Building a gaming PC

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

OS wise, consider using Linux It will save you on the license for Windows which you'll have to otherwise buy.

About multi-GPU setup - I doubt you'll needed it, unless you plan to use 4K resolutions or perform bitcoin mining or anything else of that intensity.

 

[sidspyker]

Yeah I'm not fussed about the sound so much. As long as I can hear the music and it doesn't sound like it's being played through a 90s mobile phone, I think I should be fine with a built-in sound card.

Yeah on-board sound has improved a ton from the early days, don't get a separate one.

 

[octavian123]

I have an ASUS Xonar DX and a pair of Sennheiser HD518. Extremely good headphones for the price (100$)

 

[eskiMoe]

Yeah on-board sound has improved a ton from the early days, don't get a separate one.

Really depends. If you're using some cheap basic headphones/speakers there's not much point getting a dedicated sound card. But if you're going to use some hifi/audiophile level headphones/speakers, getting a high quality sound card with a high quality DAC would be recommended.

 

[volsung]

I agree that 16 GB RAM is becoming increasingly popular, probably in part because of some unspoken rule about doubling your RAM with each new generation of hardware. But many gamers out there never run virtual machines or memory intensive algorithms, and being on a budget 8 GB RAM can save you a good $100 or more.

I would leave it as a least priority thing to increase your RAM beyond that because: 1) it's unlikely to get full and 2) you can add more, later.

 

[sidspyker]

Really depends. If you're using some cheap basic headphones/speakers there's not much point getting a dedicated sound card. But if you're going to use some hifi/audiophile level headphones/speakers, getting a high quality sound card with a high quality DAC would be recommended.

I am basing it on what she is asking for not what could possibly be

 

[PrincessCiri]

SLI (Nvidia) or Crossfire (AMD) are technologies that allow you to use multiple videocards at the same time, increasing performance and raw data throughput.

Performance doesn't increase linearly though as adding extra hardware adds communication and processing overhead, but graphics usually scale well because they reduce to matrix algebra.

I consider it to be a premium solution to performance, although sometimes it can be cheaper than a premium single card. In any case, this is for scenarios such as 4K resolutions and so on. Single monitor setups at 1440 or less are just fine with one 970.

I see. Well, I'm not 100% sure as to whether I would use them in the future as if they don't make a massive difference I can probably do without.

The updated version of my desktop PC is now this, please let me know if I've missed anything!:

Processor (CPU): Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4690K (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard: ASUS® H97M-E: Micro-ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM): 16GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB ) -- I know people told me that 8GB is plenty so I don't need 16GB but there wasn't an option to get 2 x 4GB so I decided to go with 2 x 8 instead. Because the price isn't too much higher and I'm guessing it's better than having 1 x 8, right?
Graphics Card: 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 970 - 1 DVI, 1 mHDMI, 3 mDP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk: 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive: 24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM (I know I could do without this but if I don't have this, does it mean I don't have a CD-drive in my computer? This is the cheapest option besides not having one... but if I still have a CD-drive in the PC without this then I am happy scrapping it)
Power Supply: CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Memory Card Reader: INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Processor Cooling: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans: 1 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card: ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Keyboard & Mouse: CM Storm Devastator Keyboard and Mouse


Altogether the cost is (incl VAT) £1003 which is amazing!

And regarding using Linux, I would be tempted but the support for Linux in gaming doesn't seem to be as good for Windows. Also, erm, I have family who work at Microsoft so they'd probably murder me if I abandoned Windows.

 

[Luxorek]

Swap that GTX 760 for GTX 970 @Princess_Ciri. And what kind of weird site is this, not allowing you to pick 2x4GB RAM ?

 

[octavian123]

I recommend getting an aftermarket 970, like the one I posted or from any other producer. My ASUS DirectCU II STRiX 970 has an aftermarket cooler that only spins when the GPU is over 70 degrees. And even then it is really quiet and efficient. It never goes above 73 degrees here. Also, I don't think you need an aftermarket cooler if you are not overclocking. The stock cooler is good.

EDIT: You seem to have accidentally chosen a 760. If you've changed your mind that's fine but the 760 is significantly slower.

The case fans should pull air on the sides and at the bottom and exhaust on the top.

 

[PrincessCiri]

Oops I picked the wrong graphics card.

Okay so I updated that to the 970 and now the cost is £1003. Still fine.

I don't know why they don't have the option for 2 x 4GB. I swear I remember they used to have it as an option but for some reason I can't find it now. Slightly annoying because it puts the price up by £60 but oh well...

 

[eskiMoe]

I am basing it on what she is asking for not what could possibly be

Well yeah. I sort of have an agenda of trying to convince people to buy better audio gear. Mostly because for years I was happy with on board sound cards and cheap headphones until I "saw the light". It just imo makes a huge difference, especially in atmosphere heavy games like The Witcher when you can hear the smallest details in the soundscape and really bring those magnificent soundtracks to life.

 

[octavian123]

Well yeah. I sort of have an agenda of trying to convince people to buy better audio gear. Mostly because for years I was happy with on board sound cards and cheap headphones until I "saw the light". It just imo makes a huge difference, especially in atmosphere heavy games like The Witcher when you can hear the smallest details in the soundscape and really bring those magnificent soundtracks to life.

Once you go Sennheiser nothing else will do.

 

[volsung]

I'm kind of an audio person and never used on board sound. The heresy!

But I agree it's better now and acceptable for most people. You can always get a sound card later on, specially if you're on a budget.

Good thing is audio doesn't age like video does, and a good sound card will last until it disintegrates.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

And regarding using Linux, I would be tempted but the support for Linux in gaming doesn't seem to be as good for Windows. Also, erm, I have family who work at Microsoft so they'd probably murder me if I abandoned Windows.

Hah, or may be you'll convince them to use Linux too Gaming wise - it also depends. In general of course there is less selection, but it's getting better. I had same concerns a while ago when I still used Windows for gaming. But I at some point I tried to use Linux for gaming exclusively, and it worked out pretty well. In several recent years the situation started improving dramatically. Anyway, let's not go into off-topic too much.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

About getting additional cards like audio - check how many PCIe slots your motherboard has. Usually huge GPU can block some of them, so in actuality you'll have less available.

Also, you didn't list what case you are buying. The last time I assembled a computer I used CoolerMaster HAF XM. Big fans reduce noise since they can operate with lower RPM.

See also this thread about dust reduction and other performance options:
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/29096-Optimizing-your-computer-for-noise-and-performance

 

[eskiMoe]

About getting additional cards like audio - check how many PCIe slots your motherboard has. Usually huge GPU can block some of them, so in actuality you'll have less available.

Indeed. I actually just yesterday ordered two GTX 970s and one of the reasons why I went for the "back plateless" MSI model (the other one was the beefier power delivery system) was because I suspected that if I had a GPU with a backplate my SBZ wouldn't fit in the slot above my GPU. Glad I noticed it before placing that order.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Here is also a thread about dust filtering: http://forums.cdprojektred.com/thre...ng-vs-Buying?p=1242877&viewfull=1#post1242877

 

[PrincessCiri]

About getting additional cards like audio - check how many PCIe slots your motherboard has. Usually huge GPU can block some of them, so in actuality you'll have less available.

Also, you didn't list what case you are buying. The last time I assembled a computer I used CoolerMaster HAF XM. Big fans reduce noise since they can operate with lower RPM.

See also this thread about dust reduction and other performance options:
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/29096-Optimizing-your-computer-for-noise-and-performance

The case I am buying is called the COOLMASTER ELITE 311 Blue Case ...honestly who names these things? lmao
It costs £35 which is a bit annoying but the cheaper ones didn't allow for any extra fans. This one only allows 1 extra fan, but in order to get 2 fans I'd have had to pay over £60 because the £45 cases don't work with my memory card reader.

 

[eskiMoe]

The case I am buying is called the COOLMASTER ELITE 311 Blue Case ...honestly who names these things?

Marketing snobs. Apparently names like that make the owners E-penis bigger.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

The case I am buying is called the COOLMASTER ELITE 311 Blue Case ...

Looks like this case allows setting the power supply air cycle to be independent - which is good for reducing the heat inside the case. It's good to avoid cases which mix air cycles for the PSU and other components.