Hardware First time building a PC, advice needed.

[Shorkio]

Hi!

My something-years old laptop died last weekend and now I'm in the need of new computer.
I want to use my computer for gaming, photo editing and light video editing.
My budget is around 1000€, and I'm not 100% sure of my build idea. I've been thinking to use these parts:

-CPU: i5-4670K
-RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB (2x4GB)
-PSU: Corsair 600W CX M (modular)
-Motherboard: AsRock H81M-ITX
-Storage: PNY 120GB SSD + 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM
-Case: Corsair Obsidian 250D

I'm having a hard time choosing between two video cards, Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 660 OC 3GB or GTX 750 Ti 2GB. I'm not exactly sure their biggest differences, but 750 Ti is about 50€ cheaper.

What do you guys think about my build? What should I change, what should I keep?

 

[Originality]

You've chosen an unlocked CPU and yet a motherboard that cannot overclock. Either get the i5-4670 (non-K) and save yourself around €20, or switch to a Z87 or Z97 motherboard (personally I don't think there's any point if you're sticking to ITX form factor).

Also, for gaming you might want the strongest graphics card you can afford. If possible, I would push for a GTX 760 Ti.

If you're looking for areas you can save money, you can cut the PSU back to 450W or 500W.

EDIT: Also, I don't see any optical drive. Do you already have one you're going to recycle?

 

[spotanjo3]

Well... its hard to tell. In my opinion, your money would be better spent pairing a 1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 128GB SSD. Perhaps, WD Velociraptor 1TB 10000RPM if you can afford it, less than 272 EURO. A pairing a regular HDD with an SSD may give you a better all-around experience. Hope this helps. Google is your best friend. Credit goes to GOOGLE.

Click 'LIKE' if you want. Cheers.

 

[Porobu]

Hi!

My something-years old laptop died last weekend and now I'm in the need of new computer.
I want to use my computer for gaming, photo editing and light video editing.
My budget is around 1000€, and I'm not 100% sure of my build idea. I've been thinking to use these parts:

-CPU: i5-4670K
-RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB (2x4GB)
-PSU: Corsair 600W CX M (modular)
-Motherboard: AsRock H81M-ITX
-Storage: PNY 120GB SSD + 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM
-Case: Corsair Obsidian 250D

I'm having a hard time choosing between two video cards, Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 660 OC 3GB or GTX 750 Ti 2GB. I'm not exactly sure their biggest differences, but 750 Ti is about 50€ cheaper.

What do you guys think about my build? What should I change, what should I keep?

If haswell refresh CPUs (like the intel 4690k) are the same price as the haswell ones change the CPU and motherboard to a 9 series one

 

[Shorkio]

You've chosen an unlocked CPU and yet a motherboard that cannot overclock. Either get the i5-4670 (non-K) and save yourself around €20, or switch to a Z87 or Z97 motherboard (personally I don't think there's any point if you're sticking to ITX form factor).

Also, for gaming you might want the strongest graphics card you can afford. If possible, I would push for a GTX 760 Ti.

If you're looking for areas you can save money, you can cut the PSU back to 450W or 500W.

EDIT: Also, I don't see any optical drive. Do you already have one you're going to recycle?

Thanks a lot for really quick answer! (I'm on 3G/Edge connection at the moment, so I might be slow to answer)

I didn't knew that AsRock's motherboard can't overclock. Which ITX mobo can overclock (if there's any)?
I might have one optical drive hiding somewhere, but I might not use optical drive for this build (I haven't used optical drives for ages).

Well... its hard to tell. In my opinion, your money would be better spent pairing a 1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 128GB SSD. Perhaps, WD Velociraptor 1TB 10000RPM if you can afford it, less than 272 EURO. A pairing a regular HDD with an SSD may give you a better all-around experience. Hope this helps. Google is your best friend. Credit goes to GOOGLE.

Click 'LIKE' if you want. Cheers.

I'm planning to use SSD for OS and PhotoShop and 1TB for other stuff.

If haswell refresh CPUs (like the intel 4690k) are the same price as the haswell ones change the CPU and motherboard to a 9 series one

Hmm, looks like Intel 4690K is 10€ more expensive than 4670. I'll check how much my build may cost after some tweaking.

 

[Originality]

It's the H61 motherboard that can't overclock. That's the biggest difference between Hxx and Zxx. Zxx like Z87 and Z97 can overclock.
The cheapest Zxx motherboard I can find with a quick look on partpicker is a Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI.

Don't forget that you need to install Windows somehow. If you've got Windows on USB then that's fine, but if not you will probably need that DVD drive (even if it's only €15).

 

[Shorkio]

It's the H61 motherboard that can't overclock. That's the biggest difference between Hxx and Zxx. Zxx like Z87 and Z97 can overclock.
The cheapest Zxx motherboard I can find with a quick look on partpicker is a Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI.

Don't forget that you need to install Windows somehow. If you've got Windows on USB then that's fine, but if not you will probably need that DVD drive (even if it's only €15).

I have Windows for USB stick.

I tweaked my build a little, and without a case it costs 862,70€. Now my build has:

PSU: Corsair 500W CX series
Storage: PNY 120GB SSD + 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM
RAM: Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) HyperX Fury
CPU: Haswell i5-4690K
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 DC2OC 2GB
Motherboard: Asus Z97-K


I assume that motherboard (and PSU?) won't fit into m-ITX case? If I buy Corsair's 330R should this build be ok?

 

[CompassNorth]

I assume that motherboard (and PSU?) won't fit into m-ITX case? If I buy Corsair's 330R should this build be ok?

It's just the motherboard, the PSU should fit the M-ITX case.
And yes the Corsair 330R should be okay.

 

[TemplarGR]

The SSD is useless for that budget. Just use a 2T+ HDD (i would pick a 3T HDD myself right now), 1T is too small nowadays...

Also, you don't really need a K cpu, unless you are really into overclocking. Better to get the i5 4690 (there is no 4690k), a much better option. The best single threaded performance for mainstream cpus right now... Matters A LOT for gaming and emulation...

If you are into ITX mobos and cases, forget about those gpus, i would be surprised if they fit... Even if they do (probably Low Profile versions, which are more expensive and IIRC model selection and RAM are limited), and you can also fit 2 disks and even an optical drive, things will get really hot and noisy in there... You will lose completely the point of an ITX machine... And i don't get why you need it to be ITX, do you need portability and/or don't have much space?

Also, pick a better mobo altogether. You are going to use one of the better cpus out there, together with a decent gpu and even an SSD, with a cheap mobo with the lowest end chipset? That is wrong...

The PSU is overkill for your needs. Also, will it fit the case you picked( i haven't seen the details of your case yet)?

If you really want an ITX form factor, you need to carefully consider the space of the case and the dimensions of your selected components. You will also need good airflow. Plus you need to make sure your components are silent... You don't want to take the compromise of an ITX form factor without getting a silent and cool pc...

Of course, the better ITX gpu option would be an NVIDIA 750 LP right now. Low TDP, decent performance, fits in most ITX cases... You can forget about the 660... Seriously, google its dimensions and TDP...

All in all, you should provide us with more information on what you really want from your PC. Why you want a such a small form factor, how much of a gamer are you etc...

 

[CompassNorth]

there is no 4690k

There is.

If you are into ITX mobos and cases, forget about those gpus, i would be surprised if they fit.

There's nothing wrong with fitting those graphics cards in that case, it'll fit perfectly.

The PSU is overkill for your needs. Also, will it fit the case you picked( i haven't seen the details of your case yet)

It does.

Of course, the better ITX gpu option would be an NVIDIA 750 LP right now. Low TDP, decent performance

No reason to limit himself to a lesser performance card if his case can fit it.

 

[Originality]

I will argue that getting a SSD is never useless. Likewise, there's nothing wrong with getting a 1TB HDD. Not everybody has a giant collection of games, music and videos to eat up that space in an instant, and those that do can often afford to get an additional 3-4TB HDD when they really need it.

Also, I support the move from ITX to ATX with the Corsair 330R. It renders most of Templar's arguments redundant and gives more space inside the system to breath.

 

[Shorkio]

I will argue that getting a SSD is never useless. Likewise, there's nothing wrong with getting a 1TB HDD. Not everybody has a giant collection of games, music and videos to eat up that space in an instant, and those that do can often afford to get an additional 3-4TB HDD when they really need it.

Also, I support the move from ITX to ATX with the Corsair 330R. It renders most of Templar's arguments redundant and gives more space inside the system to breath.

I don't have many games for PC at the moment. Heck, I often have problems to even fill 750GB or even 500GB HHDs. And even if I somehow run out of storage from 1TB HDD, I have 1TB external HDD just in case.

I found out that store where I'm searching parts sells Z97-A + i5-4690K bundle, which costs ~30€ less than 4690K and Z97-K combined. What is the main difference between Z97-K and Z97-A? I'm quessing the difference won't be huge, because they both are Z97 series?

E: I typed Z97-K twice, i meant Z97-K and Z97-A.

 

[CompassNorth]

I found out that store where I'm searching parts sells Z97-A + i5-4690K bundle, which costs ~30€ less than 4690K and Z97-K combined. What is the main difference between Z97-K and Z97-K? I'm quessing the difference won't be huge, because they both are Z97 series?

Z97-K A is just the name of (one of?) the Asus models

 

[gifi4]

The SSD is useless for that budget. Just use a 2T+ HDD (i would pick a 3T HDD myself right now), 1T is too small nowadays...

What?!
Are you mad?!
Different people have different needs. For some, 500GB would be plenty whereas for others, 10TB may not even be enough.
The best thing about storage? You can always increase your storage capacity when necessary. Even if you happen to run out of SATA ports, you can use external HDD's or even get a PCI SATA expansion card.

 

[Shorkio]

Z97-K A is just the name of (one of?) the Asus models

Ah okay, looks like I should be fine if I choose Z97-A. I also found 430W PSU for cheaper than 500W PSU.

Thanks to everyone who replied in this thread, you all have been really helpful.

 

[TemplarGR]

What?!
Are you mad?!
Different people have different needs. For some, 500GB would be plenty whereas for others, 10TB may not even be enough.
The best thing about storage? You can always increase your storage capacity when necessary. Even if you happen to run out of SATA ports, you can use external HDD's or even get a PCI SATA expansion card.

If what he said is true, about gaming and video editing, then 1T will become filled really fast. Modern games need plenty of GBs for their installation... 5-10 games and a few videos and you will find out that a 1T hdd is really small... Plus, the difference in price between 1T and 3T Hdds is very small relative to their capacity... In my country, a 1T hdd is about 60 euros and a 3T about 100... Not exactly worth it to go with a 1T model...

Also, SSDs are useless in general. All you gain is a faster boot time (how many times you reboot your desktop a day?) and a faster load time for apps(how many times you open your browser a day?). Better to spend the money on a better gpu, you will really appreciate this in games...

 

[TemplarGR]

There is.


There's nothing wrong with fitting those graphics cards in that case, it'll fit perfectly.


It does.


No reason to limit himself to a lesser performance card if his case can fit it.

1. Yeah there is a 4690k indeed. I didn't know because i didn't read about it in haswell refresh news when they came out and there is not a single one sold in my country...

2. Now that i searched about this case, it seems the gpus will fit, but still this is not optimal. There is no need to go to ITX form factor for that hardware, unless space is REALLY an issue... More problems that it is worth... In my opinion, ITX form factors are about minimal noise, heat, and power consumption.

 

[Shorkio]

If what he said is true, about gaming and video editing, then 1T will become filled really quickly. Modern games need plenty of GBs for their installation... 5-10 games and a few videos and you will find out that a 1T hdd is really small... Plus, the difference in price between 1T and 3T Hdds is very small relative to their capacity... In my country, a 1T hdd is about 60 euros and a 3T about 100... Not exactly worth it to go with a 1T model...

Also, SSDs are useless in general. All you gain is a faster boot time (how many times you reboot your desktop a day?) and a faster load time for apps(how many times you open your browser a day?). Better to spend the money on a better gpu, you will really appreciate this in games...

If you have read my replies, I wrote that I don't have many games for computer (maybe ten that I play regulary), and I have 1TB external HDD just in case I somehow run out of space. I did some video editing with my now dead laptop (it had 320GB HDD) and I never ran out of space. I usually make ~2-3 minute video once a month.

To be honest, I don't mind if my computer boots quickly. For example if I'm in a hurry at morning and I have forgot to print some important paper(s) the day before, quick booting would be a nice plus. I'm also those people who close applications when I don't need them (like a web browser) and I do so pretty often. And if I'm lucky, I might be able to put some games to SSD drive.

SSDs are also silent and HDDs makes noise. Also, isn't the speed one of SSD's main features and reason why many people buy them? Sure, they might be expensive but here 1.5-3TB HDDs gets pretty expensive easily (read: out of my budget). I'd sacrifice storage for speed in this case.

 

[CompassNorth]

2. Now that i searched about this case, it seems the gpus will fit, but still this is not optimal. There is no need to go to ITX form factor for that hardware, unless space is REALLY an issue... More problems that it is worth... In my opinion, ITX form factors are about minimal noise, heat, and power consumption.

To a lot of people ITX builds are for the portability.
I personally know 2-3 people who have high-end ITX rigs, and I've seen many more online even a few with water cooling.

There's really nothing wrong with "gaming" ITX rigs seeing as we now have companies who provide cases that suit them.