Second Gaming PC Build - 4k for 4k!

watty on 09/12/2017 - 10:40
Last edited 07/01/2018 - 11:11

Hi everyone! A couple of years ago I asked the community for some help on building a great budget gaming PC that has lasted me greatly https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/155143.

Things have changed slightly from that point in my life and I can finally afford something a little more pricey to game with. I did some reading and price crunching on parts I wanted and it came to about ~$4k for a build that can handle 4k gaming (last ebay sale from PC byte + 20% off). I've done as much research as I can about what I need and so far here is what I think is doable:

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/CCHm4C

Here is a somewhat similar build from PCCG for about $4k that I have considered: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/40885/pccg-aurora-1080-t…

Please let me know if it looks good or needs some changes! Any advice is extremely appreciated and I'm curious to know if I'm being wasteful anywhere with my build.

In Summary (TLTR): My budget is $4000 and I'd like to play (somewhat smoothly - destiny 2, HOTS etc.) on a 4k monitor. Thanks!

Update: Thanks again for all the advice! I will be ending up with this:

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Seanster221/saved/2BQxYJ

Update 2 (hopefully final one!): https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Seanster221/saved/kfPLD3

Computing

Comments

  • stratbargain on 09/12/2017 - 10:50
    +2

    Go the 8700K over the 7700K (6 cores instead of 4).

    Won't make a huge difference in most games but the price difference isn't huge and will be more future proof.

    I'd also go 3200/3400 RAM for the little bit extra.

    And I'd also question the benefit of a 4K screen at 27"… Probably better with 100hz+ Gsync 27" 1440p.

    • watty on 09/12/2017 - 10:56

      Thanks for that! yup I'll change it to a 8700K, they don't seem to be that more expensive which is awesome.

      I had a discussion with my pals about the 4k at 27" as well. The only thing is that if I don't go for 4k then I'd be better off dropping the 1080ti to a 1080 or 1070ti. I've personally had a look at the monitor and it looks pretty darn amazing which is why I decided to build specifically for it.

      • stratbargain on 09/12/2017 - 11:32
        +1

        Yeah completely up to you :)

        Something like the Acer X34 @ 100hz would probably be more impressive in games than a 60hz 4K Monitor.

        But it is going to come down to personal preference really. Either way you're going to enjoy your new system.

        I'm on a 8700K and 1080 (non TI) and loving it. The 8700K easily overclocks to 4.8ghz+ on all cores and flies.

        EDIT: Also you may as well get an NVMe drive while you're at it. :)

      • Diji1 on 09/12/2017 - 13:25

        The only thing is that if I don't go for 4k then I'd be better off dropping the 1080ti to a 1080 or 1070ti.

        No you wouldn't. Using DSR (rendering games higher than the screen resolution) makes an enormous difference to image quality.

        • watty on 09/12/2017 - 15:00

          Ahh I didn't know that, sorry I'm pretty newbie when it comes to technology. I'll reconsider the monitor but definitely will stick to the 1080ti for future proof reasons as well I guess.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2017 - 11:37

    You can get the 1080ti a lot cheaper by just waiting for a deal.

  • follow on 09/12/2017 - 11:48

    Just in time for Titan V!

    • watty on 09/12/2017 - 11:54

      Haha! I can't afford that sadly :,(

      • AlienC on 09/12/2017 - 16:07
        +2

        Don't worry it's not meant for gaming tasks it is suited towards AI and deep learning stuff. I got super excited at 110 teraflops too lol I think it's more like 15 teraflops graphically game wise (think gaming on a quadro series) but don't quote me on that lol just passing on some unofficial information I heard or saw from somewhere else.

        • GTX 1050, 640 CUDA Cores, ~1.7 TFLOPS base, ~1.9 TFLOPS boost, ~2.3 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1050 Ti, 768 CUDA Cores, ~2.0 TFLOPS base, ~2.1 TFLOPS boost, ~2.8 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1060 3GB, 1152 CUDA Cores, ~3.5 TFLOPS base, ~3.9 TFLOPS boost, ~4.8 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1060 6GB, 1280 CUDA Cores, ~3.9 TFLOPS base, ~4.4 TFLOPS boost, ~5.4 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1070, 1920 CUDA Cores, ~5.8 TFLOPS base, ~6.5 TFLOPS boost, ~8.1 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1080, 2560 CUDA Cores, ~8.2 TFLOPS base, ~8.9 TFLOPS boost, ~10.8 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX Titan X, 3584 CUDA Cores, ~10.1 TFLOPS base, ~11.0 TFLOPS boost, ~13.6 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX 1080 Ti, 3584 CUDA Cores, ~10.6 TFLOPS base, ~11.3 TFLOPS boost, ~14.3 TFLOPS OC
        • GTX Titan Xp, 3840 CUDA Cores, ~11.4 TFLOPS base, ~12.1 TFLOPS boost, ~15.3 TFLOPS OC

        Source: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/so-gtx-1080-ti-was-the-mos…

        Xbox One X - 6 teraflops
        PS4 Pro - 4.2 teraflops
        PS4/PS4 slim - 1.84 teraflops
        Xbox One X - 1.4 teraflops
        Xbox One - 1.31 teraflops

        Console processor speed
        http://static.gamesradar.futurecdn.net/media/img/missing-ima…

        N64: 100 megaflops
        PlayStation: 100 megaflops
        PS2: 6,200 megaflops
        GameCube: 9,400 megaflops
        Xbox: 20,000 megaflops
        Xbox 360: 240,000 megaflops
        PS3: 230,000 megaflops
        Wii: 12,000 megaflops
        Wii U: 352,000 megaflops
        PS4: 1,843,000 megaflops
        Xbox One: 1,310,000 megaflops
        Xbox One S: 1,400,000 megaflops
        PS4 Pro: 4,200,000 megaflops
        Xbox One X: 6,000,000 megaflops

        Disclaimer: flops or floating point operations per second (FLOPS) is a measure of computer performance, useful in fields of scientific computations that require floating-point calculations. It is not meant to be used as a direct comparison of performance but as a good guideline yada yada

        Hope this helps someone

  • Axelstrife on 09/12/2017 - 11:58
    +3

    If i was you i'd save that money and sit on it for the time being.

    We are so close to 4k monitors at 144HZ with HDR in 2018
    and with the titan V announcement GTX 1180 or whatever Volta's gaming cards will be called not far off.

    • watty on 09/12/2017 - 14:56

      Yeah I heard they were due for a release next year, perhaps I can buy the computer now (less the monitor) and continue to use my dell monitor for the time being? When the 144hz comes out I'll nab a 60hz one much cheaper. That doesn't sound to bad to me actually!

      • Kangal on 09/12/2017 - 21:34

        Nah, not worth getting 144Hz monitors in my view.
        Most games target 60fps (ie 60Hz), so to push them to 144Hz it means you need to throw excessive performance at it, or, dial down the settings very much to the point the game observably/visually looks worse to you. It's just not optimised.

        I would focus on getting a really good 4K monitor first, make sure it has HDR, G-Sync and the latest DisplayPort and HDMI standards.

        Once you get that, then you will know your true budget. And remember, a good monitor serves you well for a decade.

  • Diji1 on 09/12/2017 - 13:26

    We are so close to 4k monitors at 144HZ with HDR in 2018

    Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath given the number of ETA's that have been pushed further away.

    • Axelstrife on 09/12/2017 - 17:57

      With the recent release or HDMI 2.1 I think 2018 will be it.

      • f0x13 on 11/12/2017 - 09:45

        But even then, the first gen of a major change is always going to have teething problems.

  • Cheap Charlie on 09/12/2017 - 14:25
    +2

    Just a thought, If I was building a PC in this day and age I would be adding a NVMe SSD primary drive.
    They still are a little pricey, but PC manufacturere OEM versions can be had at sharper price points if you are prepared to do the research and chase down the part/model numbers.

    • watty on 09/12/2017 - 14:52

      I've never heard of that before! Will definitely be looking into it thanks for that :)

      • Cheap Charlie on 09/12/2017 - 15:45

        I first came across it watching a fellow on Youtube that flips cheap PCs and components.

        Probably more a case of some sellers not realising what they had, marketing the drive at convential m.2 used prices rather than NVMe.
        https://www.anandtech.com/show/10168/samsung-shows-off-sm961…

        If you do go with NVMe, you want to ensure the MOBO will allow you to boot from that drive.

  • Kiato on 09/12/2017 - 18:18
    +1

    One thing to note. Earlier in this thread you mentioned swapping the CPU to the 8700k, while it is a 1151 socket the same as the 7700k they do not run on the lower end versions of the motherboards. You need to get a z370 motherboard, which would be around 2x the cost of the board you have selected now. Secondly, as IM sure that people are going to come after me for saying this but there is very little performance gain from going with high speed ram for gaming (for video encoding, solid works etc there is) but in terms of just gaming there is very little to gain from going from 2400mhz ram to 3200mhz ram so the difference in cost is not worth it (if it's the same cost for the same ram at different speeds go for the faster option obviously.)

    Just finished building this rig for a client for streaming / gaming part list

    • watty on 09/12/2017 - 19:21

      I appreciate the info Kiato! I think you make a lot of sense, I'm just using it for gaming so I think I might stay with the 7700k and keep the cheaper motherboard. I'm pretty sure my ram is 2400 so that will stay the same. Thanks again!

      • Kiato on 09/12/2017 - 20:20

        happy to help out where i can. if you are interested in saving a little plus having a slight upgrade ram is on sale at the moment.

  • watty on 05/01/2018 - 18:56

    Thank you again to everyone for their comments. After a lot of more researching and budgeting I'm pretty much going to end up with this:

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Seanster221/saved/2BQxYJ

    Thanks for all your time and advice! :)

    Watty

    • AlienC on 09/01/2018 - 11:16

      Why only b/g/n wireless network adapter and not ac?

      • watty on 09/01/2018 - 13:57

        Sorry I don't understand what you mean. Can you please explain what ac means? Thanks!

        • watty on 09/01/2018 - 14:14

          @AlienC: Ah I just need it in case my internet goes down (once every few months for a few hours at worst). This is like the back up if I really need internet so I can hook it up to my hot spot on my phone which is why I'm cheaping out on this part.

        • AlienC on 09/01/2018 - 14:18
          +1

          @watty: ah ok no worries.

          I just like the option of wired and wireless now that I have been using wireless for years now with minimal differences. Especially if you are just transferring or streaming content in house like say pc to a media box or tv or don't like the sight of wires in some places (like the kitchen which my room passes to get to the router).

          Wireless n should be plenty enough for all of your non Ethernet needs.

          Good idea on the backup though those downtimes can sometimes seem to last forever when they go unchecked.

          Awesome build.

        • watty on 09/01/2018 - 14:23

          @AlienC: Yeah I love the idea of wireless as well, but I spent 3 hours routing the ethernet cable (from the kitchen) to the ceiling to my room and I wouldn't have the heart to not use it haha! I made a few changes and finally I'm happy with my build, this community is awesome - helped me with my first build and now with my second as well. Here is my final revision and I've began to purchase pieces:

          https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Seanster221/saved/kfPLD3

          Thanks for the upgrade though, I might go full wireless later on as it's much more of a hassle free solution.

          Cheers!

          Watty

        • AlienC on 09/01/2018 - 16:41

          @watty: haha yeah definitely that sounds like a legit reason to not go wireless I would feel bad if after that hard work you weren't able to use it lol.

  • Kiato on 05/01/2018 - 23:07

    congrats on picking what you want. one note i just saw the pcie wifi card you picked only runs on the 2.4 ghz band if you wanted to get the most possible bandwidth you will need to get one that has the 5ghz bandwidth. also with sale like this 8700k at the moment might be a free upgrade for you.

    • watty on 05/01/2018 - 23:40

      Hey Kiato! Thanks for the info. The wifi card is just a backup because most of the time it will be hooked directly to the modem (if that goes down I'll use my mobile as a hotspot scenario) which is why I cheaped out on it. In regards to the CPU I believe I would have to buy a more expensive motherboard to use that particular CPU hence why I'm purchasing a cheaper one.

      On another note I was planning to switch from a 4k monitor to the Acer x34. Should I change anything with my build if I decide to take that path? I wouldn't want to bottleneck myself at any point (for example perhaps the 1080ti being able to exceed the frame rate on the x34 - which is 100Hz). I did some reading and so far people have stated 1080ti is ideal for ultrawide displays but what do you think?

      Thanks again!

      • Kiato on 05/01/2018 - 23:54

        I downgraded myself recently and went with the Asus pg34q same panel as the Acer predator it works well. Understandable for the wifi card though the cpu have a look again at the z370 motherboard the prices have settled some and the gap isn’t as big as it was when I first posted about the price difference amonth or two ago. The cpu is much stronger than the 7700k so might be worth it.

        As for the Acer predator they are solid but very pricey there is a Samsung monitor 34inch 3440x1440 100hz that’s selling for 899$ at the moment it’s getting pretty solid reviews might be able to save a few $ on the monitor and upgrade the cpu and Mobo?

        monitor

        Also personally I’d take the evga ftw 1080ti over the Asus strix. I’ve found them to be a little more reliable and well rounded.

        and finally as for your cpu cooler.. look at the NZXT range or corsair they are the standards now days and do a good job / have a great warranty.

        • watty on 06/01/2018 - 00:17

          I think I'll stick with the predator for now considering prices aren't that bad and I can always price match at JB (have a handy voucher sitting around as well haha). As for the graphics card, I did a quick read around and it looks like people are saying the customer service is better at EVGA so I'm happy to change to that and I've updated the build. Thanks again for the info, you have been really helpful :)

          Edit: whoops just saw your edit, I'm looking into it now. Cheers!
          Edit 2: Updated CPU cooler. Honestly no idea why I picked that one, had the most positive feedback overall lol. Thanks!
          Watty

        • Kiato on 06/01/2018 - 01:49
          +1

          @watty: good luck with the build.

        • watty on 06/01/2018 - 08:22

          @Kiato: Thanks mate, you have been extremely informative and I really appreciate your time. Have a fantastic weekend!

  • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2018 - 22:42

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/d6hRf8

    • watty on 07/01/2018 - 00:09

      Nice build! Just a quick question, the recommended wattage usage is 465W on yours and the power supply is 750W. Is that safe? I haven't been to find a definite answer online but I too want to buy the EVGA G2 (but my estimate is 441W). Cheers!

      • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2018 - 09:02
        +1

        I always put more power in as I render. Its for future proofing. Too little power is where you run into problems. Also I put a Noctura air cooler in as it is rated better than most water cooling and avoids leak issues. Water cooling is over rated and noisy.

        • watty on 07/01/2018 - 09:41

          Ahh good point! I'm not even oc my cpu so I don't think I'll need liquid cooling. Would you be able to recommend an air cooler for a cpu that's not being oc?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2018 - 09:44

          @watty: Noctura air coolers came up as best air cooler when I was benchmarking them and I am happy with it. You could always just use the one that comes in the cpu box, until you do start to press the limits, that will save you $100 right there. Its not reccommneded tho.

        • watty on 07/01/2018 - 09:46

          @stormii: I always had the impression that stock coolers were throw aways! How times have changed haha Thanks for that, I'll have a look at the Noctura ones, just the sheer size of them look intimidating to install.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2018 - 09:48

          @watty: Do make sure you match the model to your board, partspicker will throw a compatibility error if you dont, so use it as a guide. They look awesome I think! Not to hard to install if you get the right one.

        • watty on 07/01/2018 - 10:01
          +1

          @stormii: Found the Noctua NH-U14S and it's not overkill for my cpu. Thanks for the info :)

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