First Custom Build - Looking for feedback on Gaming PC

[KorbenDallas]

Hi All,

Been planning on buying/building a desktop for some time after years of gaming on sub-par laptops. My budget is €1100-€1200 ($1200-$1300 / £900-£1000) and I've been doing some research on various sites (mainly pcpartpicker.com). Of course, my aim is to get a serious business machine but I should point out that I don't currently have any overclocking plans (just yet). That said, I don't want to end up burning any bridges in terms of future upgrades.

I haven't purchased anything just yet, mainly out of fear for compatibility between the parts. I understand that with such a huge range of components it's impossible to know for sure if it'll all work out. The reason I'm posting here is just in case one of you has a keen eye for known issues and can spot a problem at a glance.

So here is the list (links to external website pcpartpicker), I would be eternally grateful if anyone can respond with even as much as a Yay or Nay:

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2H
I picked this motherboard purely because it seemed popular

SSD Samsung 850 EVO
I've experienced problems before with OS hard drive being too small so I'm determined to get >200GB

HD Seagate Constellation 1TB
Not too pushed about the brand of HD, but has to be 1TB

Graphics Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 4GB
Picked this to ensure compatibility with Mobo. I like games, first person shooters, racing, RTS, RPGs etc. but I don't tend to obsess too much about having overly turbo-charged graphics. Being able to max out the resources is great, but for now I'll be happy to even just play the games. (Bear in mind, I've been trying to play games for the past 8 years on laptops with on-board Intel graphics cards, which just can't take certain games)

Power Supply SeaSonic 520W
Don't know much about power supplies, my research told me that I would need at least 500W. I'm happy to splash out a bit more seeing as this could quite easily be a bottleneck.

Memory Corsair Vengeance LED
Has to be 16GB (the fewer slots used, the better obv.) and DDR4 seems to be the new kid on the block with the greatest potential (I know I said no overclocking plans, but never say never).

Processor Intel Core i7-6700
Decided to go with Intel over AMD as I've heard Intel chips work better when using a separate graphics card. I believe there is quite a debate between the two and from what I can tell, there is no objectively better choice.

Heat Sink Corsair H110 94
This is probably where I have the biggest apprehension. One of greatest annoyances I've had when using any computer (PC or laptop) is the interminable noise that comes from an aging fan. Maybe this is unavoidable, or maybe I just need some pointers on maintenance.

Cases (Don't expect many issues with these but I've included them anyway)
Cooler Master
Corsair SPEC-01
Deepcool Tesseract
(Obviously I'm only going to use one )

I originally was going to just pay some business to build this for me but their customer service was so embarrassingly bad that I decided I couldn't possibly trust them to build me a pc. If you want something done right, do it yourself (or failing that, ask for help from an enthusiastic online community).

 

[jboydgolfer]

I haven't purchased anything just yet, mainly out of fear for compatibility between the parts. I understand that with such a huge range of components it's impossible to know for sure if it'll all work out.

if your using PCpartpicker.com, it tells you if your selections are compatible or not in the top left corner.

you mentioned overclocking, and not intending to do it, but it seemed liek you might want to some time later, if thats the case, a "K" cpu might be a good choice for You, the "H" motherboards series Used to support limited Overclocking, with K chips as well as some others, btu its not a garantee, so You might want a "Z" motherboard too. IF your okay with NOT overclocking, then disregard what ive just said.


as you can see in this pic, it shows whether or not your choices will work together.

 

[KorbenDallas]

if your using PCpartpicker.com, it tells you if your selections are compatible or not in the top left corner.

you mentioned overclocking, and not intending to do it, but it seemed liek you might want to some time later, if thats the case, a "K" cpu might be a good choice for You, the "H" motherboards series Used to support limited Overclocking, with K chips as well as some others, btu its not a garantee, so You might want a "Z" motherboard too. IF your okay with NOT overclocking, then disregard what ive just said.


as you can see in this pic, it shows whether or not your choices will work together.

Hey,

Thanks for the tip, you have already been more helpful than anyone else I've spoken to. I can't believe I didn't see that system build option on pcpartpicker, I've just put all my desired parts in and it looks good to go.

Overclocking has always been something that I plan to do "next time" but I'll look into some alternative "Z" motherboards and see where it gets me. I'm not at all tied to the one I have selected, so if I manage to find an equivalent with a not too dissimilar price, I reckon I'll switch out to that one.

Thanks Again!

 

[jboydgolfer]

Hey,

Thanks for the tip, you have already been more helpful than anyone else I've spoken to. I can't believe I didn't see that system build option on pcpartpicker, I've just put all my desired parts in and it looks good to go.

Overclocking has always been something that I plan to do "next time" but I'll look into some alternative "Z" motherboards and see where it gets me. I'm not at all tied to the one I have selected, so if I manage to find an equivalent with a not too dissimilar price, I reckon I'll switch out to that one.

Thanks Again!

For the best results in regards to overclocking you'll have to get a motherboard and CPU that will support it fully. Honestly it's more of just something to do for most people or a way to squeeze an extra 15% performance out when the processor gets old. Don't get me wrong it's a great option to have but I certainly wouldn't recommend building a PC around it unless it's something you're really into or that you intend to get into since it will add a decent bit of cost to the overall build(in some cases). The parts that you had selected in the original post are very nice and will make for a very good PC . Personally if it was me building that PC I would swap the video card you chose for This one(GTX 1050ti) the "ti" has a bit more Performance, with little more cost

Good luck , & welcome to tpu

 

[KorbenDallas]

For the best results in regards to overclocking you'll have to get a motherboard and CPU that will support it fully. Honestly it's more of just something to do for most people or a way to squeeze an extra 15% performance out when the processor gets old. Don't get me wrong it's a great option to have but I certainly wouldn't recommend building a PC around it unless it's something you're really into or that you intend to get into since it will add a decent bit of cost to the overall build.

Ok, yeah, that's what I suspected. I'm more inclined to go with the original build rather than splash out on something that I is only a "maybe".

Personally if it was me building that PC I would swap the video card you chose for This one(GTX 1050ti) the "ti" has a bit more Performance, with little more cost

My mistake, I actually meant to pick the Ti version (I think the hyperlink actually goes to the correct part, I just didn't include it in the link text)

 

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

Hi All,

Been planning on buying/building a desktop for some time after years of gaming on sub-par laptops. My budget is €1100-€1200 ($1200-$1300 / £900-£1000) and I've been doing some research on various sites (mainly pcpartpicker.com). Of course, my aim is to get a serious business machine but I should point out that I don't currently have any overclocking plans (just yet). That said, I don't want to end up burning any bridges in terms of future upgrades.

I haven't purchased anything just yet, mainly out of fear for compatibility between the parts. I understand that with such a huge range of components it's impossible to know for sure if it'll all work out. The reason I'm posting here is just in case one of you has a keen eye for known issues and can spot a problem at a glance.

So here is the list (links to external website pcpartpicker), I would be eternally grateful if anyone can respond with even as much as a Yay or Nay:

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2H
I picked this motherboard purely because it seemed popular

SSD Samsung 850 EVO
I've experienced problems before with OS hard drive being too small so I'm determined to get >200GB

HD Seagate Constellation 1TB
Not too pushed about the brand of HD, but has to be 1TB

Graphics Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 4GB
Picked this to ensure compatibility with Mobo. I like games, first person shooters, racing, RTS, RPGs etc. but I don't tend to obsess too much about having overly turbo-charged graphics. Being able to max out the resources is great, but for now I'll be happy to even just play the games. (Bear in mind, I've been trying to play games for the past 8 years on laptops with on-board Intel graphics cards, which just can't take certain games)

Power Supply SeaSonic 520W
Don't know much about power supplies, my research told me that I would need at least 500W. I'm happy to splash out a bit more seeing as this could quite easily be a bottleneck.

Memory Corsair Vengeance LED
Has to be 16GB (the fewer slots used, the better obv.) and DDR4 seems to be the new kid on the block with the greatest potential (I know I said no overclocking plans, but never say never).

Processor Intel Core i7-6700
Decided to go with Intel over AMD as I've heard Intel chips work better when using a separate graphics card. I believe there is quite a debate between the two and from what I can tell, there is no objectively better choice.

Heat Sink Corsair H110 94
This is probably where I have the biggest apprehension. One of greatest annoyances I've had when using any computer (PC or laptop) is the interminable noise that comes from an aging fan. Maybe this is unavoidable, or maybe I just need some pointers on maintenance.

Cases (Don't expect many issues with these but I've included them anyway)
Cooler Master
Corsair SPEC-01
Deepcool Tesseract
(Obviously I'm only going to use one )

I originally was going to just pay some business to build this for me but their customer service was so embarrassingly bad that I decided I couldn't possibly trust them to build me a pc. If you want something done right, do it yourself (or failing that, ask for help from an enthusiastic online community).

I have two pieces of advice to give you. First, instead of getting the GTX 1050, go with the GTX 1060- it is about a $50 difference, but the GTX 1060 is a MUCH better card. My second piece of advice would be to get rid of that old spinning hard drive. HDDs are dead and if you want performance you should go all SSD. The Mushkin Reactor 1TB SSD has an absolute great value. For less than $260, you are getting a pretty damn good SSD with a lot of storage. If you ever need more, just buy a second Reactor and then you are all set.

http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Mushkin-Reactor-1TB/Rating/3583

 

[Caring1]

I have an opinion to give you. First, instead of getting the GTX 1050, go with the GTX 1060- it is about a $50 difference, but the GTX 1060 is a MUCH better card. My second piece of advice would be to get rid of that old spinning hard drive. HDDs are dead and if you want performance you should go all SSD. The Mushkin Reactor 1TB SSD has an absolute great value. For less than $260, you are getting a pretty damn good SSD with a lot of storage. If you ever need more, just buy a second Reactor and then you are all set.

http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Mushkin-Reactor-1TB/Rating/3583

Fixed it for you
Unless you are offering to pay for his build, then it would be good to stay around roughly the same budget as the O.P. and not suggest a bunch of expensive upgrades just because YOU like them.

 

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

Fixed it for you
Unless you are offering to pay for his build, then it would be good to stay around roughly the same budget as the O.P. and not suggest a bunch of expensive upgrades just because YOU like them.

Expensive upgrades? Sorry, but I am missing something. If he got the Mushkin Reactor 1TB SSD instead of the spinner and that Samsung Evo SSD, he is going to be pretty close to the same price. Also, the GPU I mentioned is only $50 more than the GPU he had selected, but it is much better. There is zero point of using a regular HD...

 

[Cvrk]

Right now i am very enthusiastic about the 1700x.
However @cadaveca makes a point. The i7-7700k is the logical solution. It's like a Tesla,cuz it makes sense and it's all about tech and electric and saving the world, but you know you need a diesel estate for the extra space and you can go anywhere . Maybe not the best comparison.

I would go for the 1700x in a blink (if i had the money)....but i am afraid of AMD. Wonder if they will ever get above the 3200mhz ram, like normal people, and many more things.

These are all speculations. On my part, or on anybody's part.

You did mention gaming.
Kaby lake is the only intel cpu you should look at. Sky lake is dead and everything else. As for the 1050. That's not gaming. I am the poor guy who would play at 1080p with everything on low just as long as i get 60+ fps. Try to shoot for the stars and go for a 1070 (or 1080 make it more future proof). I won't know, but nobody would.... the 1070 will hold out for 1080p gaming for the next 3 years. The same exact thing (also 3 years) but with higher settings on the 1080gtx.
You should look away from the 1050/1060.
You mentioned british pounds. That means you earn the pound . Therefore, money should not be the problem. If you come from East Europe, i would have understand ,but in your case....
If i can afford to dream about the things mentioned above , you can actually get them. Think about it,your not buying computers every day

 

[Komshija]

Since you have limited budget, I would suggest Ryzen 5 1600 or at most 1600X with more powerful GPU than GTX 1050 Ti.

This configuration fits within your budget and it will surely last for 5 years:
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- Be Quiet Shadow Rock Slim (very quiet) + free AM4 kit
- MSI B350 Carbon/Tomahawk...
- 16 GB (2x8 GB) G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4 2400 MHz
- Sapphire RX 570 Pulse 4 GB
- 240 GB OCZ Trion 150 or 240 GB Team L3 EVO or 250 GB Mushkin Triactor SSD
- 2 TB Toshina P300 HDD
- EVGA 600B
- Aerocool Aero-1000
- 3 x Arctic F12 PWM rev.2
- AOC i2381FXH or i 2481FXH or Philips 237E7QDSB/00

This is what I recommend: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FBZpnn

 

[alucasa]

Looks pretty decent to me.

But if you wish to have some money, perhaps going with Ryzen 1400 and its mobo might save you a fair bit. You could re-direct the saved fund for a better GPU in 1060 over 1050ti.

Or keep the money in your pocket.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Since you have limited budget, I would suggest Ryzen 5 1600 or at most 1600X with more powerful GPU than GTX 1050 Ti.

This configuration fits within your budget and it will surely last for 5 years:
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- Be Quiet Shadow Rock Slim (very quiet) + free AM4 kit
- MSI B350 Carbon/Tomahawk...
- 16 GB (2x8 GB) G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4 2400 MHz
- Sapphire RX 570 Pulse 4 GB
- 240 GB OCZ Trion 150 or 240 GB Team L3 EVO or 250 GB Mushkin Triactor SSD
- 2 TB Toshina P300 HDD
- EVGA 600B
- Aerocool Aero-1000
- 3 x Arctic F12 PWM rev.2
- AOC i2381FXH or i 2481FXH or Philips 237E7QDSB/00

This is what I recommend: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FBZpnn

I agree with this direction.

Choosing a larger SSD now and skip the platter storage for later would let you spend more on "better" components now. Choosing a case that comes with an adequate number of fans and good air flow but can add a fan or two more later on. From what I've seen a 1500 or 1500x is more than sufficient for gaming and business, which means you can focus more funds on a better video card 580/1070. Getting a Ryzen X version gives you auto-overclocking, which is still limited by the amount of cooling.

As far as future-proofing, Intel seems to change sockets more frequently than AMD, if you chose AMD, any motherboard you chose will more than likely let you drop in a new cpu three or more years from now.

Lastly, plan now for any and all upgrades that wont be included with this initial build and choose a big enough power supply now. Especially if you even have the slightest notion of going with dual cards later on.

 

[Aenra]

I also wouldn't go the Intel way, not with a 1200bucks total budget. It's really not worth it dude.