I loved it! There's one thing I found ironic, though: Chinny Chuang's given her build the name "Hey good lookin'", while using an NZXT S340 case, which is basically a black box with transparent side panel. Ehm.....what? :) She could've used something like this http://goo.gl/tDzmjI and it would've been just about the same and much much cheaper. (basically FREE, for that matter).
She didn't name the config after the case, she named it after herself. You could obviously announce the winner of this round already from the photos on the first page.
Although Chinnie is a cutie and I hate to vote against her (sry Chinnie), my vote for the best gaming system goes to Dustin.
Dustin hit the nail on the head with the 980TI, the k CPU and the 16GB RAM. I think Dustin "gets it".
Chinnie's errors: Non-K CPU, means no CPU overclocking - 8 GB is insufficient for a gaming rig (I know b/c I am using 8 GB RAM too and I cba to change it which leads to petty inconveniences.) - GTX 970 GPU instead of a GTX 980 or 980Ti. I would avoid a GTX 970 (no need to explain why).
As for my System Upgrade philosophy: I upgrade motherboard, RAM, CPU and storage every 4-5 years and GPU every 2 years, which means that within the average lifetime of a rig I would upgrade the GPU twice. Cheers.
The 4690k is $50 more expensive than her choice, the 4460. That, with the water cooling, will make a quiet build. The Z97 motherboard will allow for SLI later on.
The water cooling also looks pretty nice. I would rather a 212 Evo and get the 4690k, but the Evo really isn't a pretty cooler.
8GB is fine if you don't have a bunch of stuff in the background while gaming.
Are you still hung up on the 3.5GB thing? Seriously? It's the best she could have gotten on budget; it is easy to suggest a pricier card but it is hard to fit it in budget and keep the general theme.
I agree that Dustin's build is better but it seems like you are ignoring the theme of Chinnie's. It isn't straight out performance; it is good performance with good looks.
In a world where value is kind, neither builds are perfect. Fortunately this competition is hardly a locked down, rule burdened competition. It is cool to see both builders explore what can be done in budget.
Both of you are correct. Point of fact, I see nothing wrong with either of these builds, aside from the fact that both pretty much left out all peripherals....if you were building a new rig from scratch, never having a gaming rig before....proper keyboard, mouse, and controller(if you use one) are a must at minimum. But Chinnie's build is just fine at 1440, and will work with a Rift. Dustin's is without a doubt more future proof...
She did waste $50+ in stuff that adds nothing but aesthetics... Not that I hold that against her, I care enough about how my PC looks to match RAM/mobo colors and things like that. I still keep a cold cathode inside it for that matter and I chose a Phanteks HSF over a Noctua largely because of aesthetics (but also a $30 price difference after MIR). I recognize not everyone's gonna care for that but those differences are what's gonna make an exercise like this interesting.
He's offering a compliment to the team he isn't going to go with before he explains why he went with the one he did. End of story. Let's discuss hardware.
Neither was a waste. While there are gamers that prefer nothing more than raw power, some prefer a good looking machine as well. Also, I hate having a small SSD. I will readily give up some performance that I am not using (4k means nothing to someone without a 4k display) to have the game LOAD quicker. I won't notice the difference between 100 and 200fps playing Fallout, but I will notice the 5 second VS 45 second load times.
Why would you ever consider getting a 970 instead of a 980 a mistake? The 970 may have issues but it also delivers vastly better performance per dollar than the 980. By going with a 970 instead of a 980, you get slightly less performance but free up a lot of room to make other things better.
I don't think the omission of a K-series processor is a big deal. Unless I missed it on one of the earlier pages (I did skim a little), this is just a straight-up test. Obviously, if it included overclocking, then the K-series processor would win. Although, without a K-series processor, there's really very little need to go with a Z-series motherboard -- unless it has extra features that you need. Although, I'm assuming that Chinnie's use of a Z-series board has more to do with the fact that they tend to get the most visual upgrades given their higher price points. An $80 B-series or H-series motherboard doesn't usually present much bling factor!
As for 8GB, I don't see it as too much of an issue depending on how the machine is used. Games can chew up a decent amount of RAM, but I see the most RAM use going to web browsers due to their insane desire to cache *everything* (including previously-viewed pages and closed tabs). I've gone as high as 9GB in Waterfox, before I closed it due to excessive background CPU usage, which causes video stuttering. (I use 32GB in my system.)
i feel a i7 4790k would've been a better option (over Dusin's build) -$100 but given sockets change like crazy... -$10 change the gpu to a Zotac Amp for better cooling +$18 change the ssd for 2TB of HDD (seagate is a gamble but its cheap) +$10 drop down to a TT V4 +$20 G Skill Value Ram 1600 +$30 212 Evo +$15 Thermaltake TR2 Bronze $17 over but hey
He's talking about Dustin's personal rig (middle of page 2); which puts both of these systems to shame (and for what it cost should do so): I7-5960, SLI 980s (all 3 water cooled), 2.5 GB of SSDs, and a 34" 3440x1400 monitor.
Thanks for the shout out of my build that I posted on the previous thread.
You're right, I did have to make some compromises on DRAM and storage to keep it under budget, but I'm trying to be realistic in terms of what current games actually need to maximize performance. Very few programs in general will use even 8GB and this is a focused gaming rig intended as a console replacement so it's not intended for heavy multitasking or virtual machines.
An alternate configuration that I toyed with would have used the Silverstone RVZ01B (which is $40 cheaper) and would free up enough budget for 16GB DRAM, but I figured that memory (and storage) is easy to upgrade later, whereas a nice case is something you'll likely keep for much longer.
Why overkill 750W on a system, which barely will go over 250, most games will drain under or around 200. 100HI on non-K I5... 970 instead r9 290 - only way is to save power, which is not case when you have 750W PSU, also less memory on 970. Corsair rig could use few fixes - for pure gaming, i would shave off from cpu and use more storage
I second this. I love the look of the H100i (plus it matches my Graphite 600t), but if I went liquid cooling I would want to splice my GPU in without having to go DIY or having a separate radiator and fans for the GPU.
I wouldn't call it poorly balanced. It maybe could be improved in some places, but by and large, I imagine a 4460 and a GTX 970 will keep each other well fed for what they do. You could certainly say some money could come off of the cooler and you could arguably still have a quiet system. The only thing that might have been over the top for the build is the power supply, which could stand to go down some. It's again though, possible that the low load is contributing to a quiet system, which was ofc the point of the build!
If anything, I'd say Chinny's system is better balanced. Dustin went all in for FPS at the expense of everyone else (brilliantly pandering to the commentariat); but a 970 is enough to run most of the eye candy at 1440p and more or less max everything out at 1080p. The only thing I'd critique Chinny's build for is only going with 8gb of ram; but that's easy enough to fix while staying in budget (OEM windows, or no USB-DVD, or no light kit, or etc) or in an after the fact upgrade. Dustin's undersized SSD is a bigger problem and doesn't present as easy of an option to fix. Even with a NAS available to offload media, I'd be leery of recommending only 256GB of storage to anyone into gaming. The biggest current titles devour enough that unless you're someone who plays a single game until they get bored and never goes back that you'd be wasting a lot of time un/reinstalling titles because they won't all fit.
it's well balaced if you only look at the core components like CPU, RAM and graphics, but why use an expensive 750w power supply? why use a 240mm radiator for a non-overclocked CPU, when you've got an air cooled graphics card in the same case, making much more noise?
having a clean and quite build is nice and well, but the amount of power the zotac build sacrifices compared to dustin's, while spending loads of money on unnecessary and poorly balanced components just aren't worth it imho.
A quick check at the provided NewEgg link and on the Gigabyte website indicatest that the GA-Z97-HD3 audio solution is the Realtek ALC887 not the 1150. Perhaps the model name is incorrect?
Hi Guys! Sorry that some of you didn't like the Hey Good Looking build. I like a very clean and minimal system and it really looks great to me. I thought had a good balance of storage, speed, and power. I like that the Dustin system uses a ZOTAC 980Ti =) but the ZOTAC 980 Ti AMP! would have been even better! (same selling price)
I would have if it were available when I put it together. :)
I do think it's a drag that your build went in before mine and wasn't able to score a 980 Ti.
I love your build, though. Maybe you and I should collaborate on a build that we can post to both Zotac and Corsair's FBs? I totally understand where you're coming from with yours (say hi to Buu for me!) and think we could put together a system that has both our names on it. :)
Hi Dustin, thank you for picking ZOTAC GTX 980 Ti on your awesome build. yeah, I think building something together is a great idea; let's build a "Dream Machine" and share it on our social media!
Chinny, your system is good, perhaps not as performance oriented as Dustin's, but I for one can't stand running out of disk space, and appreciate the larger SSD. The case, too, it looks sharp, and no one wants an eyesore sitting on his desk! It's nice to see such varied machines with the same price point.
I like your build. I think the 970 is a great GPU for the price and I love that case. I'd probably build something smaller with an ITX build though. Something like below: Processor: 4690K Motherboard: Maximus VII Impact GPU: Asus GTX970 Mini Direct Cu RAM: Vengence Pro 2x8GB Storage: SM951 256GB PSU: Silverstone ST50F-P Case: Silverstone SG13B CPU cooling: Corsair H90 OS: Windows 8.1 64bit OEM Extras: Noctua NF-A14
Cost 1490 total, the PP05-e cables be nice also, but you would go a little over. Get Wifi, ridiculously fast SSD, decent CPU and GPU, all in a very small and quiet package. I have a very large and loud PC built in 08. I am tired of that and value small and quiet very highly.
I like your build! As others have said, looks matter, and yours wins out there. I think I agree with a few of the points said by some - the power supply is certainly good enough for a 4460/970 config, perhaps overly so, and 16GB could be nice (although I personally fall under the "8GB really is fine for gaming" camp but I could be wrong :P). But overall, I like clean and quiet, personally.
I like the concept of your build better than the other one - it's far more balanced all around, and more forward-looking rather than just getting the absolute best CPU/GPU you can get right now and leaving the other parts with the leftover budget.
That said, the choice of CPU/Cooler/Motherboard doesn't seem to mesh well together. If you're going with a non-overclocked CPU, why not save some money and get a non-overclocking motherboard and a cheaper cooler?
Your system is certainly the better looking of the two, and its well balanced for the average person. Both systems are great, just pointed to slightly different audiences.
I actually prefer Chinny's. I think it's the one I would rather build. Though, I would swap down to a 120mm cooler and go to a K CPU along with an AMD card because it, too, is liquid cooled. That way it's still quiet and can OC.
Am I the only one here who genuinely prefers the Zotac build?
I'm a an infrequent gamer, but I've built many systems for all kinds of purposes including heavy gaming. Here are the issues I have with the Corsair build:
- Pairing a 980 Ti with a Corsair CS PSU isn't a configuration I'd feel comfortable delivering to a client, since the majority of them expect 6+ years of use on the non-GPU core components. - From my experience, the single radiator AIO coolers have underperformed cheaper air coolers (I've used the H50/H70/H80/H100) without reducing noise, since the bundled fans aren't great. So it's dual rads or none for me...Zotac got this right with the H100i. - Then there's the chassis...it makes no sense to me why a case for a $1500 build, whatever the end purpose, does not have removable dust filters in the front! These cases are an instant pass whenever I check vendor inventories because they are unusably annoying to maintain. Another point for Zotac here. - And now the biggest, most glaring flaw of the Corsair build...who in their right mind would pick that particular Gigabyte board for an overclocked system? Look at the dinky power delivery on it and tell me that's safe to OC for hours of 4K gaming on end! I would think Dustin would know better than that. Then again, these systems were built to be given away, not for the builders' long term personal use, so I can see why this "detail" was overlooked.
In the other corner, Zotac considered aesthetics, which I can really relate to as someone who builds for others. The client is ALWAYS impressed if the system looks presentable no matter the components, so I take this decision by Zotac a good move for sweepstakes purposes.
Now before anyone calls me a Zotac fanboy or a Corsair hater, I'd like to add that I have never seen a Zotac part in person, let alone used one. However, I have used quite a few Corsair products but can only praise a few...namely the Dominators, AX/AXi PSUs, and Obsidian cases.
My criticisms of the Zotac build mainly lie with the choice of RAM, not so much the amount of RAM, since I still think 8GB is enough for 95% of users including gamers. Dominators are awesome, but they're a luxury product and I wouldn't consider them for budgets under $2500. I would also have swapped the Crucial BX for a Intel 730 SSD of half the capacity only because the 730 is an older, proven reliable design.
The CS power supply is actually pretty beastly. My department keeps track of user feedback on major vendor sites, reporting when people have problems, and it's *extremely* rare to hear someone having an issue with a CS.
The CPU cooler, I'll grant something else might've been a bit quieter. But - and this ties into the motherboard decision - the i5-4690K just isn't a hot, power-hungry chip. The only time heat becomes an issue on that processor is when you're pushing the voltage higher than is safe for the chip in the first place. By the same token, the motherboard has passive cooling on the power delivery, and most boards are grossly overspecced on that front anyhow. The FIVR in Haswell and the clean power from the CSM both heavily mitigate the need for boatloads of high end power delivery on the board. I'd trust it.
That said, I've also internally tested our liquid coolers against competing high end air coolers, and the H80i GT's cooling perf basically starts where air coolers stop. And if I can cool a Titan X with an H55 (and I can, and I have), the comparatively inexpensive H60 is the right choice for the CPU cooler.
Also, I do agree with Chinny and Buu's tack towards aesthetics, which I deprecated in favor of raw performance. I'm happy that the two systems aren't really directly comparable, that they both take different routes to get to the same destination.
You're right that the 4670k is a "relatively not hot/power-hungry chip." But the question then becomes, how much OC can you get out of it on that particular board. I'm guessing we'll see with the upcoming review, but I'm more concerned about long term power quality and stability supplied by that board. Unfortunately, the OC longevity can't be proven by anyone, and that's why I would be hesitant to be the guinea pig.
I must admit I have not used any AIOs since the original H80/H70 since the Noctua NH-D14 prices have been very attractive for a while now. Another reason I am averse to AIOs is the radiator is they are difficult to clean when clogged with dust (again, attention to case filters and long term maintenance), and they dont free up as easily when blown out with air.
The CS power supplies do have many positive user reviews. But please please keep in mind that Corsair is among the most, if not THE most, hyped component/peripheral brands out there. I'm sure you're aware of this. This is made possible by Corsair covering more component/peripheral markets than anyone else, expanding when a successful product gains a foothold in each segment. Many first time builders choose Corsair because of forum advice given out by other inexperienced builders who have tried nothing but Corsair, and the snowball effect continues.
No offense to Corsair as I do like some of their products as mentioned earlier, but I would think that much of the positive feedback is made by fanboys. The CS PSUs as a series is rated rather average across the PSU review sites I trust, and to me, the 3 year warranty is confirmation of that. For a 980 Ti, I think a step up is justified.
Sorry Dustin I don't mean to come off as abrasive toward you or your company. You are certainly more knowledgeable than I ever will be when it comes to computers (my work has nothing to do with computers although I have often thought about case and peripheral design for the fun of it).
I wanted to add that I really did enjoy the article, I think it's a breath of fresh air for AT in a long while. The interviews made the builds a lot more interesting and relevant to those of us without an immediate need for a new system. It reminds me of the days when I read MaximumPC (the physical magazine) before I even knew the difference between memory and storage hehe
You didn't come off as abrasive and your perceptions are valid.
I'd like to think we've earned the fans we have, but I'm keen to point out that people are a bit more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one, especially when it comes to PSUs, which aren't especially sexy products. We sell an absolute mountain of power supplies, more than coolers or cases, but the cases and coolers will often get more reviews because there's more to discuss. A PSU, by and large works or doesn't. So I do see what you're saying.
The 3-year warranty is a totally fair complaint.
I appreciate the respectful engagement. I continually worry about coming off like a PRobot and mentioned that as much to Ian, but the honest truth is the guys designing this stuff are eating their own dog food. I see how the sausage is made and by and large it's pretty good sausage.
Hi Dustin! Chinny! and all the commenters. This article is pretty active and that's really awesome because we had some fun putting it together. Both builds are great and I'd take and use any of them any day. Even better that even some of you are even taking the challenge to configuring your own build.
Namely, he does not OC that much, so the basic one where we can play with bclk or leaving it stock is fine.
Then picked an evga 980 ti ACX 2.0 superclock, again not so much OCer, but with just the basic cooling from acx 2.0 it is rock solid and can hit 1500 core if he is lucky.
Cheapest memory, case, mobo that had some features and mixed storage of SSD + hdd.
Then I made sure to pick a nice 80+ plat 650W psu to power this relatively hungry setup.
I like Dustin's build, except for only having a 240 GB SSD. Game installs take ridiculous amounts of space. Zotac's 500 GB drive is a lot better in that respect. It'd be painful, but I'd drop down from the i5-4960k + H60 to an i5-4460 + stock cooler and give up overclocking for a bigger SSD.
I also question the value of using DDR3-1866 vs DDR3-1600 in both builds.
Nice addition to Anandtech. While this is the first episode, I would like to suggest things.
Since there would be too many options and intentions, it seems better if we could specify the requirements so that contestants will have some direction. To iterate, when we build something for a user, we ask for the usage and desires together with the budget.
Will it be for gaming, workstation, or both? HTPC? Servers? Virtual Machines? Huge storage? Which applications and games?
Additionally, I believe that resolution and refresh rates should be set, RAM and storage size. In gaming, specify which games and image quality settings are compulsory for the build. It is up to the contestant to research and test the build for these games depending on their priorities.
We specified this build as $1500 single monitor gaming, and left it at that. It was up to the entrant to decide if that was 1080p, 1440p or 4K, or if that meant steambox type arrangements or hardcore PC type builds. We specify budget and direction, and the rest is up to them. That means they have to consider the audience they're building for, and design appropriately. If we lock it down too much, we end up with minor variations of case, CPU and GPU.
If you've got an idea for a future budget / build aim, e.g. $700 HTPC, let me know. I'm compiling a list of what people are requesting for future rounds of the project.
Not so much requesting but merely suggesting that the already proposed 'console' idea gets a more separate field or the HTPC needs Audio as a required component.
For me HTPC means showing exactly that, Home Theater and would be stuck at 4 requirements: - Playback video - Audio delivery - Design - Storage
$700 is rather high (considering my now old HTPC of €350) for just a htpc build, the upgrade to 4K (don't have, but it can barely do that) is minimal on that. You'll need a full Home Theater build (including audio approach i.m.o.) to make it interesting on $700.
If you'd expand that direction towards a Console HTPC, as gamer1000k did, regardles of budget for the competition, you'll have a direction that can go many ways. You define the TV and state: "Budget X and build a console HTPC for this TV. Room has couch, go fill!"
With the same $1500, gamer1000k will now have a (close to) perfect console, but no way to listen to music except the earplugs his phone brought with him ;) That may make the overall competition more challenging as I'm afraid this current setup will see a lot of i5 4660/4760K etc cores combined with 960/970/980 selections.
Sorry, obvious the TV has some speakers but no self-respecting movie fan will disagree you need more than that ;) so in advance, yes gamer1000k could also listen through the TV!
I wish that the Build-A-Rig contest was champion format, with the previous winner returning to face the new challenger, that way I get to see Dustin kick everyones' asses as the perennial champ.
Thanks for the catch! I wrote some of this offline while travelling and didn't have immediate access to the data, then didn't see it on the copy edit runs. I found two of the missing bits of info - any more let me know. :)
Chinny gets my vote for personality, build looks and overall fun, Dustin gets my vote for Tech Knowledge and Choice of hardware... as a gamer I'd have to admit I'd rather have Dustin's build , overclocking ability, more ram and the 980ti over the faulted 970 any day of the week. Sorry Chinny, we still love you and hope to see ya soon again at PDXlan! -OregonSlacker aka Shane Dickson
Yeah...I totally agree; I would like to go for the GTX 980 Ti AMP if it was available while we finished the build. I love Dustin's too; hopefully I will see you guys soon! 😊
Both builds are quite nice, but Dustin's seems to have a more cohesive selection of components with the nice 4690k-980ti pair powered by a reasonable 650W PSU, with 16GB of ram for about the same price as Good Lookin's 8GB. An H100i might be overkill for Good Lookin's non-overclocking CPU (save $30-$40 here!), and the PSU may never quite make use of its larger wattage, but Zotac's build does seem to fulfill its cool, quiet minimalist goals.
Single Channel DDR3-1600 C11 DRAM to start? Though it's an interesting component selection. The 80 Bronze is suitable though is a lower rating than the ones used by Corsair and Zotac. I'd stick in 16GB 2133 and 500GB SSD there, see how close that takes you to the budget. Obviously for the BAR project, we're working in association with Newegg for pricing.
The games I play the most on a daily basis are DOTA2, LOL, CSGO, TF2, some indie games, and occasional AAA titles. The GTX970 is more than enough for my use, and this OC version has the same performance as the GTX980. I also prefer the after market triple fan coolers, as it will keep my card at much lower temp compared to the reference 980Ti blower type cooler. Not to say the 980Ti is not a beast, but when you crank up the graphic settings on demanding games the 980Ti single fan really speeds up and and it can get quite hot and noisy.
I also enjoy the 500GB SSD path, as it more of a realistic everyday gaming PC which I can enjoy storing much more games/data.
I also like the appeal consideration of this gaming system, to include cable wraps and accent lighting and see through side window. This makes my gaming PC not an eye sore.
Overall, I like the Zotac system because it is much more of a "balanced" system. It may not win in a toe to toe comparison against the 980Ti beast, but it is definitely suitable for a everyday gamer like myself.
OEM version vs Full version. Full comes with 32-bit and 64-bit, also longer support. OEM is designed for single machines from SIs only, so is sold as 32-bit or 64-bit with only a year of support.
ok, first off, i'm not surprised that dustin's rig comes out ahead, what's surprising though is how far ahead it comes out.
squeezing a 980ti into the budget is a great start and i think he's right saying a 1500$ single screen rig should be able to run a 4k resolution. even with throwing almost half the budget on a single component he still manages to include a great CPU, tons of storage, while not really skimping on the rest of the components.
compared to that, the zotac build is almost a joke. a gtx 970 in a 1500 rig seems almost aneamic next to dustin's 980ti and they manage to significantly downgrade the CPU and RAM as well, without saving more than a just couple bucks. but somehow this non-overclocked CPU has to be expensiveley water cooled with a 240mm radiator...
it's also funny how dustin manages to drive a 980ti and an overclocked 5690k with a 650w PSU, while the zotac build throws in an oversized and overprized 750w PSU for a much lesser build.
reading the interview it starts to make a bit more sense, with the zotac marketing guys "not really being gamers" and using tablets and iphones for their everyday stuff.
thinking about it i can still only shake my head looking at the zotac build and unless dustin's rig catches fire, i think we already know the winner of this round.
I wouldn't knock Chinny and Buu's rig, they made decisions that went in a different direction than mine but are no less valid.
They focused less on absolute performance and more on overall experience. They wanted something that looked great and would run quietly, and I guarantee you their build is quieter than mine. The H100i seems a bit like overkill, but those fans will *never* have to spin up. Likewise, overspeccing on the PSU isn't necessarily a bad thing as again, that PSU's fan will almost never have to spin up.
I also have to give them props for thinking to include a way to actually *install* their copy of Windows, which I missed. ;)
The Zotac rig is a nice build. Those extra's really sharpen it up, and a 500gb drive is a good choice. That being said, I do like Corsair's CPU cooler and will be looking into that Carbide 200 for my next build.
Great write up and fun article, Anandtech. Looking forward to more of these in the future.
This looks interesting, I hope to see a bunch of different perspectives on computer builds with different companies representing each build. One thing I don't like about other site build-a-thons is the tendency for the competitors to make unrealistic builds since the winners are based purely on performance. A system where $1000 was spent on GPUs and only $80 storage may benchmark well, but it's completely impractical. Things that don't have good benchmark measures still have practical value to consumers (like the space savings of ITX compared to EATX), and I will be interested to see how Anandtech accounts such things in the competition.
As most people are saying, Dustin's system is way more performant. If I were to go for a 970 I'd probably try to get a 5820k in there, something like this: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jbGDsY I don't really like the looks of Chinny's system either, though the lower noise is attractive.
I personally prefer Chinny's build as a more balanced approach that acknowledges acoustics and cabling, but I admit it's a very tough choice and Dustin's specs are appealing from a performance perspective. For me, it's a wash on CPUs since overclocking doesn't matter at all to me and I think either processor is enough for any modern games. 8GB of RAM is something of a liability that will loom larger in the near future and I admit that I think 16GB is a wiser choice. The GPU is important, but I can't see 4k gaming actually adding value. It strikes me as resolution for the sake of resolution so I wouldn't consider the GPU difference very relevant. What ends up making the decision for me is storage. A 500GB SSD is a ton more useful when games regularly require well over 50GB. I'd rather have to keep the resolution down a little than juggle titles or purchase a some sort of additional storage right away.
Dustin's system needs a HDD... But I'm baffled by the sudden notion that all games *must* be installed on NAND flash... (not to pick in your post in particular)
There's games where load times don't even change dramatically because the bottleneck is at the CPU/GPU unpacking compressed stuff, and even if that isn't the case, I'd probably put just about everything else over load times (aesthetics, noise, fps, etc) if that's the last thing to get cut on a budget.
That being said, I'm about to replace my 2x128GB SSD for a 1TB (possibly two later) so I can move everything I use with any frequency to flash. :p
Die HDDs die! I just don't think it'd be my priority over most other things, specially since it's one of the easier things to address down the road AND one area where prices are highly volatile. Case in point, the 500GB 850 EVO currently floating over $160...
I'd expect more price drops with everyone else getting into TLC/3D NAND and PCI-E/M2 drives taking over the premium sector.
In short: An i5-4690k + GTX 970 system with 500GB SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD and quiet air cooling. Threw in a blu-ray drive and spare 140mm fan. $1501.70 (before $15 shipping). A nice all around system with a bit more storage space.
Sorry, but Zotac's build is complitely not thought-out, even nonsensical. Non-K, low clocked i5 with 970 is fine with me, only in an under $1K setup. Major flaws are: overpriced z97 board for non-K CPU, overpriced, overpowered PSU (bear in mind PSUs got a bracket when they hit their top efficiency), no point in non-K CPU watercooling when GPU stays aircooled (will be a weak point when gaming, my personal wish is to see one day GPUs with quiet, double 12cm fans for affordable price). RAM is also over the top, nice looking but You could find something cheaper, faster and still esthetic. Basically Zotac rig looks like designed by someone who never owned a PC, but rather works in funeral home. At least put some white or red or blue for contrast for Christ's sake?
You sir sound like a typical inexperienced builder with an inflated ego. The Zotac build has many upsides and If you can't see them, of course you will favor the raw performance capabilities of the Corsair build.
Are You trolling Me or what? What exactly are those upsides, other than aesthetics? Where did I mention favoring Corsair rig? Actually havn't looked at Corsair design that much, just noticed that after lots of deliberation and for slightly over 1K, I managed to build a PC with 4690K and 970, I just would not justify nearly 500$ or 33% more for PCs looks. Yes, Corsair's choice is not optimal, but I was reffering to Zotac's build. It could be done better, also it will be too dark inside if You plan to show it off. And watercooling a 88W CPU is waste of money when GPU stays cooled with 10cm high speed fans in a gaming PC.
For a pure gaming rig at that cost I'd probably go a slightly different route but there's nothing terribly wrong with either Dustin's or Chinny's builds. I'll try to add an actual parts list in later but for now this is probably what I would look for in a $1500 gaming build:
Case: Inexpensive but not rinky-dink. I'd probably want to spend between $80-$100 here. MB: Socket 1150 for the CPU. There are a lot of things to consider here but most of them are desired rather than required. I'd put an upper limit of about $150 here but would hope to spend a bit less, maybe $120 or so. CPU: Intel i5-4690K. No question. It hits the sweet spot for the price and desired use. CPU Cooler: Air for sure; maybe a Cryorig R1? I'd rather not drop down to a 212+ but there's not a whole lot of good options in the $40-$60 range I'd like to be in for this build. RAM: 2x4GB DDR3-1866 is actually a very good choice for this build although there are cheaper options even if you stay with Corsair. Expect about $60 for this. GPU: GTX 980. A 970 is to low and a 980ti is too high for 1440p on mid/low or 1080p on high which is about where I'd expect to be in this price range and the cost difference is also about right with a decent 980 such as the ASUS Strix coming in at around $500. SSD: Go with a 500GB one. Seriously. Steam. 'nuff said. If this wasn't a gaming computer then 256GB would be plenty. $200ish should do the trick. PSU: 600W should be plenty but this is one area where I would definitely ask about expected upgrade plans as the addition of a second GTX 980 card a year later would probably demand a bigger PSU and I'd rather get that now instead of having to upgrade both components simultaneously. Optical Drive: Get one. $20 for a regular DVD super-multi or splurge on a blu-ray if it's something important to you. OS: Win7 OEM. Why bother with anything more?
A comment about the RAM since I know someone will ask - as a gamer with a recently built $2000+ computer who only put 2x4GB in it, I haven't needed more. A good chunk of my gaming is triple-A titles and I even keep a browser open on the second monitor sometimes with a few tabs open and not once has memory been an issue or even close to an issue for me. That said, I also work in IT and my laptop at work most assuredly has 12GB of RAM so I can run a VM with Win10 and at that point even 12GB is the minimum I'd want just to run one VM at a time. Likewise, if I streamed my gaming to Twitch or did other RAM intensive stuff I would probably want more than 8GB but the posted design specifications for this contest did not mention any of that kind of thing so for a pure gamer I think 8GB is fine.
And here's what I came up with. I've set everything to override to Newegg prices and everything else on the checklist should be good as well. One question I couldn't find a mention of is shipping
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($93.04 @ Newegg) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($161.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card ($519.99 @ Newegg) Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg) Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg) Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1512.95
Comments: The NH-D15 is probably overkill for the amount of overclocking most people making this computer would bother with but that also means you can run it at lower RPMs most of the time. A 550W PSU should be just about perfect for this build but if you're worried that overclocking will require more then you could bumpt up to the 650W version of the same PSU for just $10 more. If you're looking at the total cost and saying "It's over $1500", well, unlike some people, I included an optical drive and besides, it's still well within the 3% margin and you could build this for significantly less if you bought some items from other vendors such as NCIX. Or you could drop to the CoolerMaster 212 Evo CPU cooler if you're still worried about staying within budget.
The Thermalright TRUE Spirits have been around for a few years and are often overlooked, but for precisely $45-55 they perform much closer to the premium $70+ HSF units than a $30 212+.
I may give those a try at some point. Went over some reviews of them and as usual in the air cooling segment nobody can seem to agree on how good they actually are but at least nobody thinks they're terrible. Most of the reviews seemed to put it at least as good if not slightly better than the 212 Evo and some reviews were much better. Doyll from overclock recommended them which is usually a good sign.
Wanted Chinny to win, but Dustin's choice of components is going to win from a performance standpoint. Although I think Chinny's will be the nicer looking of the two.
My thoughts: -GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK is a mistake, $140 is too much for a motherboard, you can get similar for $90 -CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866, $84 is too much better to buy this kit "ADATA XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 " for $43
Buying K processors and Z motherboards is also a mistake because that is the way today's customers are being cheated into paying more just so they have the option to raise the max frequency to an unspecified one. And that is not why people first started to overclock.
Loved the article. IMO while performance wise Dustin's build is great, I think the days where computers are an ugly beast should be over. So I'm more aligned with Chinny's philosophy of building, even if it could use some improvement.
Since the Fury launch I been wondering how small can you go with that kind of performance on Mini-ITX. Is a build like this possible?
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Pro 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler Motherboard: MSI Z97I AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.99 @ SuperBiiz) Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($104.99 @ Micro Center) Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Adorama) Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 Fury X 4GB Video Card ($676.93 @ Amazon) Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center) Power Supply: Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($87.47 @ Amazon) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC) Total: $1537.33 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-09 18:27 EDT-0400
I know that the Thermaltake Core V1 can accomodate Fury's water pump mounting it on the front instead of the 200mm fan. This would make a sweet looking machine and silent as well.
I've been interested in ITX form factors since VIA had acquired Cyrix and the IDT Winchip teams to sell their low-power C3 processors on Epia motherboards. They were sort of leading the charge for "adequate performing" low heat/noise/power computing in the first half of the last decade. Since the Atom came around, I used a Zotac motherboard with the ION chipset and an Atom 330. It was a fun little bite-sized system that I loved for how well it worked as a carryable system for LAN parties. While I think the Fury X isn't quite there yet because it requires you find space someplace for the watercooler which ultimate makes the card about the same total size as any other modern, high-end GPU, I'm excited to see what HBM can do to help more practical, cost-effective GPUs that are smaller, half-height cards cooled with a small HSF or can run with just a passive heatsink.
I have removed some inappropriate and overall completely sad posts from the article. This is not Tinder; if you wish to continue being able to post comments, please behave like an adult.
BAM! 1496 after rebate (1554 before rebates) covers the essentials, but i believe with an i7 after dx12 becomes more prevelant, the extra threads may be more useful in a gaming capacity. 8gb of well reviewed ddr3 1600, 250gb 850 evo also well reviewed, but better yet, a non-reference 980 ti (and one of the best out right now)! the only downside is that you will have to use windows 10 tech insider for the forseable future (or until find a sale to move to retail license) but since m$ is being ms and letting you beta test past RTM there isn't a huge issue, as ive been testing mine on a rig only a little beefier than the one here with no issues well BEFORE RTM... and here you go! http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g6sfZL (oh did i forget to mention the sexy new design r5 is in there :-p along with an h100i to keep you i7 nice and cool while oc'd ;))
Hmm, only 2 competitors in the race, this is boring, its like soccer league with 2 teams.
About rigs im very disappointed - i would not recommend such build to my friends, Dustin build - is strongly crippled by only 240 GB disk=> whole machine for real user is joke, sorry but gaming computer in 2015 with 240 GB storage- you could have installed up to 5 games - great experience. Other build is very boring without any interesting idea with lots gimmicks included and as icing is there noisy Zotac G970..
There should be more competition later in other budget brackets in the same format if I understand how things are supposed to be setup, but comparing more than two computers from two different companies might get pretty complicated to keep track of from a reader perspective and tougher to present in a single article. Besides, this isn't supposed to be an out-for-blood competition. It's more just for fun and a great way to stage a hardware giveaway so try not to take it too seriously.
Besides that, I really like how both Corsair and Zotac are able to reach out to their customers through this competition. Lots of us aren't surprised to see Dustin interacting in the comments section given his history with Anandtech in the past, but it's great to know other companies like Zotac are willing to interact with and listen to potential buyers on a personal level that goes beyond just marketing material, RMA support, and the stuff written on the outside of a product box.
Was really looking forward to these series of contests, and not just for the giveaway either. Ya'll didn't disappoint. The interview segment is great and really humanizes what would otherwise be a more sterile affair; keep this up! major kudos to Anandtech, Zotac and Corsair. I'm honestly really excited about these competitions, woo hoo!
As far as crowning a champ, a lot of people posting in these comments are taking a very narrow view of what constitutes a "winner". I really appreciate that Dustin and Chinny/Buu took different approaches and both had portions of their builds that I would incorporate, and other parts that I would never touch. Specifically:
- I treat my computer chassis much like monitors, so I keep them for ~7-10 years and they sit ON my desk. This also means I am extremely concerned with noise and will not tolerate 50dB, much less the annoying whine & whoosh of blower reference gpus. With that in mind, no way would I ever buy the low-end cases recommended here. If Chinny or Dustin went that route, they'd get crucified in the comments by people favoring a different case so of course they went cheap. However, I'll bet a lot of us Anandtech readers spend over $100 on our cases. It might cost more the first time out, but it saves dollars the next time around when we don't need to upgrade our cheap-o POS. Similarly, I liked Chinny's cabling upgrades to keep things nice 'n' neat because that's something I'd do with my build (even though I'm not too fond of windows which, combined, probably causes conflict with some folk's sensibilities). Her choice of mobo & 750w PSU is major overkill tho, and wastes ~$70-90 that coulda gone elsewhere.
- I wouldn't consider building a 4k system for another 2-3 years because, for my tastes, it's currently too expensive versus the enjoyment I'd get out of spending that money on an overseas vacation or one of the upcoming VR headsets. This is the same reason I never built a 3-monitor or 3d gaming setup. Early adopters pay top $$ and often get burned. But that's just my opinon, and with 4k becoming more and more affordable, it's great to see Dustin tapping into the new Triplehead/Eyefinity/3d Surround.
- I really like gamer100k's build as a different approach, but it's horribly deficient for my noise-sensitive tastes. I LOVE the case, but a gtx 980ti in that thing is gonna be a jet engine. The tiny ssd and 8GB of RAM are also deal-breakers.
Without digging through newegg, if it was my rig, I wouldn't need a case or PSU so I'd save right there. I'd also settle for nothing less than:
- 16GB RAM - gtx 970 (great for now, saves money for a huge upgrade when something new hits in 2016-17) - 500GB ssd - 2TB hdd (local storage trumps NAS/media server, which I'd still have anyhow) - closed-loop cpu cooler
i shelled out for an i7, 16 gb of ram and a 720 psu in 2012 and right not NONE of it looks dated in fact i am shoehorning in a strix 980 ti and a 612 pwm soon also i think 1080p is fine when i've yet to see a review truly push everything down to aa and ao and whatnot
Ehh, the $50 in cables and lights might look cool to some, but stock cables are arguably neater since they're easier to route and tug taunt...
The whole braided cable trend still goes over my head, back in the day we worked our butts off to fold or cut/round PATA cables so we wouldn't have large flat cables sticking out... Now people go out of their way to even stick combs into individually braided runs so it lays flat and visible.
I'm not knocking the choice in the name of aesthetics, I've done things in that vein that probably seem silly to others too, I just don't personally get why it's fashionable.
Cable braiding started as a trend for individual odd colored cables you couldn't mask any other way (like a fan's), the aftermarket PSU cable replacements just seem like the closest thing to bling inside a desktop.
i focused my current build on mainly workstation performance which means good CPU and RAM so normal parts were used mainly because I see nothing wrong with them (yes i have kingmax memory) but the important things had no expense spared: CPU: i7 2600 - should and does give me tons of futureproof upgrade options w/o bottlenecks RAM: 16 GB 1333mhz - who cares what brand it is if it works... GPU: GTX 560 1GB (Seems insuffient for me at the time but coming from a 9500 GT I left it) HDD: 1TB 7200 rpm Primary and whatever else it has accumulated over the years (MANY TB) CASE: TT V4 Black - not too fussed here PSU: 720W E720 - I felt the 500 odd watt psu included was not enough, but If it works...
current state: GTX 560 failed due to I suspect the workloads I've been giving it so GT 730 1GB 64 bit DDR3 is whats in my pc now until my STRIX GTX 980 Ti arrives Having now accumulated many TB of hard drives I still feel that I am safe with a 720W peak psu CPU is fine but stock cooler has to go... in goes a 612 pwm
Changes that I would've like: Maybe a better PSU A standard ATX MB vs the Micro-ATX that was included
Not to be mean, but Dustin's Build absolutely demolishes Chinny's. I own a 970, but the 980 ti is nearly twice as powerful. Additionally, the i5 is somewhat better. If you guys do benchmarks, I would expect Dustin's to be 60-80% more powerful, and for the same price!
I find some of the choices in both builds kind of odd. Namely, storage seems a bit light in both - even the 500 GB SSD. 500 GB is plenty for games, but who among us doesn't us our gaming PCs for other things? In the real world, it's a little crazy not to spend $50-$100 to add a hard drive to the SSD for bulk storage of photos, videos, and music that almost everyone does store, and make the PC a lot more versatile for a very small outlay. Yeah, it cuts into the $1500 budget, but isn't this supposed to be about realistic builds?
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($118.88 @ OutletPC) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($242.98 @ Newegg) Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($242.98 @ Newegg) Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($187.04 @ Newegg) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC) Total: $1404.64 -> $1506 without rebates Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 09:35 EDT-0400
Of course crossfire performance might vary, but on average you should get better performance than both their builds. Right now r9 290 are stupidly cheap while still yielding very good performance. Even if CF is not working you still have a really good card, nearly on par with the gtx 970.
If I wanted to stick with Chinni's build I would get an Evo as cpu cooler for 30$, a good seasonic 620 Bronze PSU for 80$, a cheaper MOBO for 90$ and save on those 70$ of niceties, saving 240$ and getting the exact same performance.
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3ogdy - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I loved it! There's one thing I found ironic, though: Chinny Chuang's given her build the name "Hey good lookin'", while using an NZXT S340 case, which is basically a black box with transparent side panel. Ehm.....what? :) She could've used something like this http://goo.gl/tDzmjI and it would've been just about the same and much much cheaper. (basically FREE, for that matter).dakishimesan - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I really like the case she chose:http://cdn.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/...
http://oi59.tinypic.com/6430qv.jpg
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rexzW3MAulU/maxresdefault.jp...
Visual - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
She didn't name the config after the case, she named it after herself. You could obviously announce the winner of this round already from the photos on the first page.mr_tawan - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Well mounting components on the cardboard box could have been more expensive than buying a chasis :-).Seriously I think the case is pretty good on showing how the components inside looks, just like a jewel case.
crimson117 - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Can you please post a table of the two configs side by side for comparison?Brazos - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
2nd that motionAchaios - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Although Chinnie is a cutie and I hate to vote against her (sry Chinnie), my vote for the best gaming system goes to Dustin.Dustin hit the nail on the head with the 980TI, the k CPU and the 16GB RAM. I think Dustin "gets it".
Chinnie's errors: Non-K CPU, means no CPU overclocking - 8 GB is insufficient for a gaming rig (I know b/c I am using 8 GB RAM too and I cba to change it which leads to petty inconveniences.) - GTX 970 GPU instead of a GTX 980 or 980Ti. I would avoid a GTX 970 (no need to explain why).
As for my System Upgrade philosophy: I upgrade motherboard, RAM, CPU and storage every 4-5 years and GPU every 2 years, which means that within the average lifetime of a rig I would upgrade the GPU twice. Cheers.
Gyro231995 - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
The 4690k is $50 more expensive than her choice, the 4460. That, with the water cooling, will make a quiet build. The Z97 motherboard will allow for SLI later on.The water cooling also looks pretty nice. I would rather a 212 Evo and get the 4690k, but the Evo really isn't a pretty cooler.
8GB is fine if you don't have a bunch of stuff in the background while gaming.
Are you still hung up on the 3.5GB thing? Seriously? It's the best she could have gotten on budget; it is easy to suggest a pricier card but it is hard to fit it in budget and keep the general theme.
I agree that Dustin's build is better but it seems like you are ignoring the theme of Chinnie's. It isn't straight out performance; it is good performance with good looks.
In a world where value is kind, neither builds are perfect. Fortunately this competition is hardly a locked down, rule burdened competition. It is cool to see both builders explore what can be done in budget.
Sammaul - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Both of you are correct. Point of fact, I see nothing wrong with either of these builds, aside from the fact that both pretty much left out all peripherals....if you were building a new rig from scratch, never having a gaming rig before....proper keyboard, mouse, and controller(if you use one) are a must at minimum. But Chinnie's build is just fine at 1440, and will work with a Rift. Dustin's is without a doubt more future proof...Impulses - Monday, July 13, 2015 - link
She did waste $50+ in stuff that adds nothing but aesthetics... Not that I hold that against her, I care enough about how my PC looks to match RAM/mobo colors and things like that. I still keep a cold cathode inside it for that matter and I chose a Phanteks HSF over a Noctua largely because of aesthetics (but also a $30 price difference after MIR). I recognize not everyone's gonna care for that but those differences are what's gonna make an exercise like this interesting.Gigaplex - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
"Although Chinnie is a cutie"How is that in any way relevant to this competition?
jay401 - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
He's offering a compliment to the team he isn't going to go with before he explains why he went with the one he did. End of story. Let's discuss hardware.Valantar - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
Seconded.Morawka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
she wasted all her money on a 500gb ssd, that was the 1st mistake, 2nd one was PSU and 3rd was all the blinged up cables..waldojim42 - Monday, July 13, 2015 - link
Neither was a waste. While there are gamers that prefer nothing more than raw power, some prefer a good looking machine as well. Also, I hate having a small SSD. I will readily give up some performance that I am not using (4k means nothing to someone without a 4k display) to have the game LOAD quicker. I won't notice the difference between 100 and 200fps playing Fallout, but I will notice the 5 second VS 45 second load times.xthetenth - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Why would you ever consider getting a 970 instead of a 980 a mistake? The 970 may have issues but it also delivers vastly better performance per dollar than the 980. By going with a 970 instead of a 980, you get slightly less performance but free up a lot of room to make other things better.Aikouka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I don't think the omission of a K-series processor is a big deal. Unless I missed it on one of the earlier pages (I did skim a little), this is just a straight-up test. Obviously, if it included overclocking, then the K-series processor would win. Although, without a K-series processor, there's really very little need to go with a Z-series motherboard -- unless it has extra features that you need. Although, I'm assuming that Chinnie's use of a Z-series board has more to do with the fact that they tend to get the most visual upgrades given their higher price points. An $80 B-series or H-series motherboard doesn't usually present much bling factor!As for 8GB, I don't see it as too much of an issue depending on how the machine is used. Games can chew up a decent amount of RAM, but I see the most RAM use going to web browsers due to their insane desire to cache *everything* (including previously-viewed pages and closed tabs). I've gone as high as 9GB in Waterfox, before I closed it due to excessive background CPU usage, which causes video stuttering. (I use 32GB in my system.)
needforsuv - Saturday, July 11, 2015 - link
i feel a i7 4790k would've been a better option (over Dusin's build)-$100 but given sockets change like crazy...
-$10 change the gpu to a Zotac Amp for better cooling
+$18 change the ssd for 2TB of HDD (seagate is a gamble but its cheap)
+$10 drop down to a TT V4
+$20 G Skill Value Ram 1600
+$30 212 Evo
+$15 Thermaltake TR2 Bronze
$17 over but hey
JBVertexx - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Forget either one of these Rigs. I want Dustin's!Seriously, the 980ti takes the cake. Too bad the Newegg system builder's marathon for this quarter didn't see this build.
extide - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Huh..? Dustin's IS one of these rigs..DanNeely - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
He's talking about Dustin's personal rig (middle of page 2); which puts both of these systems to shame (and for what it cost should do so): I7-5960, SLI 980s (all 3 water cooled), 2.5 GB of SSDs, and a 34" 3440x1400 monitor.JBVertexx - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I mean his personal rig, as described on page 2.GeorgeH - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
For those wondering where the extra money went:CPU/Motherboard - Wash
Extras + OS -> Zotac spent $100 more
Chassis, CPU Cooling, PSU -> Zotac spent $100 more
SSD -> Zotac spent $100 More
Corsair used that $300 to go from the $370 970 to the $640 980 Ti. Corsair also found 16GB of RAM for the same price as Zotac's 8GB.
gamer1000k - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Thanks for the shout out of my build that I posted on the previous thread.You're right, I did have to make some compromises on DRAM and storage to keep it under budget, but I'm trying to be realistic in terms of what current games actually need to maximize performance. Very few programs in general will use even 8GB and this is a focused gaming rig intended as a console replacement so it's not intended for heavy multitasking or virtual machines.
An alternate configuration that I toyed with would have used the Silverstone RVZ01B (which is $40 cheaper) and would free up enough budget for 16GB DRAM, but I figured that memory (and storage) is easy to upgrade later, whereas a nice case is something you'll likely keep for much longer.
atl - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Why overkill 750W on a system, which barely will go over 250, most games will drain under or around 200.100HI on non-K I5...
970 instead r9 290 - only way is to save power, which is not case when you have 750W PSU, also less memory on 970.
Corsair rig could use few fixes - for pure gaming, i would shave off from cpu and use more storage
Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Well, I mean we're still Corsair. We want you to overclock your stuff and we want you to use our coolers to do it. ;)Bobberr - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
You guys should make something to compete with swiftech's AIO's. Would buy in a heartbeat if they were actually available, unlike the h220/220x.Akrovah - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I second this. I love the look of the H100i (plus it matches my Graphite 600t), but if I went liquid cooling I would want to splice my GPU in without having to go DIY or having a separate radiator and fans for the GPU.Gigaplex - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
The Zotac system is poorly balanced all round.Drumsticks - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I wouldn't call it poorly balanced. It maybe could be improved in some places, but by and large, I imagine a 4460 and a GTX 970 will keep each other well fed for what they do. You could certainly say some money could come off of the cooler and you could arguably still have a quiet system. The only thing that might have been over the top for the build is the power supply, which could stand to go down some. It's again though, possible that the low load is contributing to a quiet system, which was ofc the point of the build!DanNeely - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
If anything, I'd say Chinny's system is better balanced. Dustin went all in for FPS at the expense of everyone else (brilliantly pandering to the commentariat); but a 970 is enough to run most of the eye candy at 1440p and more or less max everything out at 1080p. The only thing I'd critique Chinny's build for is only going with 8gb of ram; but that's easy enough to fix while staying in budget (OEM windows, or no USB-DVD, or no light kit, or etc) or in an after the fact upgrade. Dustin's undersized SSD is a bigger problem and doesn't present as easy of an option to fix. Even with a NAS available to offload media, I'd be leery of recommending only 256GB of storage to anyone into gaming. The biggest current titles devour enough that unless you're someone who plays a single game until they get bored and never goes back that you'd be wasting a lot of time un/reinstalling titles because they won't all fit.ImSpartacus - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Dustin said that a "single monitor" meant that it had to do 4k.Given the 4k requirement, he configured his system well.
However, if single monitor means 1440p, then it's overkill.
fokka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
it's well balaced if you only look at the core components like CPU, RAM and graphics, but why use an expensive 750w power supply? why use a 240mm radiator for a non-overclocked CPU, when you've got an air cooled graphics card in the same case, making much more noise?having a clean and quite build is nice and well, but the amount of power the zotac build sacrifices compared to dustin's, while spending loads of money on unnecessary and poorly balanced components just aren't worth it imho.
ImSpartacus - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Dustin Sklavos is my spirit animal.Qrash - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
A quick check at the provided NewEgg link and on the Gigabyte website indicatest that the GA-Z97-HD3 audio solution is the Realtek ALC887 not the 1150. Perhaps the model name is incorrect?http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?...
Chinny Chuang - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Hi Guys! Sorry that some of you didn't like the Hey Good Looking build. I like a very clean and minimal system and it really looks great to me. I thought had a good balance of storage, speed, and power. I like that the Dustin system uses a ZOTAC 980Ti =) but the ZOTAC 980 Ti AMP! would have been even better! (same selling price)dakishimesan - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Looks matter, and I like your build very much.Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I would have if it were available when I put it together. :)I do think it's a drag that your build went in before mine and wasn't able to score a 980 Ti.
I love your build, though. Maybe you and I should collaborate on a build that we can post to both Zotac and Corsair's FBs? I totally understand where you're coming from with yours (say hi to Buu for me!) and think we could put together a system that has both our names on it. :)
Chinny Chuang - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Hi Dustin, thank you for picking ZOTAC GTX 980 Ti on your awesome build. yeah, I think building something together is a great idea; let's build a "Dream Machine" and share it on our social media!Tchamber - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
Chinny, your system is good, perhaps not as performance oriented as Dustin's, but I for one can't stand running out of disk space, and appreciate the larger SSD. The case, too, it looks sharp, and no one wants an eyesore sitting on his desk! It's nice to see such varied machines with the same price point.timslin101 - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I like your build. I think the 970 is a great GPU for the price and I love that case. I'd probably build something smaller with an ITX build though.Something like below:
Processor: 4690K
Motherboard: Maximus VII Impact
GPU: Asus GTX970 Mini Direct Cu
RAM: Vengence Pro 2x8GB
Storage: SM951 256GB
PSU: Silverstone ST50F-P
Case: Silverstone SG13B
CPU cooling: Corsair H90
OS: Windows 8.1 64bit OEM
Extras: Noctua NF-A14
Cost 1490 total, the PP05-e cables be nice also, but you would go a little over.
Get Wifi, ridiculously fast SSD, decent CPU and GPU, all in a very small and quiet package. I have a very large and loud PC built in 08. I am tired of that and value small and quiet very highly.
Drumsticks - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I like your build! As others have said, looks matter, and yours wins out there. I think I agree with a few of the points said by some - the power supply is certainly good enough for a 4460/970 config, perhaps overly so, and 16GB could be nice (although I personally fall under the "8GB really is fine for gaming" camp but I could be wrong :P). But overall, I like clean and quiet, personally.Mr. Beige - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I like the concept of your build better than the other one - it's far more balanced all around, and more forward-looking rather than just getting the absolute best CPU/GPU you can get right now and leaving the other parts with the leftover budget.That said, the choice of CPU/Cooler/Motherboard doesn't seem to mesh well together. If you're going with a non-overclocked CPU, why not save some money and get a non-overclocking motherboard and a cheaper cooler?
hulu - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
With a Z97 motherboard you can upgrade the computer to a GTX 970 SLI setup. The power supply seems to be selected with this in mind as well.Stuka87 - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Your system is certainly the better looking of the two, and its well balanced for the average person. Both systems are great, just pointed to slightly different audiences.Sushisamurai - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
It's a good build Chinny!losergamer04 - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
I actually prefer Chinny's. I think it's the one I would rather build. Though, I would swap down to a 120mm cooler and go to a K CPU along with an AMD card because it, too, is liquid cooled. That way it's still quiet and can OC.fokka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
with a k CPU and a liquid cooled fury x you would have a quite similar build to dustin's though.etamin - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Am I the only one here who genuinely prefers the Zotac build?I'm a an infrequent gamer, but I've built many systems for all kinds of purposes including heavy gaming. Here are the issues I have with the Corsair build:
- Pairing a 980 Ti with a Corsair CS PSU isn't a configuration I'd feel comfortable delivering to a client, since the majority of them expect 6+ years of use on the non-GPU core components.
- From my experience, the single radiator AIO coolers have underperformed cheaper air coolers (I've used the H50/H70/H80/H100) without reducing noise, since the bundled fans aren't great. So it's dual rads or none for me...Zotac got this right with the H100i.
- Then there's the chassis...it makes no sense to me why a case for a $1500 build, whatever the end purpose, does not have removable dust filters in the front! These cases are an instant pass whenever I check vendor inventories because they are unusably annoying to maintain. Another point for Zotac here.
- And now the biggest, most glaring flaw of the Corsair build...who in their right mind would pick that particular Gigabyte board for an overclocked system? Look at the dinky power delivery on it and tell me that's safe to OC for hours of 4K gaming on end! I would think Dustin would know better than that. Then again, these systems were built to be given away, not for the builders' long term personal use, so I can see why this "detail" was overlooked.
In the other corner, Zotac considered aesthetics, which I can really relate to as someone who builds for others. The client is ALWAYS impressed if the system looks presentable no matter the components, so I take this decision by Zotac a good move for sweepstakes purposes.
Now before anyone calls me a Zotac fanboy or a Corsair hater, I'd like to add that I have never seen a Zotac part in person, let alone used one. However, I have used quite a few Corsair products but can only praise a few...namely the Dominators, AX/AXi PSUs, and Obsidian cases.
My criticisms of the Zotac build mainly lie with the choice of RAM, not so much the amount of RAM, since I still think 8GB is enough for 95% of users including gamers. Dominators are awesome, but they're a luxury product and I wouldn't consider them for budgets under $2500. I would also have swapped the Crucial BX for a Intel 730 SSD of half the capacity only because the 730 is an older, proven reliable design.
etamin - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
And now to enter the giveaway hoping I get the Zotac to use as a secondary PC, or the Corsair as a part-out for cash >:Detamin - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
sorry for the typos, I didn't proofread.Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
The CS power supply is actually pretty beastly. My department keeps track of user feedback on major vendor sites, reporting when people have problems, and it's *extremely* rare to hear someone having an issue with a CS.The CPU cooler, I'll grant something else might've been a bit quieter. But - and this ties into the motherboard decision - the i5-4690K just isn't a hot, power-hungry chip. The only time heat becomes an issue on that processor is when you're pushing the voltage higher than is safe for the chip in the first place. By the same token, the motherboard has passive cooling on the power delivery, and most boards are grossly overspecced on that front anyhow. The FIVR in Haswell and the clean power from the CSM both heavily mitigate the need for boatloads of high end power delivery on the board. I'd trust it.
That said, I've also internally tested our liquid coolers against competing high end air coolers, and the H80i GT's cooling perf basically starts where air coolers stop. And if I can cool a Titan X with an H55 (and I can, and I have), the comparatively inexpensive H60 is the right choice for the CPU cooler.
Also, I do agree with Chinny and Buu's tack towards aesthetics, which I deprecated in favor of raw performance. I'm happy that the two systems aren't really directly comparable, that they both take different routes to get to the same destination.
etamin - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
You're right that the 4670k is a "relatively not hot/power-hungry chip." But the question then becomes, how much OC can you get out of it on that particular board. I'm guessing we'll see with the upcoming review, but I'm more concerned about long term power quality and stability supplied by that board. Unfortunately, the OC longevity can't be proven by anyone, and that's why I would be hesitant to be the guinea pig.I must admit I have not used any AIOs since the original H80/H70 since the Noctua NH-D14 prices have been very attractive for a while now. Another reason I am averse to AIOs is the radiator is they are difficult to clean when clogged with dust (again, attention to case filters and long term maintenance), and they dont free up as easily when blown out with air.
The CS power supplies do have many positive user reviews. But please please keep in mind that Corsair is among the most, if not THE most, hyped component/peripheral brands out there. I'm sure you're aware of this. This is made possible by Corsair covering more component/peripheral markets than anyone else, expanding when a successful product gains a foothold in each segment. Many first time builders choose Corsair because of forum advice given out by other inexperienced builders who have tried nothing but Corsair, and the snowball effect continues.
No offense to Corsair as I do like some of their products as mentioned earlier, but I would think that much of the positive feedback is made by fanboys. The CS PSUs as a series is rated rather average across the PSU review sites I trust, and to me, the 3 year warranty is confirmation of that. For a 980 Ti, I think a step up is justified.
etamin - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Sorry Dustin I don't mean to come off as abrasive toward you or your company. You are certainly more knowledgeable than I ever will be when it comes to computers (my work has nothing to do with computers although I have often thought about case and peripheral design for the fun of it).I wanted to add that I really did enjoy the article, I think it's a breath of fresh air for AT in a long while. The interviews made the builds a lot more interesting and relevant to those of us without an immediate need for a new system. It reminds me of the days when I read MaximumPC (the physical magazine) before I even knew the difference between memory and storage hehe
Dustin Sklavos - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
You didn't come off as abrasive and your perceptions are valid.I'd like to think we've earned the fans we have, but I'm keen to point out that people are a bit more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one, especially when it comes to PSUs, which aren't especially sexy products. We sell an absolute mountain of power supplies, more than coolers or cases, but the cases and coolers will often get more reviews because there's more to discuss. A PSU, by and large works or doesn't. So I do see what you're saying.
The 3-year warranty is a totally fair complaint.
I appreciate the respectful engagement. I continually worry about coming off like a PRobot and mentioned that as much to Ian, but the honest truth is the guys designing this stuff are eating their own dog food. I see how the sausage is made and by and large it's pretty good sausage.
BuuLy - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Hi Dustin! Chinny! and all the commenters. This article is pretty active and that's really awesome because we had some fun putting it together. Both builds are great and I'd take and use any of them any day. Even better that even some of you are even taking the challenge to configuring your own build.DPUser - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - link
Love the sprit and camaraderie exhibited here… thanks Dustin and Chinny!TheHolyLancer - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I actually built something similar for my friend.http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jGCgjX
Namely, he does not OC that much, so the basic one where we can play with bclk or leaving it stock is fine.
Then picked an evga 980 ti ACX 2.0 superclock, again not so much OCer, but with just the basic cooling from acx 2.0 it is rock solid and can hit 1500 core if he is lucky.
Cheapest memory, case, mobo that had some features and mixed storage of SSD + hdd.
Then I made sure to pick a nice 80+ plat 650W psu to power this relatively hungry setup.
chlamchowder - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I like Dustin's build, except for only having a 240 GB SSD. Game installs take ridiculous amounts of space. Zotac's 500 GB drive is a lot better in that respect. It'd be painful, but I'd drop down from the i5-4960k + H60 to an i5-4460 + stock cooler and give up overclocking for a bigger SSD.I also question the value of using DDR3-1866 vs DDR3-1600 in both builds.
zodiacfml - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Nice addition to Anandtech. While this is the first episode, I would like to suggest things.Since there would be too many options and intentions, it seems better if we could specify the requirements so that contestants will have some direction. To iterate, when we build something for a user, we ask for the usage and desires together with the budget.
Will it be for gaming, workstation, or both? HTPC? Servers? Virtual Machines? Huge storage? Which applications and games?
Additionally, I believe that resolution and refresh rates should be set, RAM and storage size. In gaming, specify which games and image quality settings are compulsory for the build. It is up to the contestant to research and test the build for these games depending on their priorities.
Ian Cutress - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
We specified this build as $1500 single monitor gaming, and left it at that. It was up to the entrant to decide if that was 1080p, 1440p or 4K, or if that meant steambox type arrangements or hardcore PC type builds. We specify budget and direction, and the rest is up to them. That means they have to consider the audience they're building for, and design appropriately. If we lock it down too much, we end up with minor variations of case, CPU and GPU.If you've got an idea for a future budget / build aim, e.g. $700 HTPC, let me know. I'm compiling a list of what people are requesting for future rounds of the project.
Freaky_Angelus - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Good day Ian,Not so much requesting but merely suggesting that the already proposed 'console' idea gets a more separate field or the HTPC needs Audio as a required component.
For me HTPC means showing exactly that, Home Theater and would be stuck at 4 requirements:
- Playback video
- Audio delivery
- Design
- Storage
$700 is rather high (considering my now old HTPC of €350) for just a htpc build, the upgrade to 4K (don't have, but it can barely do that) is minimal on that. You'll need a full Home Theater build (including audio approach i.m.o.) to make it interesting on $700.
If you'd expand that direction towards a Console HTPC, as gamer1000k did, regardles of budget for the competition, you'll have a direction that can go many ways. You define the TV and state: "Budget X and build a console HTPC for this TV. Room has couch, go fill!"
With the same $1500, gamer1000k will now have a (close to) perfect console, but no way to listen to music except the earplugs his phone brought with him ;) That may make the overall competition more challenging as I'm afraid this current setup will see a lot of i5 4660/4760K etc cores combined with 960/970/980 selections.
Freaky_Angelus - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Sorry, obvious the TV has some speakers but no self-respecting movie fan will disagree you need more than that ;) so in advance, yes gamer1000k could also listen through the TV!wrkingclass_hero - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I wish that the Build-A-Rig contest was champion format, with the previous winner returning to face the new challenger, that way I get to see Dustin kick everyones' asses as the perennial champ.Galcobar - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Noticed in a few spots that specs for parts weren't filled in; i.e. on The Accelerator build page the GPU draws 2xx watts.Ian Cutress - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Thanks for the catch! I wrote some of this offline while travelling and didn't have immediate access to the data, then didn't see it on the copy edit runs. I found two of the missing bits of info - any more let me know. :)leopard_jumps - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MfwFLkPrice breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MfwFLk/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($263.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($688.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1460.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-09 03:34 EDT-0400
OregonSlacker - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Chinny gets my vote for personality, build looks and overall fun, Dustin gets my vote for Tech Knowledge and Choice of hardware... as a gamer I'd have to admit I'd rather have Dustin's build , overclocking ability, more ram and the 980ti over the faulted 970 any day of the week. Sorry Chinny, we still love you and hope to see ya soon again at PDXlan! -OregonSlacker aka Shane DicksonChinny Chuang - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Yeah...I totally agree; I would like to go for the GTX 980 Ti AMP if it was available while we finished the build. I love Dustin's too; hopefully I will see you guys soon! 😊OC'd Packrat - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Both builds are quite nice, but Dustin's seems to have a more cohesive selection of components with the nice 4690k-980ti pair powered by a reasonable 650W PSU, with 16GB of ram for about the same price as Good Lookin's 8GB. An H100i might be overkill for Good Lookin's non-overclocking CPU (save $30-$40 here!), and the PSU may never quite make use of its larger wattage, but Zotac's build does seem to fulfill its cool, quiet minimalist goals.OC'd Packrat - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Also, Dustin's serious/competitive face is adorable.flyingpants1 - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Oh my god.. This is terrible. Here's the fixed version http://i.gyazo.com/717e47d0e92a3c64964d0ce7f103457...$1250 for i5 4690/GTX 980, with money left over to upgrade RAM and SSD
Ian Cutress - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Single Channel DDR3-1600 C11 DRAM to start? Though it's an interesting component selection. The 80 Bronze is suitable though is a lower rating than the ones used by Corsair and Zotac. I'd stick in 16GB 2133 and 500GB SSD there, see how close that takes you to the budget. Obviously for the BAR project, we're working in association with Newegg for pricing.OceanGrown - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
My vote goes to Zotac Chinny and Buu.The games I play the most on a daily basis are DOTA2, LOL, CSGO, TF2, some indie games, and occasional AAA titles. The GTX970 is more than enough for my use, and this OC version has the same performance as the GTX980. I also prefer the after market triple fan coolers, as it will keep my card at much lower temp compared to the reference 980Ti blower type cooler. Not to say the 980Ti is not a beast, but when you crank up the graphic settings on demanding games the 980Ti single fan really speeds up and and it can get quite hot and noisy.
I also enjoy the 500GB SSD path, as it more of a realistic everyday gaming PC which I can enjoy storing much more games/data.
I also like the appeal consideration of this gaming system, to include cable wraps and accent lighting and see through side window. This makes my gaming PC not an eye sore.
Overall, I like the Zotac system because it is much more of a "balanced" system. It may not win in a toe to toe comparison against the 980Ti beast, but it is definitely suitable for a everyday gamer like myself.
leopard_jumps - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2QT3GXPrice breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2QT3GX/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 V3 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($263.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($688.99 @ B&H)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1458.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-09 05:32 EDT-0400
SilentRunning - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Why is the same OS $20 more expensive for the Zotac?Ian Cutress - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
OEM version vs Full version. Full comes with 32-bit and 64-bit, also longer support. OEM is designed for single machines from SIs only, so is sold as 32-bit or 64-bit with only a year of support.SilentRunning - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
So then the hyperlink is wrong for the Zotac build. Both builds point to the same newegg item N82E16832416776 Windows 8.1 64 bit OEM.fokka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
because it's the full retail version and not an OEM version for a single build.leopard_jumps - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
$900 rigPCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7q6jD3
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7q6jD3/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($314.99 @ B&H)
Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($58.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $876.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-09 07:22 EDT-0400
fokka - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
ok, first off, i'm not surprised that dustin's rig comes out ahead, what's surprising though is how far ahead it comes out.squeezing a 980ti into the budget is a great start and i think he's right saying a 1500$ single screen rig should be able to run a 4k resolution. even with throwing almost half the budget on a single component he still manages to include a great CPU, tons of storage, while not really skimping on the rest of the components.
compared to that, the zotac build is almost a joke. a gtx 970 in a 1500 rig seems almost aneamic next to dustin's 980ti and they manage to significantly downgrade the CPU and RAM as well, without saving more than a just couple bucks. but somehow this non-overclocked CPU has to be expensiveley water cooled with a 240mm radiator...
it's also funny how dustin manages to drive a 980ti and an overclocked 5690k with a 650w PSU, while the zotac build throws in an oversized and overprized 750w PSU for a much lesser build.
reading the interview it starts to make a bit more sense, with the zotac marketing guys "not really being gamers" and using tablets and iphones for their everyday stuff.
thinking about it i can still only shake my head looking at the zotac build and unless dustin's rig catches fire, i think we already know the winner of this round.
Dustin Sklavos - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I wouldn't knock Chinny and Buu's rig, they made decisions that went in a different direction than mine but are no less valid.They focused less on absolute performance and more on overall experience. They wanted something that looked great and would run quietly, and I guarantee you their build is quieter than mine. The H100i seems a bit like overkill, but those fans will *never* have to spin up. Likewise, overspeccing on the PSU isn't necessarily a bad thing as again, that PSU's fan will almost never have to spin up.
I also have to give them props for thinking to include a way to actually *install* their copy of Windows, which I missed. ;)
leopard_jumps - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
i5 4460 is absolutely unacceptable for $1500 . The second rig in the article is not balanced at all .leopard_jumps - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
i5 4460 is absolutely unacceptable for $1500 rig . The second rig in the article is not balanced at all .AssBall - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
The Zotac rig is a nice build. Those extra's really sharpen it up, and a 500gb drive is a good choice. That being said, I do like Corsair's CPU cooler and will be looking into that Carbide 200 for my next build.Great write up and fun article, Anandtech. Looking forward to more of these in the future.
PolarisOrbit - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
This looks interesting, I hope to see a bunch of different perspectives on computer builds with different companies representing each build. One thing I don't like about other site build-a-thons is the tendency for the competitors to make unrealistic builds since the winners are based purely on performance. A system where $1000 was spent on GPUs and only $80 storage may benchmark well, but it's completely impractical. Things that don't have good benchmark measures still have practical value to consumers (like the space savings of ITX compared to EATX), and I will be interested to see how Anandtech accounts such things in the competition.echoe - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
As most people are saying, Dustin's system is way more performant. If I were to go for a 970 I'd probably try to get a 5820k in there, something like this:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jbGDsY
I don't really like the looks of Chinny's system either, though the lower noise is attractive.
BrokenCrayons - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I personally prefer Chinny's build as a more balanced approach that acknowledges acoustics and cabling, but I admit it's a very tough choice and Dustin's specs are appealing from a performance perspective. For me, it's a wash on CPUs since overclocking doesn't matter at all to me and I think either processor is enough for any modern games. 8GB of RAM is something of a liability that will loom larger in the near future and I admit that I think 16GB is a wiser choice. The GPU is important, but I can't see 4k gaming actually adding value. It strikes me as resolution for the sake of resolution so I wouldn't consider the GPU difference very relevant. What ends up making the decision for me is storage. A 500GB SSD is a ton more useful when games regularly require well over 50GB. I'd rather have to keep the resolution down a little than juggle titles or purchase a some sort of additional storage right away.Impulses - Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - link
Dustin's system needs a HDD... But I'm baffled by the sudden notion that all games *must* be installed on NAND flash... (not to pick in your post in particular)There's games where load times don't even change dramatically because the bottleneck is at the CPU/GPU unpacking compressed stuff, and even if that isn't the case, I'd probably put just about everything else over load times (aesthetics, noise, fps, etc) if that's the last thing to get cut on a budget.
That being said, I'm about to replace my 2x128GB SSD for a 1TB (possibly two later) so I can move everything I use with any frequency to flash. :p
Die HDDs die! I just don't think it'd be my priority over most other things, specially since it's one of the easier things to address down the road AND one area where prices are highly volatile. Case in point, the 500GB 850 EVO currently floating over $160...
I'd expect more price drops with everyone else getting into TLC/3D NAND and PCI-E/M2 drives taking over the premium sector.
Wraithtek - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Here's what I came up with: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/R6LnBmIn short: An i5-4690k + GTX 970 system with 500GB SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD and quiet air cooling. Threw in a blu-ray drive and spare 140mm fan. $1501.70 (before $15 shipping). A nice all around system with a bit more storage space.
LeonMoreno - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Sorry, but Zotac's build is complitely not thought-out, even nonsensical. Non-K, low clocked i5 with 970 is fine with me, only in an under $1K setup. Major flaws are: overpriced z97 board for non-K CPU, overpriced, overpowered PSU (bear in mind PSUs got a bracket when they hit their top efficiency), no point in non-K CPU watercooling when GPU stays aircooled (will be a weak point when gaming, my personal wish is to see one day GPUs with quiet, double 12cm fans for affordable price). RAM is also over the top, nice looking but You could find something cheaper, faster and still esthetic. Basically Zotac rig looks like designed by someone who never owned a PC, but rather works in funeral home. At least put some white or red or blue for contrast for Christ's sake?etamin - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
You sir sound like a typical inexperienced builder with an inflated ego. The Zotac build has many upsides and If you can't see them, of course you will favor the raw performance capabilities of the Corsair build.LeonMoreno - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Are You trolling Me or what? What exactly are those upsides, other than aesthetics? Where did I mention favoring Corsair rig? Actually havn't looked at Corsair design that much, just noticed that after lots of deliberation and for slightly over 1K, I managed to build a PC with 4690K and 970, I just would not justify nearly 500$ or 33% more for PCs looks. Yes, Corsair's choice is not optimal, but I was reffering to Zotac's build. It could be done better, also it will be too dark inside if You plan to show it off. And watercooling a 88W CPU is waste of money when GPU stays cooled with 10cm high speed fans in a gaming PC.Fiernaq - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
For a pure gaming rig at that cost I'd probably go a slightly different route but there's nothing terribly wrong with either Dustin's or Chinny's builds. I'll try to add an actual parts list in later but for now this is probably what I would look for in a $1500 gaming build:Case: Inexpensive but not rinky-dink. I'd probably want to spend between $80-$100 here.
MB: Socket 1150 for the CPU. There are a lot of things to consider here but most of them are desired rather than required. I'd put an upper limit of about $150 here but would hope to spend a bit less, maybe $120 or so.
CPU: Intel i5-4690K. No question. It hits the sweet spot for the price and desired use.
CPU Cooler: Air for sure; maybe a Cryorig R1? I'd rather not drop down to a 212+ but there's not a whole lot of good options in the $40-$60 range I'd like to be in for this build.
RAM: 2x4GB DDR3-1866 is actually a very good choice for this build although there are cheaper options even if you stay with Corsair. Expect about $60 for this.
GPU: GTX 980. A 970 is to low and a 980ti is too high for 1440p on mid/low or 1080p on high which is about where I'd expect to be in this price range and the cost difference is also about right with a decent 980 such as the ASUS Strix coming in at around $500.
SSD: Go with a 500GB one. Seriously. Steam. 'nuff said. If this wasn't a gaming computer then 256GB would be plenty. $200ish should do the trick.
PSU: 600W should be plenty but this is one area where I would definitely ask about expected upgrade plans as the addition of a second GTX 980 card a year later would probably demand a bigger PSU and I'd rather get that now instead of having to upgrade both components simultaneously.
Optical Drive: Get one. $20 for a regular DVD super-multi or splurge on a blu-ray if it's something important to you.
OS: Win7 OEM. Why bother with anything more?
A comment about the RAM since I know someone will ask - as a gamer with a recently built $2000+ computer who only put 2x4GB in it, I haven't needed more. A good chunk of my gaming is triple-A titles and I even keep a browser open on the second monitor sometimes with a few tabs open and not once has memory been an issue or even close to an issue for me. That said, I also work in IT and my laptop at work most assuredly has 12GB of RAM so I can run a VM with Win10 and at that point even 12GB is the minimum I'd want just to run one VM at a time. Likewise, if I streamed my gaming to Twitch or did other RAM intensive stuff I would probably want more than 8GB but the posted design specifications for this contest did not mention any of that kind of thing so for a pure gamer I think 8GB is fine.
Fiernaq - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
WTB an edit button for typos. Also an expandable comment box so I don't have to type everything up in Notepad and copy/paste.Fiernaq - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
And here's what I came up with. I've set everything to override to Newegg prices and everything else on the checklist should be good as well. One question I couldn't find a mention of is shippingPCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4hWd23
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($93.04 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($161.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card ($519.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1512.95
Comments: The NH-D15 is probably overkill for the amount of overclocking most people making this computer would bother with but that also means you can run it at lower RPMs most of the time. A 550W PSU should be just about perfect for this build but if you're worried that overclocking will require more then you could bumpt up to the 650W version of the same PSU for just $10 more. If you're looking at the total cost and saying "It's over $1500", well, unlike some people, I included an optical drive and besides, it's still well within the 3% margin and you could build this for significantly less if you bought some items from other vendors such as NCIX. Or you could drop to the CoolerMaster 212 Evo CPU cooler if you're still worried about staying within budget.
Impulses - Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - link
The Thermalright TRUE Spirits have been around for a few years and are often overlooked, but for precisely $45-55 they perform much closer to the premium $70+ HSF units than a $30 212+.Fiernaq - Thursday, July 16, 2015 - link
I may give those a try at some point. Went over some reviews of them and as usual in the air cooling segment nobody can seem to agree on how good they actually are but at least nobody thinks they're terrible. Most of the reviews seemed to put it at least as good if not slightly better than the 212 Evo and some reviews were much better. Doyll from overclock recommended them which is usually a good sign.Stuka87 - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I really like the idea of this contest.Wanted Chinny to win, but Dustin's choice of components is going to win from a performance standpoint. Although I think Chinny's will be the nicer looking of the two.
Uplink10 - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
My thoughts:-GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK is a mistake, $140 is too much for a motherboard, you can get similar for $90
-CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866, $84 is too much better to buy this kit "ADATA XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 " for $43
Buying K processors and Z motherboards is also a mistake because that is the way today's customers are being cheated into paying more just so they have the option to raise the max frequency to an unspecified one. And that is not why people first started to overclock.
Silesius - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
Loved the article. IMO while performance wise Dustin's build is great, I think the days where computers are an ugly beast should be over. So I'm more aligned with Chinny's philosophy of building, even if it could use some improvement.Since the Fury launch I been wondering how small can you go with that kind of performance on Mini-ITX. Is a build like this possible?
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qsvkrH
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qsvkrH/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Pro 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z97I AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($104.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 Fury X 4GB Video Card ($676.93 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($87.47 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1537.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-09 18:27 EDT-0400
I know that the Thermaltake Core V1 can accomodate Fury's water pump mounting it on the front instead of the 200mm fan. This would make a sweet looking machine and silent as well.
BrokenCrayons - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
I've been interested in ITX form factors since VIA had acquired Cyrix and the IDT Winchip teams to sell their low-power C3 processors on Epia motherboards. They were sort of leading the charge for "adequate performing" low heat/noise/power computing in the first half of the last decade. Since the Atom came around, I used a Zotac motherboard with the ION chipset and an Atom 330. It was a fun little bite-sized system that I loved for how well it worked as a carryable system for LAN parties. While I think the Fury X isn't quite there yet because it requires you find space someplace for the watercooler which ultimate makes the card about the same total size as any other modern, high-end GPU, I'm excited to see what HBM can do to help more practical, cost-effective GPUs that are smaller, half-height cards cooled with a small HSF or can run with just a passive heatsink.Ryan Smith - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I have removed some inappropriate and overall completely sad posts from the article. This is not Tinder; if you wish to continue being able to post comments, please behave like an adult.Southrncomfortjm - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
I like mine: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Ys7qMptheMillen - Thursday, July 9, 2015 - link
BAM! 1496 after rebate (1554 before rebates) covers the essentials, but i believe with an i7 after dx12 becomes more prevelant, the extra threads may be more useful in a gaming capacity. 8gb of well reviewed ddr3 1600, 250gb 850 evo also well reviewed, but better yet, a non-reference 980 ti (and one of the best out right now)! the only downside is that you will have to use windows 10 tech insider for the forseable future (or until find a sale to move to retail license) but since m$ is being ms and letting you beta test past RTM there isn't a huge issue, as ive been testing mine on a rig only a little beefier than the one here with no issues well BEFORE RTM... and here you go! http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g6sfZL (oh did i forget to mention the sexy new design r5 is in there :-p along with an h100i to keep you i7 nice and cool while oc'd ;))ruthan - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
Hmm, only 2 competitors in the race, this is boring, its like soccer league with 2 teams.About rigs im very disappointed - i would not recommend such build to my friends, Dustin build - is strongly crippled by only 240 GB disk=> whole machine for real user is joke, sorry but gaming computer in 2015 with 240 GB storage- you could have installed up to 5 games - great experience.
Other build is very boring without any interesting idea with lots gimmicks included and as icing is there noisy Zotac G970..
Half of readers would do better job.
BrokenCrayons - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
There should be more competition later in other budget brackets in the same format if I understand how things are supposed to be setup, but comparing more than two computers from two different companies might get pretty complicated to keep track of from a reader perspective and tougher to present in a single article. Besides, this isn't supposed to be an out-for-blood competition. It's more just for fun and a great way to stage a hardware giveaway so try not to take it too seriously.Besides that, I really like how both Corsair and Zotac are able to reach out to their customers through this competition. Lots of us aren't surprised to see Dustin interacting in the comments section given his history with Anandtech in the past, but it's great to know other companies like Zotac are willing to interact with and listen to potential buyers on a personal level that goes beyond just marketing material, RMA support, and the stuff written on the outside of a product box.
Sushisamurai - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
Nice! Zotac's build is actually pretty close to a new budget system I was thinking of building. I differ only in power supply, SSD/HDD, GPU (AMD).chittychitty - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
I vote for Dustin's build.coconutboy - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
Was really looking forward to these series of contests, and not just for the giveaway either. Ya'll didn't disappoint. The interview segment is great and really humanizes what would otherwise be a more sterile affair; keep this up! major kudos to Anandtech, Zotac and Corsair. I'm honestly really excited about these competitions, woo hoo!As far as crowning a champ, a lot of people posting in these comments are taking a very narrow view of what constitutes a "winner". I really appreciate that Dustin and Chinny/Buu took different approaches and both had portions of their builds that I would incorporate, and other parts that I would never touch. Specifically:
- I treat my computer chassis much like monitors, so I keep them for ~7-10 years and they sit ON my desk. This also means I am extremely concerned with noise and will not tolerate 50dB, much less the annoying whine & whoosh of blower reference gpus. With that in mind, no way would I ever buy the low-end cases recommended here. If Chinny or Dustin went that route, they'd get crucified in the comments by people favoring a different case so of course they went cheap. However, I'll bet a lot of us Anandtech readers spend over $100 on our cases. It might cost more the first time out, but it saves dollars the next time around when we don't need to upgrade our cheap-o POS. Similarly, I liked Chinny's cabling upgrades to keep things nice 'n' neat because that's something I'd do with my build (even though I'm not too fond of windows which, combined, probably causes conflict with some folk's sensibilities). Her choice of mobo & 750w PSU is major overkill tho, and wastes ~$70-90 that coulda gone elsewhere.
- I wouldn't consider building a 4k system for another 2-3 years because, for my tastes, it's currently too expensive versus the enjoyment I'd get out of spending that money on an overseas vacation or one of the upcoming VR headsets. This is the same reason I never built a 3-monitor or 3d gaming setup. Early adopters pay top $$ and often get burned. But that's just my opinon, and with 4k becoming more and more affordable, it's great to see Dustin tapping into the new Triplehead/Eyefinity/3d Surround.
- I really like gamer100k's build as a different approach, but it's horribly deficient for my noise-sensitive tastes. I LOVE the case, but a gtx 980ti in that thing is gonna be a jet engine. The tiny ssd and 8GB of RAM are also deal-breakers.
Without digging through newegg, if it was my rig, I wouldn't need a case or PSU so I'd save right there. I'd also settle for nothing less than:
- 16GB RAM
- gtx 970 (great for now, saves money for a huge upgrade when something new hits in 2016-17)
- 500GB ssd
- 2TB hdd (local storage trumps NAS/media server, which I'd still have anyhow)
- closed-loop cpu cooler
coconutboy - Friday, July 10, 2015 - link
And oh yeah... if I really had to pick a winner...Dustin and Corsair's The Accelerator. GTX 980ti is the trump card in this gamer rig contest/
needforsuv - Saturday, July 11, 2015 - link
i shelled out for an i7, 16 gb of ram and a 720 psu in 2012 and right not NONE of it looks dated in fact i am shoehorning in a strix 980 ti and a 612 pwm soonalso i think 1080p is fine when i've yet to see a review truly push everything down to aa and ao and whatnot
Impulses - Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - link
Ehh, the $50 in cables and lights might look cool to some, but stock cables are arguably neater since they're easier to route and tug taunt...The whole braided cable trend still goes over my head, back in the day we worked our butts off to fold or cut/round PATA cables so we wouldn't have large flat cables sticking out... Now people go out of their way to even stick combs into individually braided runs so it lays flat and visible.
I'm not knocking the choice in the name of aesthetics, I've done things in that vein that probably seem silly to others too, I just don't personally get why it's fashionable.
Cable braiding started as a trend for individual odd colored cables you couldn't mask any other way (like a fan's), the aftermarket PSU cable replacements just seem like the closest thing to bling inside a desktop.
needforsuv - Saturday, July 11, 2015 - link
i focused my current build on mainly workstation performance which means good CPU and RAM so normal parts were used mainly because I see nothing wrong with them (yes i have kingmax memory) but the important things had no expense spared:CPU: i7 2600 - should and does give me tons of futureproof upgrade options w/o bottlenecks
RAM: 16 GB 1333mhz - who cares what brand it is if it works...
GPU: GTX 560 1GB (Seems insuffient for me at the time but coming from a 9500 GT I left it)
HDD: 1TB 7200 rpm Primary and whatever else it has accumulated over the years (MANY TB)
CASE: TT V4 Black - not too fussed here
PSU: 720W E720 - I felt the 500 odd watt psu included was not enough, but If it works...
current state:
GTX 560 failed due to I suspect the workloads I've been giving it so GT 730 1GB 64 bit DDR3 is whats in my pc now until my STRIX GTX 980 Ti arrives
Having now accumulated many TB of hard drives I still feel that I am safe with a 720W peak psu
CPU is fine but stock cooler has to go... in goes a 612 pwm
Changes that I would've like:
Maybe a better PSU
A standard ATX MB vs the Micro-ATX that was included
TallestJon96 - Monday, July 13, 2015 - link
Not to be mean, but Dustin's Build absolutely demolishes Chinny's. I own a 970, but the 980 ti is nearly twice as powerful. Additionally, the i5 is somewhat better. If you guys do benchmarks, I would expect Dustin's to be 60-80% more powerful, and for the same price!GusSmed - Friday, July 17, 2015 - link
I find some of the choices in both builds kind of odd. Namely, storage seems a bit light in both - even the 500 GB SSD. 500 GB is plenty for games, but who among us doesn't us our gaming PCs for other things? In the real world, it's a little crazy not to spend $50-$100 to add a hard drive to the SSD for bulk storage of photos, videos, and music that almost everyone does store, and make the PC a lot more versatile for a very small outlay. Yeah, it cuts into the $1500 budget, but isn't this supposed to be about realistic builds?manweor - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link
I personally would spend much less even on a gaming build, but if I wanted good value I would go with:PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pLwX7P
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pLwX7P/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($118.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($187.04 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1404.64 -> $1506 without rebates
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 09:35 EDT-0400
Of course crossfire performance might vary, but on average you should get better performance than both their builds. Right now r9 290 are stupidly cheap while still yielding very good performance. Even if CF is not working you still have a really good card, nearly on par with the gtx 970.
If I wanted to stick with Chinni's build I would get an Evo as cpu cooler for 30$, a good seasonic 620 Bronze PSU for 80$, a cheaper MOBO for 90$ and save on those 70$ of niceties, saving 240$ and getting the exact same performance.