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

[ZerueLX11]

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. 

 

 

The CPU will last definitely last you 5 years, you can always upgrade the cooling later on to overclock it more.

 

 

As long as you have a Z170 motherboard you can overclock pretty well, more expensive motherboards usually have more features and more ports to plug things into. You have to read up on the exact differences but if you wanna save try this board out.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W03ZR0115

[Goblin]

@@ZerueLX11

 

Whats your thoughts on ultra wide curved monitors?

[ZerueLX11]

@@ZerueLX11

 

Whats your thoughts on ultra wide curved monitors?

 

21:9 monitors are great!  Only issue is that they may not work well with old games that have trouble forcing 21:9 support. 

 

However there are somethings to consider.

 

 

1. 2560x1080 is the 1080p version of ultra wide

2. 3440x1440p is the 1440p version of ultra wide - this one takes a lot of GPU power to run.

3. Typically the low priced Ultra wide monitors are only 60Hz, personally I think 100Hz or 144hz Ultra wide monitors are a bit better for gaming. Going over 100Hz does make the monitors more expensive.

 

 

 

 

A top tier one will really pull you into the game, you just have to throw down on the investment.

[On3K]

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. 

 

ZerueLX11

 

Okay I built my gaming PC and now am in the market for a monitor. I think I want to go with something higher than 1080p/60hz. I was looking at this monitor, they have a deal right now that is buy 1 monitor get 1 50% off but I do not need 2 of them. What are your thoughts? I could possibly sell one, it almost seems like to good of a deal to pass on. 

[ZerueLX11]

ZerueLX11

 

Okay I built my gaming PC and now am in the market for a monitor. I think I want to go with something higher than 1080p/60hz. I was looking at this monitor, they have a deal right now that is buy 1 monitor get 1 50% off but I do not need 2 of them. What are your thoughts? I could possibly sell one, it almost seems like to good of a deal to pass on. 

 

 

Looks really great! Go for it.

 

Buying one or two is up to you but if you can find someone local or buddy in PC gaming too you can working something out.

[Goblin]

So I upgraded my CPU Heatsync to the Corsair AIO H75 Liquid Cooling unit. Gotta say, I love it.

 

Temperatures before/after

 

Before

CPU @ Idle: 40-50 Degrees * C (no background tasks)

CPU @ Gaming (Overwatch specifically): 70-80 * C

 

After

CPU @ Idle: 5-10 * C (no background tasks)

CPI @ Gaming (Overwatch Specifically): 30-40 * C 

 

Edit: Here's a picture after the install and running:

[Roti]

Is there a reason to select certain ram sticks over others? I'm looking to upgrade to 16gb ddr4 from 8gb ddr3 however there are so many options to pick from and I'm not sure if that matters much.

[ZerueLX11]

Is there a reason to select certain ram sticks over others? I'm looking to upgrade to 16gb ddr4 from 8gb ddr3 however there are so many options to pick from and I'm not sure if that matters much.

 

 

RAM is RAM, if you are upgrading from DDR3 to DDR4 I assume you just got a new Intel Skylake processor?

[Synyster]

Is there a reason to select certain ram sticks over others? I'm looking to upgrade to 16gb ddr4 from 8gb ddr3 however there are so many options to pick from and I'm not sure if that matters much.

Assuming you have a Mobo that supports DDR4, picking a brand doesn't really matter, it's literally just a brand on the component. You can save yourself money by buying brandless RAM though. Whatever RAM you're looking for, look up the specs and reliability of that RAM with websites like AnandTech or Toms Hardware.

[Nokt]

So I upgraded my CPU Heatsync to the Corsair AIO H75 Liquid Cooling unit. Gotta say, I love it.

 

Temperatures before/after

 

Before

CPU @ Idle: 40-50 Degrees * C (no background tasks)

CPU @ Gaming (Overwatch specifically): 70-80 * C

 

After

CPU @ Idle: 5-10 * C (no background tasks)

CPI @ Gaming (Overwatch Specifically): 30-40 * C 

 

Edit: Here's a picture after the install and running:

Hmm I was thinking about getting the H90. This might just push me over the edge to get it.

[Roti]

So I decided to upgrade to 16gb ddr3 ram. I have a gigabyte z97x gaming 3 mobo. The ram I bought is: Patriot PV316G160C0K 16GB(2x8GB) Viper III DDR3

 

Now once a day I get a random BSOD and it says something about memory management. Looking at the supported list of memory on mobo its not on there but something close to this is. They have: Patriot PGD316G1600ELKI supported. I guess what i'm asking is do i need to return and get something supported or should this ram be working? I didn't think itd be an issue. There is also a beta bios update that fixes memory compatibility but i've never done a bios update before and the internet seems to be against it.

 

What should i do? I know im not crazy and installed it correctly and i've tried multiple ram slots like 2/4, 1/3 etc but it doesn't help. I also ran windows memory diagnostic and had no problems either.

[ZerueLX11]

So I decided to upgrade to 16gb ddr3 ram. I have a gigabyte z97x gaming 3 mobo. The ram I bought is: Patriot PV316G160C0K 16GB(2x8GB) Viper III DDR3

 

Now once a day I get a random BSOD and it says something about memory management. Looking at the supported list of memory on mobo its not on there but something close to this is. They have: Patriot PGD316G1600ELKI supported. I guess what i'm asking is do i need to return and get something supported or should this ram be working? I didn't think itd be an issue. There is also a beta bios update that fixes memory compatibility but i've never done a bios update before and the internet seems to be against it.

 

What should i do? I know im not crazy and installed it correctly and i've tried multiple ram slots like 2/4, 1/3 etc but it doesn't help. I also ran windows memory diagnostic and had no problems either.

 

Try using memtestx86

 

http://www.memtest86.com/download.htm 

 

This will test the ram better. 

 

Could be you got faulty RAM, I would exchange it if the problem persists. 

[jamaican117]

So, I plan on a video editing rig build down the road hopefully before the end of next year and was wondering if this is a good "budget build" because video editing is more CPU intensive and a 1050Ti more than enough for After Effects. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/y9k66X 

[ZerueLX11]

So, I plan on a video editing rig build down the road hopefully before the end of next year and was wondering if this is a good "budget build" because video editing is more CPU intensive and a 1050Ti more than enough for After Effects. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/y9k66X 

 

 

Link is broken!

[jamaican117]

Link is broken!

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/jamaican117/saved/7y7D4D 

That should work. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/jamaican117/saved/7y7D4D 

[ZerueLX11]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1220 V3 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($201.46 @ Jet) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($55.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Silicon Power Silm S55 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ B&H) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon RX 460 4GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card  ($121.01 @ Jet) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($67.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($48.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($85.68 @ My Choice Software) 

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

Monitor: BenQ GW2265HM 21.5" 60Hz Monitor  ($124.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $876.05

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-24 14:28 EST-0500

 

@@jamaican117

 

LOL Link was still broken but I think I managed to find it. This is it right? 

[Nokt]

How is Jet as a company to purchase from? I've heard some pretty questionable things about the website and have pretty much stayed away because of that.

[jamaican117]

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1220 V3 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($201.46 @ Jet) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($55.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Silicon Power Silm S55 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ B&H) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon RX 460 4GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card  ($121.01 @ Jet) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($67.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($48.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($85.68 @ My Choice Software) 

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

Monitor: BenQ GW2265HM 21.5" 60Hz Monitor  ($124.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $876.05

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-24 14:28 EST-0500

 

@@jamaican117

 

LOL Link was still broken but I think I managed to find it. This is it right? 

 

Looks about right. No idea why pcpartpicker was being mean the other day. 

[ZerueLX11]

Looks about right. No idea why pcpartpicker was being mean the other day. 

 

 

What do you think about this build? 

 

 

 

It has an i7 6700 which will help with rendering, you can get a GPU later on. You can just use integrated for a while.

 

You can get a GTX 1050 for $100.

 

Also later on you can get better cooling like a hyper 212

[jamaican117]

What do you think about this build? 

 

 

 

It has an i7 6700 which will help with rendering, you can get a GPU later on. You can just use integrated for a while.

 

You can get a GTX 1050 for $100.

 

Also later on you can get better cooling like a hyper 212

Sweet buttery Jesus. Idk I'd rather have the Xeon with GTX 1050 vs the core i7. 

[ZerueLX11]

Sweet buttery Jesus. Idk I'd rather have the Xeon with GTX 1050 vs the core i7. 

 

 

 

Well the Xeon you chose has no hyper threading, so only 4 cores will show up, the i7 6700 will have 8 cores show up. The i7 6700 will be better at video stuff.

 

 

 

If you still want the GTX 1050 then you can go i5 6500 and GTX 1050

 

 

 

Its either i5 6500 and GTX 1050 for $300 together

 

or i7 6700 for $300

[jamaican117]

Well the Xeon you chose has no hyper threading, so only 4 cores will show up, the i7 6700 will have 8 cores show up. The i7 6700 will be better at video stuff.

 

 

 

If you still want the GTX 1050 then you can go i5 6500 and GTX 1050

 

 

 

Its either i5 6500 and GTX 1050 for $300 together

 

or i7 6700 for $300

Not how this works my boy. Companies like Adobe optimize their programs for the Xeon family and it is demonstrably equal/ better than a comparable i7 when it comes to rendering. 

Still I do have a lot to think about for the build. Besides CPU and GPU were my picks spot on? I've heard Power Supply is very important. 

[ZerueLX11]

Not how this works my boy. Companies like Adobe optimize their programs for the Xeon family and it is demonstrably equal/ better than a comparable i7 when it comes to rendering. 

Still I do have a lot to think about for the build. Besides CPU and GPU were my picks spot on? I've heard Power Supply is very important. 

 

 

Very unsure about the 4 core Xeon vs the newest i7, I'd really have to look at some benchmarks. The only way you can optimize a program for a CPU is letting the program use more cores from my knowledge.

 

 

Aside from that everything else seems ok, the PSU is low wattage but it comes from a good brand. Just becareful if you put stronger CPUs or GPUs in your system.

[jamaican117]

Very unsure about the 4 core Xeon vs the newest i7, I'd really have to look at some benchmarks. The only way you can optimize a program for a CPU is letting the program use more cores from my knowledge.

 

 

Aside from that everything else seems ok, the PSU is low wattage but it comes from a good brand. Just becareful if you put stronger CPUs or GPUs in your system.

Sounds good then, my boy! Do you prefer a 1TB HDD and small SSD over just a big SSD? 

[ZerueLX11]

Sounds good then, my boy! Do you prefer a 1TB HDD and small SSD over just a big SSD? 

 

 

Economically a small SSD and a 1TB HDD would better. Just use the small SSD for apps and the OS, then use the HDD to save your videos and projects, plus any games.

 

 

A big SSD would have things open faster all around but they are expensive. ~350$ for a 1TB SSD