Building for 2014 - Gaming & 3d Art

[PP Mguire]

That Corsair is fine.

I would do this personally. Retain your PSU, case, OS, and opticals and add these. You could also retain your HDDs and add an SSD too.

CPU:
Intel Core i7-4770K - Newegg.com

Motherboard:
Newegg.com - ASRock Z87 Extreme3 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM:
Kingston HyperX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C10D3B1K2/16G - Newegg.com

GPU:
Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P4-2761-KR GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support Video Card

HDD:
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com

$904 and much better performance for your productivity.

If you want, you can ditch the 1TB for this SSD which would further improve the speed and responsiveness of your machine.
Newegg.com - Corsair Neutron Series GTX 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

 

[Ragnos]

My next question I've been meaning, what type of work do you do? Other than that you should be set to buy soon.

$904 and much better performance for your productivity.

These builds will help me create better looking projects for my portfolio so thank you both for your recommendations! I'll spend the next few days pricing the parts to see if I can find a deal this Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm sure I'll post back with questions.

 

[Ragnos]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I've browsed a few benchmark comparisons and I've chosen the Intel Core i7-4770K for the CPU. It performed very well for its price and since it's unlocked I plan on overclocking it down the road.

I'm browsing motherboards based of the CPU and found that PP Mguire really chose the best mid-range priced motherboard for that processor; the ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX Intel Motherboard. However, aside from being a few dollars more expensive normally, the ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX Intel Motherboard is significantly cheaper after the rebate.

Overall both motherboards share very similar features, especially since they're from the same brand. Is there any reason why I shouldn't go with the Fatal1ty?

I'm going to review the Black Friday prices for memory. I eagerly await any feedback.

 

[PP Mguire]

14 bucks isn't really significantly cheaper. Go with whatever is the cheapest for you.

I already said go with the 4770k.

 

[Ragnos]

I already said go with the 4770k.

You did and I definitely agreeing with you. Thank you for the recommendation!

I've browsed quite a bit while looking for memory. When I compare the G.SKILL F3-1600C9D-16GXM with the sticks that PP Mguire recommended I didn't see much of a difference in the specs. Actually, aside from latency and price, I don't see much of a difference amongst most sticks of RAM.

Is the general tip with memory to buy it on sale as long as it synchs up with the motherboard, processor and operating system?

 

[PP Mguire]

I recommend the cheapest 1600MHz kit of memory in the size that you want. In this case, the Kingston set I linked was the cheapest due to the sale. That's why I always tell people, when you want recommendations, come with cash in hand. I put together stuff within budget based on the prices for the day posted.

The G.Skill kit you linked is out of stock. So next best option would be these.
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model BLS2K8G3D1609ES2LX0 - Newegg.com

Since all new platforms utilize DDR3, the best is the size you want in 1600MHz and the cheapest.

 

[Ragnos]

Since all new platforms utilize DDR3, the best is the size you want in 1600MHz and the cheapest.

Great, then hopefully come Cyber Monday a few more deals will pop up. If not, and if it's still in stock, I'll get the pair that you recommended. Thank you!

As for the video card, I will definitely purchase a GeForce GTX 760. PP Mguire and MikeTech both recommended it and, after reading benchmarks, for good reason. I hope that one of the two goes on sale Monday and still includes the NVidia Holiday Gift bundle.

Now I'm off to review the recommendations as well as explore my options for storage and PSUs.

Oh, I also have another question. Are the sales for computer hardware worth waiting for this coming Monday? If not then maybe I should make a few purchases tonight.

 

[-RockMan-]

Great, then hopefully come Cyber Monday a few more deals will pop up. If not, and if it's still in stock, I'll get the pair that you recommended. Thank you!

As for the video card, I will definitely purchase a GeForce GTX 760. PP Mguire and MikeTech both recommended it and, after reading benchmarks, for good reason. I hope that one of the two goes on sale Monday and still includes the NVidia Holiday Gift bundle.

Now I'm off to review the recommendations as well as explore my options for storage and PSUs.

Oh, I also have another question. Are the sales for computer hardware worth waiting for this coming Monday? If not then maybe I should make a few purchases tonight.

Check the prices closely on newegg.com and any other online store.
Read the small print to make sure its accurate.
HeckI even forgot cyber monday was coming up. -_-
I need a second hard drive might not happen.(
Using this 5 year old 500gb wd only is making me lag abit.
Guess it pays off after all to have a second drive so windows can flow whatever memory it stores while working.

 

[Ragnos]

Thanks MikeTech and PP Mguire for going out of your way to answer my questions. You both helped me narrow down the parts that I needed to purchase my 2014 build.

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K - $299.99
MoBo: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer - $119.99 ($20 Rebate)
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance LP x 2 - $139.98 ($50 Rebate)
GPU: EVGA 02G-P4-2761-KR - $249.99
Storage: Western Digital WD10EZEX - $54.99
Optics: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - $16.99
PSU: CORSAIR CX600 - $49.99 ($20 Rebate)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium - $79.99
Heatsync/Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 101i - $19.99

Total: $1031.90 ($90 Rebate)​

I'd have saved about $30 total on the CPU and GPU if I would have purchased them two days ago. Then again, I bought the MoBo yesterday and would have saved an additional $10 if I waited till today.

Initially I planned on getting the ZOTAC ZT-70402-10P for the video card like MikeTech recommended and regret that it sold out today. However, I'm completely fine with the EVGA that PP Mguire suggested since I've always used the company for my graphics.

As for the case I'll use the Cooler Master HAF 912 that my current rig is using. I did buy the Cooler Master Elite 430 on sale for $39.99 (Rebate $20) to put my old build in to give as a gift for my girlfriend.

Overall, I spent roughly $1000 USD and met my goal. I even got a few free games to boot. Thanks again for everyone's help and I hope everyone has a great rest of the year!

~Ragnos~

 

[PP Mguire]

I wouldn't have got that PSU. Should have ditched that aftermarket cooling and gone with the TX650 or Seasonic 620 at least. Otherwise pretty solid.