reliably yet. 1440p is a better option. (i currently run a 3770k with a 1080ti with a 4k monitor - i game at 1440p resolution)


that is quite true and i agree, but how likely are you to upgrade again in the near future, given that the 8700k will last for a good few years yet. case in point are all the people who bought 2600k in 2012 and are just now upgrading to the 8700k - that's 5 years (and 6 processor generations) in between.


better to get a 1700 and then overclock - more value for money - and yes, can also pair that with a 1080ti, no problems


most high end, current generation motherboards have these. the gigabyte motherboard in my spec certainly does

Useful to know that nothing really drives 2160P reliably as yet. Sounds like 1440P is best for me.

Good point about whether I will realistically upgrade the CPU or not. In honesty, probably not. Given that I will probably now go with a more sensibly priced monitor it does free up budget for a better build spec.

 

[tamzzy]

@texasjohn 4k@60hz = ~498Mpix/s, 1440p@75hz = 277Mpix/s that a gpu needs to calculate and output. very large difference lol
tbh, you're more likely going to upgrade your gpu earlier than the cpu.

have a look at this youtube vid comparing a 4770k that came out in 06/13 to a 8770k (4.5 years apart)
https://youtu.be/0kBwGc5R6WY?t=12m3s
at 1440p using a 1080ti, there's only a 9-10% difference on 1% lows

 

[texasjohn]

@tamzzy youre right. I upgraded my GPU at the start of the year from GT320 to a GTX750 but haven’t touched the CPU or motherboard.

I’ll take a look at the YT link, thanks.

I appreciate the difference in processing power needed too, when you work it out into pixels/sec. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[southernorth]

@texasjohn

If you wanted:

a midi case, something quiet, discrete and simple in metal, with 5.25" bays behind a panel as I'll be putting an optical drive in

(mentioned in your first post):

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080Ti Gaming OC BLACK 11264MB GDDR5X PCI-Express Graphics Card= £679.99
• 1 x Team Group Dark Pro "8Pack Edition" 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C14 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/= £188.88
• 1 x Asrock Z370 Extreme 4 Intel Z370 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £154.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £368.99
• 1 x AOC Q3279VWF 32" 2560x1440 VA 75Hz FREESYNC WideScreen LED Monitor= £199.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Asus 24x DVD±RW DRW-24D5MT SATA ReWriter - Black (OEM)= £13.99
• 1 x Fractal Design Define R5 Midi Tower Case - Black Pearl= £84.95
• 1 x Noctua NH-D15 Dual Radiator Quiet CPU Cooler with two NH-A15 Fans= £84.95

Total: £1,874.82 (includes shipping: £23.10)
​

You would lose the RGB, and the AIO but you would have a much quieter PC with comparable temperatures (remove the upper HDD cage for even lower temps).

I've left out the peripherals as that's a bit subjective, based on how you use your mouse, mechanical keyboard or not etc.


There are quite a few really cool monitors coming out next year, such as two 144hz/4k HDR, G-Sync, Quantum DOT monitors, as well as a 200hz/1440p ultrawide with some of the same features.

I think it is indeed a good idea to buy something fairly cheap now, and upgrade later if you want. You lose FreeSync, but as mentioned previously should have no issue getting a solid 75fps+ at 1440p with a GTX 1080ti.

 

[texasjohn]

Makes sense. I can lose the RGB but do like that glass cube case though.

Are the AIO really noisy compared to a cooler like the Noctua, above?

Also is that Noctua considerably better than the Alpenfohn that’s been suggested earlier in the thread?

 

[southernorth]

Makes sense. I can lose the RGB but do like that glass cube case though.

Are the AIO really noisy compared to a cooler like the Noctua, above?

Also is that Noctua considerably better than the Alpenfohn that’s been suggested earlier in the thread?

It isn't twice as good as the Alpenfohn, but would let you get more out of your 8700k through lower noise and temp levels. High-quality dual tower coolers are quieter than most AIO's as they use better fans and have no pump noise. They also ofcourse can't ever leak fluid in your PC.

If you wanted to keep the glass case I would swap the Noctua out for something like:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler= £74.99

Total: £84.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)
​

This cooler is even quieter than the Noctua (though does run 2-3c hotter) but more importantly won't look terrible in a glass case. Can also add RGB case fans/strips if needed.

 

[texasjohn]

Great stuff, thanks!

 

[tamzzy]

do like that glass cube case though

you won't once dust builds up. showroom cases only look nice if they're meticulously maintained

 

[texasjohn]

@tamzzy @southernorth

Ok guys I'm pretty convinced as far as the box of components goes...

I've excluded the monitor (but will likely go with the AOC or something similar) and still a bit undecided on the case (but that's only £60-110 depending on what I choose). But as far as this little lot appears, does it look good? It's essentially the list of components posted by @southernorth above, but with a slightly cheaper 370 motherboard.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming Intel Z370 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £139.99
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler= £74.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £368.99
• 1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080Ti Gaming OC BLACK 11264MB GDDR5X PCI-Express Graphics Card= £679.99
• 1 x Team Group Dark Pro "8Pack Edition" 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C14 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/= £188.88

Total: £1,527.83 (includes shipping: £0.00)​

​

As far as the case goes I might just spend a bit less on something like the InWin 503, https://www.overclockers.co.uk/in-win-503-midi-tower-case-black-red-ca-061-iw.html unless you're going to tell me it will be horrifically loud? It's attractive due to 1. height (440mm, probably 15-20mm less with the feet swapped over or removed) and 2. price. The reason I am attracted to cubes is that they don't sit as high as towers. Ideally I'd like something around 400mm high (can go quite wide if needed). I am not sure that's achieveable with cases that will accommodate an ATX?

In terms of cases quiet would be nice; what I mean by that is not really loud, and not massively louder than my current PC (an off the shelf 2010 Acer with dual fan GTX750Ti, Corsair CX550 PSU and Acer's own CPU fan) in an enclosed steel case. Low height is important (current is c. 370mm but its not a full ATX). As for the internal DVD drive bay I can really live without that so ignore that criteria, but if it has a bay it needs to be behind a door panel or sliding panel so it's hidden. I like the simple glass/mesh/metal front cases. Please feel free to throw your case suggestions at me, up to say £120...!

 

[tamzzy]

Personally, for psu, I'd get either the seasoning focus gold or the superflower leadex gold. And I'd opt for a 240/280mm all-in-one cooler, just makes the build look a wee bit tidier imo.
With regards to the case, the fractal meshify is pretty decent and that's what I'd also personally opt for.

Also, could consider going MATX for a smaller build footprint if you are not going to run dual GPU.

Unfortunately I'm at work so I can't link stuff

 

[texasjohn]

No problem, thanks for the advice. Southernorth suggested above, in reference to AIOs "high quality dual tower coolers are quieter than most AIO's as they use better fans and have no pump noise. They also of course can't ever leak fluid in your PC."

 

[tamzzy]

Yeah, it's true. For aio it's form over function

 

[texasjohn]

They do look nice, and I can get a little RGB fix too as the fans/rads tend to sit at the front of the case. However, that's also 8" away from my ear! I never hear the fans on the GTX750, but then it doesn't get pushed hard that much either.

 

[southernorth]

The dark rock is currently out of stock at overclockers, just incase you didn't realise before ordering.

And yeah, decent 240mm+ AIOs are an alternative, just they often cost more and can have the issues I mentioned (though not always)

 

[tamzzy]

It's not that much louder tbh. If you are already having 2 fans there

 

[texasjohn]

The dark rock is currently out of stock at overclockers, just incase you didn't realise before ordering.

And yeah, decent 240mm+ AIOs are an alternative, just they often cost more and have the issues I mentioned.

Yep, I'd notice the stock status already but thanks for pointing it out. My concern with an AIO would be the risk of a fluid leak, however small the risk is.

Completely off topic but I'm definitely CPU and RAM limited at the moment, according to GTA VI benchmarking I tried last night at 1080p. Interesting result - 19% GPU use, 90-odd % RAM and CPU use. 50 FPS. Didn't even realise games had built-in benchmarking. Civ 6 though, about 5 minutes to load (it's not on the SSD) and then 32FPS lol. I think I'll go back to playing Civ 4 until the new PC turns up

 

[southernorth]

Yep, I'd notice the stock status already but thanks for pointing it out. My concern with an AIO would be the risk of a fluid leak, however small the risk is.

Completely off topic but I'm definitely CPU and RAM limited at the moment, according to GTA VI benchmarking I tried last night at 1080p. Interesting result - 19% GPU use, 90-odd % RAM and CPU use. 50 FPS. Didn't even realise games had built-in benchmarking. Civ 6 though, about 5 minutes to load (it's not on the SSD) and then 32FPS lol. I think I'll go back to playing Civ 4 until the new PC turns up

Since the budget has now freed up some room, you could now use that Seasonic 650w gold PSU tamzzy suggested. It has a 10 year warranty (current Bitfenix has 5) and is basically the best unit within its category available. ~£20 more for double the warranty, fully modular and better internals is a fair tradeoff.

 

[texasjohn]

Dark Rock 3 (single fan) is in stock however.