Zeruel's ULTIMATE Gaming PC Build Guide Thread [2015]

[Roti]

Just upgraded to a 1070 and a 1440p 144hz monitor. I got a Dell S2716DG from my wife and its amazing. Only complaint I have is sometimes the display doesnt wake up from sleep so I have disabled my monitor from sleeping entirely. I just turn it off when I don't use it.

 

I can't go back to 60 fps for web browsing and League fucking glorious.

[arglactable]

OK, so here's the build I have so far.

 

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($345.88 @ OutletPC) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 

Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($99.28 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($119.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($259.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($75.98 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.85 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $1455.81

 

 

Trying to balance cost and performance a bit.

[ZerueLX11]

 

OK, so here's the build I have so far.

 

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($345.88 @ OutletPC) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Best Buy) 

Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($150.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($99.28 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($119.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($259.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case  ($139.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($75.98 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.85 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $1455.81

 

 

Trying to balance cost and performance a bit.

 

 

 

Do you really need the water cooling right away? And the wireless network adapter? Wireless is not that good for online games. 

 

 

I would sacrifice the Watercooling, Wireless and Optical drive for a 1070.

 

I might even step down from a 6700k and Z170 to a 6700 and B150 to put more money towards a strong GPU.

[arglactable]

Do you really need the water cooling right away? And the wireless network adapter? Wireless is not that good for online games. 

 

 

I would sacrifice the Watercooling, Wireless and Optical drive for a 1070.

 

I might even step down from a 6700k and Z170 to a 6700 and B150 to put more money towards a strong GPU.

 

I could probably cut the optical drive and water-cooling for later. I am aware that wireless is not ideal, but I pretty much do need that for the time being.

 

Still, skipping those first two could get me to around the same price with a 1070, so I might just do that and add on later as needed.

[ZerueLX11]

I could probably cut the optical drive and water-cooling for later. I am aware that wireless is not ideal, but I pretty much do need that for the time being.

 

Still, skipping those first two could get me to around the same price with a 1070, so I might just do that and add on later as needed.

 

 

Sounds good! What resolution and refreshrate are you playing at?

[arglactable]

Sounds good! What resolution and refreshrate are you playing at?

 

I currently have a BenQ RL2455HM and some Samsung monitor I've had forever. Both are 1080p/60Hz.

[ZerueLX11]

I currently have a BenQ RL2455HM and a some Samsung monitor I've had forever. Both are 1080p/60Hz.

 

A 1070 Will definitely give you ultra 1080p 60fps with no drops!  

[arglactable]

A 1070 Will definitely give you ultra 1080p 60fps with no drops!  

 

Sounds good to me.

[Nades]

 

Alright I have a good build that doesnt have the GPU, you could buy this PC and use integrated till the new GPUs come out.

 

The Intel HD 530 Integrated Graphics should be able to do 720p 60fps Low on AAA titles and higher settings on less demanding games.

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£164.28 @ Aria PC) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  (£26.99 @ Novatech) 

Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£70.92 @ CCL Computers) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  (£28.96 @ More Computers) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£69.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  (£63.03 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  (£38.29 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: Cooler Master 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Total: £462.46

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-04 00:00 BST+0100

 

The new mid tier GPUs that are releasing in the next one or two months should be around £175. That should bring you to £650.

 

Not sure if you have Windows, M&KB, Monitor, and Headset. If you are over budget You can sacrifice the CPU cooler, if you're still low sacrifice the SSD. Those are the only two that wont damage the integrity or gaming performance of the build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi man, I've got my money saved and I'm ready to buy all the parts for my PC. What GPU do you recommend I put on this build? Also once I've added the GPU what performance will I be looking at? 

[ZerueLX11]

Hi man, I've got my money saved and I'm ready to buy all the parts for my PC. What GPU do you recommend I put on this build? Also once I've added the GPU what performance will I be looking at? 

 

 

A GTX 1060 3GB for $220 US would do you fine. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137036

 

 

A Tiny bit better would be the GTX 1060 6GB for $290 US http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814127963

 

The 6GB  GTX 1060 actually has more CUDA Cores not just a VRAM change so it is better.

 

 

The GTX 1060 will perform like a GTX 980. Its a great  for 1080p 60fps ULTRA setting and 1080p 144fps for competitive game. A GTX 1060 on a 1080p monitor can pull off 90fps on starwars battlefront easy, plus if you tweak down  one or two settings you can over 120fps.  

 

 

 

 

If you want 1070 that might be a bit much for you but you will be able to play any game no problem.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127947

[Nades]

A GTX 1060 3GB for $220 US would do you fine. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137036

 

 

A Tiny bit better would be the GTX 1060 6GB for $290 US http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814127963

 

The 6GB  GTX 1060 actually has more CUDA Cores not just a VRAM change so it is better.

 

 

The GTX 1060 will perform like a GTX 980. Its a great  for 1080p 60fps ULTRA setting and 1080p 144fps for competitive game. A GTX 1060 on a 1080p monitor can pull off 90fps on starwars battlefront easy, plus if you tweak down  one or two settings you can over 120fps.  

 

 

 

 

If you want 1070 that might be a bit much for you but you will be able to play any game no problem.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127947

 

Cheers, think I'll go for the 6gb then as it's not too much more. One final thing, is that everything I'll need other than M&KB and Windows?

[ZerueLX11]

Cheers, think I'll go for the 6gb then as it's not too much more. One final thing, is that everything I'll need other than M&KB and Windows?

 

 

That should be all!  

 

Make sure to get all the right drivers and updates! Halo 5 W10 is coming soon!

[Nades]

That should be all!

 

Make sure to get all the right drivers and updates! Halo 5 W10 is coming soon!

 

Ok, thanks a lot mate! Not great with PC's so needed the help 

[Nades]

That should be all!

 

Make sure to get all the right drivers and updates! Halo 5 W10 is coming soon!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GeForce-GTX-1060-GAMING/dp/B01IPVJ8S0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472735553&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=MSI+GeForce+GTX+1060+DirectX+12+GTX+1060+GAMING+X+6G+6GB+192-Bit+GDDR5+HDCP+Ready+ATX+Video+Card

 

Is this the correct one? Just making sure as it's not on the newegg UK site.

 

Also is this the right power supply?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RS550-AMAAB1-UK-Performance-Modular/dp/B00FNCNWHI/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472736387&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Cooler+Master+550W+80%2B+Gold+Certified+Fully-Modular+ATX+Power+Supply

 

Once ive got these, I'm all set 

[ZerueLX11]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GeForce-GTX-1060-GAMING/dp/B01IPVJ8S0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472735553&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=MSI+GeForce+GTX+1060+DirectX+12+GTX+1060+GAMING+X+6G+6GB+192-Bit+GDDR5+HDCP+Ready+ATX+Video+Card

 

Is this the correct one? Just making sure as it's not on the newegg UK site.

 

Also is this the right power supply?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RS550-AMAAB1-UK-Performance-Modular/dp/B00FNCNWHI/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472736387&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Cooler+Master+550W+80%2B+Gold+Certified+Fully-Modular+ATX+Power+Supply

 

Once ive got these, I'm all set 

 

 

The GPU is correct, and when you check out the power supply make sure its the GOLD version.

[Nades]

The GPU is correct, and when you check out the power supply make sure its the GOLD version.

 

Holy shit that's £909 overall   Think I may have stepped over my price range.

[jwright329]

I'm thinking of starting a build here pretty soon, but have a question before I dive to deep into exploring parts. It's going to be more of a beginner/budget build ($800-$900 or so).

 

The question lies in building something that has a future upgrade path if I really take to liking PC gaming and decide to get a little more wild in the future. Based on what I've read so far, it seems like a Z170 chipset mobo is the way to go in terms of features/future proofing. Is it worth spending the extra money now for the upgrade path on what is otherwise a mostly budget build? The prices don't seem drastically different between the H and Z chipsets anyway.

[ZerueLX11]

I'm thinking of starting a build here pretty soon, but have a question before I dive to deep into exploring parts. It's going to be more of a beginner/budget build ($800-$900 or so).

 

The question lies in building something that has a future upgrade path if I really take to liking PC gaming and decide to get a little more wild in the future. Based on what I've read so far, it seems like a Z170 chipset mobo is the way to go in terms of features/future proofing. Is it worth spending the extra money now for the upgrade path on what is otherwise a mostly budget build? The prices don't seem drastically different between the H and Z chipsets anyway.

 

Wanting to "future proof" will cost you more money, its not possible with a budget build. 

 

Here's a good build for you that might meet your price range.

 

If you need to lower the cost, you can survive with out an air cooler, also as a future upgrade get an SSD when they get a bit more cheaper.

 

Also do you need keyboard/mouse, monitor, Windows?

 

[jwright329]

Wanting to "future proof" will cost you more money, its not possible with a budget build. 

 

Here's a good build for you that might meet your price range.

 

If you need to lower the cost, you can survive with out an air cooler, also as a future upgrade get an SSD when they get a bit more cheaper.

 

Also do you need keyboard/mouse, monitor, Windows?

 

 

Thanks for the idea build. I ran through some options during some downtime at work today (included a SSD) and it put me around $1K. I might wait until closer to Christmas time and put some of the cheaper items (< $100) on my wish list and cheat the system that way. Might allow me to beef up some things elsewhere.

 

I will need a keyboard and Windows 10. I have a cheap mouse that I got when I started playing SC2 on my macbook and a 24" BenQ monitor that I got a few months ago (thanks to your thread!) for my XB1. It's a 60Hz which I know is a bit behind the times in terms of PC gaming but 1080P/60Hz should be plenty for me to enjoy just fine.

[ZerueLX11]

Thanks for the idea build. I ran through some options during some downtime at work today (included a SSD) and it put me around $1K. I might wait until closer to Christmas time and put some of the cheaper items (< $100) on my wish list and cheat the system that way. Might allow me to beef up some things elsewhere.

 

I will need a keyboard and Windows 10. I have a cheap mouse that I got when I started playing SC2 on my macbook and a 24" BenQ monitor that I got a few months ago (thanks to your thread!) for my XB1. It's a 60Hz which I know is a bit behind the times in terms of PC gaming but 1080P/60Hz should be plenty for me to enjoy just fine.

 

 

Yeah here is one more build till made with good parts, till I have to sacrifice gaming performance and the quality of parts if I go any lower.. Not sure if parts will come down in price anytime soon, but with an i5 Intel Skylake Processor and GTX 1060 6G in the build, the gaming performance will be very good for 1080p 60fps.

 

[On3K]

Current Computer Specs-

CPU- AMD Phenom II x6 1090T

Motherboard- MSI 890FXA-GD65

GPU- Gigabyte 1070 8GB (Upgraded)

PSU- Corsair TX750 v2

RAM- G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3

Hard Drive- Samsung Pro SSD 240GB (Upgraded)

Monitor- Asus VH236H

 

I just recently started to get into PC gaming and wanted some advice on this setup. I am currently playing H1Z1 and for the most part it seems to be running okay, but it does get a little choppy when looking around at times, I have also seen screen tear. Do you think this machine would be okay for it or should I look to do a complete build?

[ZerueLX11]

Current Computer Specs-

CPU- AMD Phenom II x6 1090T

Motherboard- MSI 890FXA-GD65

GPU- Gigabyte 1070 8GB (Upgraded)

PSU- Corsair TX750 v2

RAM- G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3

Hard Drive- Samsung Pro SSD 240GB (Upgraded)

Monitor- Asus VH236H

 

I just recently started to get into PC gaming and wanted some advice on this setup. I am currently playing H1Z1 and for the most part it seems to be running okay, but it does get a little choppy when looking around at times, I have also seen screen tear. Do you think this machine would be okay for it or should I look to do a complete build?

 

 

I'll tell you now, that CPU is the source of your problems.

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128930 Motherbaord $60

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117563 i5 CPU skylake $205

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233787 Single stick 8GB DDR4 RAM $40

 

 

$305 dollar upgrade. 

[On3K]

I'll tell you now, that CPU is the source of your problems.

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128930 Motherbaord $60

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117563 i5 CPU skylake $205

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233787 Single stick 8GB DDR4 RAM $40

 

 

$305 dollar upgrade. 

 

Thanks for the reply, that is what I thought. I built that machine 6 years ago and it has served its purpose. I was actually contemplating a complete rebuild, what do you think of this? http://pcpartpicker.com/list/jPDGJV

[ZerueLX11]

Thanks for the reply, that is what I thought. I built that machine 6 years ago and it has served its purpose. I was actually contemplating a complete rebuild, what do you think of this? http://pcpartpicker.com/list/jPDGJV

 

 

Looks good! Maybe if you skip on the water cooling, less expensive ram and get a hyper 212 you can go for an i7 6700k? Intel doesnt run too hot anyways.

[On3K]

Looks good! Maybe if you skip on the water cooling, less expensive ram and get a hyper 212 you can go for an i7 6700k? Intel doesnt run too hot anyways.

Here is my updated parts list. I am so back and fourth on what I want/need. How does this look? http://pcpartpicker.com/list/3Wfspb

 

For some reason I put a more expensive motherboard on it but I do not know if that will benefit me any, what are your thoughts? My main goal is for this build to last me 5 years or so.