Help a dummy not be a dummy no more

[The Rube]

Hi guys. I've lurked a little bit on these forums here and there.

I am mostly a console gamer, but this generation it just doesn't make sense any more. I'd like to dip my toes into PC gaming. My first inclination is to buy a prebuilt PC, but browsing this forum has made me think it might just be possible to build my own. Please note, I have never done this before, but I'm generally pretty good at following instructions and figuring things out.

Wants:

-A PC that can play a whole range of modern games with there settings maxed: GTA 5, Shadows of Mordor, Dragon Age, Diablo 3, Civ: Beyond Earth. As well as keep up with things that are coming out for the next couple years (understanding that those maxed out settings might get less and less but still remain competent)
-A PC that is quiet. I can't handle super noisy PCs, I've avoided this at work and home for years, I don't want to have to deal with jet engines while my wife and I are gaming.
-A PC that can hook up upwards of 3 monitors. My likely setup will be two monitors side by side on the desk and a large television on the wall which we'll switch over to when playing a couch coop game. (incidentally I'd really appreciate advice on a good 46 inch or so television for PC gaming).
-A PC I can swap out parts without needing an engineering degree.
-A PC that utilizes some of the modern technologies that improve performance (solid state drives, etc.), while not being so complicated that I need to do significant fussing with internal settings.

Do Not Wants:

-Obnoxious LED lights or Radical sharp angles all over the place on the case. I'm an adult, let's keep it simple.
-A PC that needs any sort of advanced knowledge of tweaking internal compatibility settings to get the hardware to perform as it's meant to. Like I said, I'm not an idiot, but this definitely isn't my realm of expertise.


I'm fine spending $1500 or so. Someone had pointed to pcpartpicker.com at one point, but I'd really like advise on where to buy parts reliably as well. Warranties are good, free and fast shipping are great.

You guys are great and I'd appreciate anyone's advice and suggested build. If $1500 seems overkill for what I'm looking for, of course I'd be happy to pay less.

THANK YOU.

 

[GeForce Junky]

Something like this:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Qh8Vbv

Motherboard and PSU are ready for another 970 in SLI if you want more graphics power in the future. Add operating system of choice and more SSD's if required.

Or a more budget option:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kCkN23

Still ready for SLI, but i5 rather than i7, 8GB ram rather than 16GB, cheaper PSU, not so nicely colour coded!

 

[64K]

Does the $1,500 budget include the two monitors or is it just for the rig? Also what resolution monitors are you looking at?

 

[Jborg]

If I could redo my build, i would have gone with an i5 and a dif MOBO. I have no complaints with the AMD 8350 or Sabertooth 990FX. It runs great and plays all current games I have maxed out or near to it. I just now wish I would have swapped to Intel for this upgrade.... to bad I bought the 8350 first and the mobo second.

Next upgrade will have to be to intel.

Go with intel though imo if you can for the cpu

 

[Devon68]

Well you can look up some Carrey Holzman videos on Youtube. That's what I used when I wasn't sure how things go.

Next upgrade will have to be to intel.

I agree. When my next upgrade comes I will go intel as well (probably 2016).

 

[The Rube]

Great advice. Thanks for the build options GeForce Junky. I ended up watching the entire two and a half hour video linked above. That guy seems like a great resource.

The $1500 I mentioned is for the computer itself, monitors and peripherals would be additional.

Does anyone install sound cards any more? Do they have any practical need if you're planning on just using simple speakers? Additionally, does anyone have any advice on a good television, 46" or so, to use as a couch co-op option to switch over to?

Also, watching that video made me realize how important picking the right case is. I like how he was able to manage the cables with the rubber grommets and leave a clear air pathway. What cases do you guys recommend?

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[OneMoar]

nothing wrong with onboard sound most of the higher end boards have decent audio

 

[Brusfantomet]

The integrated sound card is good enough for PC speakers. IF you use a receiver and some home Hi-Fi then just use the HDMI out on the video cards.

For a case, i have a Caselabs case myself, they are nice to build in, but quite expensive. Have my server in a Fractal design Define R4, winch is a nice case, for a lot less than a caselabs case.

To get the computer silent, use some big coolers with large fans spinning slowly, watercooling will NEVER be as silent at air at stock. For CPU cooling: Nocuta NH-D15 and in my experience the best GFX card coolers are the Arctic accelero Xtreme 4, find them in your preferred shop.

With good air cooling for the major heat producers (GPU, CPU and PSU) you will be able to sleep next to your computer.

 

[The Rube]

I took all your advice and read a bunch of reviews. This is the build I came up with:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Rmmbcf

Any thoughts? I still need to pick out a case, was thinking about NZXT H440

 

[OneMoar]

id go with this ssd instead
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148694
faster and more reliable

 

[OneMoar]

edit I would also get some ram with lower profile your are likely to run into clearance issues with yoru combination of board and cooler

 

[Devon68]

Get a lower profile ram, I would get an 80+bronze certified power supply (platinum is great but I see no reason for it) and I would get a seagate hard drive. I have a WD blue and compared to my old IDE drive this is louder (maybe go with seagate of WD green seeing as you will have an ssd for the OS anyway).

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I took all your advice and read a bunch of reviews. This is the build I came up with:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Rmmbcf

Any thoughts? I still need to pick out a case, was thinking about NZXT H440

your build with the changes recommended by @OneMoar and @Devon68 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fPqGVn

Case selection has a lot to do with personal taste. Pick a couple cases out and we can offer advice on your slections.

 

[The Rube]

Thanks again. We're looking at cases right now.

@BarbaricSoul , the build you linked to was great. Two questions: Is Crucial Ballistix a reputable company? I ask because there are no user ratings for the memory suggested in that updated build. Second, does a better power supply equate to quieter running? If so, it may be worth it for us to go with the platinum. Let me know what you think. I'll post some cases this afternoon.

Thanks again.

 

[TRWOV]

The Ballistix are fine and its cooler isn't very tall.

A high power PSU will ensure that the fan runs at very low speeds. Platinum is overpriced, get a Gold unit and put the savings towards a bigger SSD.

EDIT: Onemoar's build is pretty solid. The 80+Bronze PSU is very cheap and , really, you won't notice the difference in power consumption, the difference would be 10w or so at high loads but you'd be saving 100 bucks.

 

[OneMoar]

the thing to remember about psu efficiency rating is that its measured at full load
so if you are running the psu at less then 100% load the psu is likely to be more efficient
example the Crossair HX 750 in this machine is 80+ GOLD
this machine at full load doesn't draw more then ~550W from the psu
so the psu when operating under gaming load is pretty much "80+ platinum"
heres a no nonsense stylish case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352022

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Thanks again. We're looking at cases right now.

Is Crucial Ballistix a reputable company?

Crucial is a reputable and reliable RAM manufacturer. I used Crucial Ballistix in my Core2Dou and Core2Quad systems back in the day. No issues with them ever. Here, you can read reviews of thier products here- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&N=100007611 50001455&IsNodeId=1&name=Crucial

Second, does a better power supply equate to quieter running?

Thanks again.

Simply put, no. All the higher efficiency PSU will do is use a little less power. It might save you about $10-15 over a years time. What fans are in your computer has the most to do with operating noise.

EDIT: Onemoar's build is pretty solid. The 80+Bronze PSU is very cheap and , really, you won't notice the difference in power consumption, the difference would be 10w or so at high loads but you'd be saving 100 bucks.

OneMoar hasn't posted a build suggestion.

 

[Devon68]

your build with the changes recommended by @@OneMoar and @@Devon68 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fPqGVn

Why such an expensive motherboard?

 

[The Rube]

Hmm, I just realized that when @BarbaricSoul updated my build with some of your suggestions he also swapped out for a different motherboard. I had picked an ASUS Maximus VI Hero, which was swapped out for a ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1.

What was the reasoning for this swap out? @Devon68 brings up a good point that it is $80.00 more. I thought the Maximus looked good and had great reviews. Let me know what the reasoning is, I'm not against the $80 increase, but I haven't heard a compelling rationale.

We're looking at this case: http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/120-H630.html although we also like the Fractal Design case that @OneMoar suggested. I like a case with larger fans, that seems like it will decrease the sound output. Do you suggest buying enough fans right off the bat to fill all the possible fan locations? Or is that just overkill?

Here is the most recent version of the build, added some stuff, swapped out the WD 1TB drive for a Seagate 2TB on the advice of my wife: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q2FQhM

 

[Solaris17]

Hmm, I just realized that when @BarbaricSoul updated my build with some of your suggestions he also swapped out for a different motherboard. I had picked an ASUS Maximus VI Hero, which was swapped out for a ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1.

What was the reasoning for this swap out? @Devon68 brings up a good point that it is $80.00 more. I thought the Maximus looked good and had great reviews. Let me know what the reasoning is, I'm not against the $80 increase, but I haven't heard a compelling rationale.

We're looking at this case: http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/120-H630.html although we also like the Fractal Design case that @OneMoar suggested. I like a case with larger fans, that seems like it will decrease the sound output. Do you suggest buying enough fans right off the bat to fill all the possible fan locations? Or is that just overkill?

Here is the most recent version of the build, added some stuff, swapped out the WD 1TB drive for a Seagate 2TB on the advice of my wife: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q2FQhM

the maximus has a 3 year warranty as opposed to the sabertooths 5 year warranty. The sabertooth is a generation newer than the maximus. the sabertooth has an overall better build quality. he is upping you $80 to keep you relevent keep you covered and keep you stable. $$ in the PC world matters. its not like lightbulb A vs walmart lightbulb differences are important when picking parts. I am really happy that you are looking into dipping into PC gaming. I will watch the thread to see ifI can contribute even though the guys seem to have you well covered. were not all children here so you have a great chance of learning things.

a couple quick tips

-take time and spend the money right the first time. cutting corners doesnt work in the Pc world if something is cheaper their is a black and white reason why.
-dont skimp on your PSU EVER! remember however appetizing it may be to go cheap on a PSU in the future always remember while it doesn't blink add performance or do cool stuff you are TRUSTING the rest of your parts to it.

After your first build keep your boxes for several weeks. you never know if you need to RMA.

 

[The Rube]

@Solaris17 That all sounds pretty compelling. I'll stick with the Sabertooth.

I was looking at my build and decided to swap out the CPU cooler from the Phantek I originally had. I'm looking at the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3. I watched a review that said it was hard to install, but performed great. It also noted that because it's big, you have to make sure it won't conflict with the RAM it overhangs. How can I tell if the ram in my build will conflict with the Dark Rock? Or, is there a better CPU cooler for my build overall. My original reason to swapping from the Phantek was simply to find something in black rather than white, but I thought the Dark Rock looked pretty nice.

Thoughts?

 

[Solaris17]

the darkrock is a pretty nice performing cooler and I dont think you will have any trouble. as someone who may be mechanically inclined its not really rocket science. Iv installed systems like the darkrock with no real issue. Things in the computer world are relatively easy. our parts are really sensitive but we are usually spoiled with simplicity. Computer parts only fit one way and if it doesnt fit it doesn't belong. the reason some of these coolers are dubbed difficult is usually handling experience than anything. in a world where alot of our parts clip into place some reviewers get bent out of shape when they see a compression spring system. the real difficulty from coolers in the dark rock class come from its size. it makes it almost impossible to install into a case. Basically a cooler like that is a full system rebuild to install. Not a really big deal in your case since you will be putting it on during assembly. As for clearence let me take a look i haven't paid enough attention which sticks were you planning to get?

 

[Norton]

@Solaris17 That all sounds pretty compelling. I'll stick with the Sabertooth.

I was looking at my build and decided to swap out the CPU cooler from the Phantek I originally had. I'm looking at the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3. I watched a review that said it was hard to install, but performed great. It also noted that because it's big, you have to make sure it won't conflict with the RAM it overhangs. How can I tell if the ram in my build will conflict with the Dark Rock? Or, is there a better CPU cooler for my build overall. My original reason to swapping from the Phantek was simply to find something in black rather than white, but I thought the Dark Rock looked pretty nice.

Thoughts?

That Phanteks cooler is available in black:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709011

*Note- Phanteks coolers are super simple to install (once the framework is set on the board all you need to do is put it in position and tighten 2 screws)

 

[Solaris17]

That Phanteks cooler is available in black:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709011

*Note- Phanteks coolers are super simple to install (once the framework is set on the board all you need to do is put it in position and tighten 2 screws)

I agree the phanteks even looks like it will accommodate higher memory like the ballistix. from looking at measurements you would need to move the fan a bit on the darkrock 3 if you didnt get low profile ram.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Hmm, I just realized that when @BarbaricSoul updated my build with some of your suggestions he also swapped out for a different motherboard. I had picked an ASUS Maximus VI Hero, which was swapped out for a ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1.

What was the reasoning for this swap out?

the maximus has a 3 year warranty as opposed to the sabertooths 5 year warranty. The sabertooth is a generation newer than the maximus. the sabertooth has an overall better build quality. he is upping you $80 to keep you relevent keep you covered and keep you stable. $$ in the PC world matters. its not like lightbulb A vs walmart lightbulb differences are important when picking parts. I am really happy that you are looking into dipping into PC gaming. I will watch the thread to see ifI can contribute even though the guys seem to have you well covered. were not all children here so you have a great chance of learning things.

a couple quick tips

-take time and spend the money right the first time. cutting corners doesnt work in the Pc world if something is cheaper their is a black and white reason why.
-dont skimp on your PSU EVER! remember however appetizing it may be to go cheap on a PSU in the future always remember while it doesn't blink add performance or do cool stuff you are TRUSTING the rest of your parts to it.

After your first build keep your boxes for several weeks. you never know if you need to RMA.

What Solaris said.