Need help / suggestions with pc build

[Scrancher]

Hi guys.

I am pretty new to this whole computer universe, and as such, most of my knowledge comes from a lot of research over the last two weeks.
I am looking for help and suggestions with a pc build that a friend of mine has helped me put together using pcpartpicker.

The setup I am looking for in a pc, is for it to be used primarily for gaming at 1440p ultra settings, while also being able to handle 4K, if I happen to buy such a monitor.
Games that I like to play include: Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, War for the overworld, GTA 5, Fallout 4, World of Warcraft and many of the latest triple A titles.
I am also interested in 3D modeling and animating, as well as having future plans for live streaming.


The setup so far is this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3HzcQV
Notes: I am set on the CPU, as I know it's the leading one for gaming, as well as having the threads for more requiring tasks than just gaming.

CPU Cooler: This is one of the areas where I am not too sure. I've heard from many sources that the Kraken x62 and rev 2 version is overkill, and that for lowered noise, I shouldn't go for water cooling. Personally, I would prefer no water cooling at all, but here is the dilemma: What can you guys recommend for a really good cpu cooler? I am under the impression that the be quiet! Dark Pro 3 is the one for me, but I am not sure if it can fit the build etc. Suggestions are very welcome here!

Mobo: This one is pretty much a dead-set for me also. I don't want wifi at all, as I only game using ethernet cable anyway. Is it true that mobo's have integrated sound cards, and if so, is the one in this exact motherboard good for sound details when using a headset?

RAM: This topic is also a little bit tricky for me. I know I want at least 16gb of total RAM, but honestly, with the other interests I have than gaming, I would honestly prefer to aim for 32gb total. With that said, I read nothing but mixed opinions on the whole 2x16 vs. 4x8gb stick solution? RGB on my RAM is not a requirement at all, as long as the price is fair, and the quality is good. Suggestions are very much welcome here!

Storage: The two listed on the build setup is partly placeholders. My idea was to spent a bit more, and get the Samsung - 960 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive as my sole and only internal storage drive. Is it not true, that most people use an SSD + HDD combo due to economics? Is having just ONE internal storage drive a bad idea? I won't need more than 1TB internally, as I will use an external SSD or HDD drive for backup and extra storage. The main idea for an m.2 SSD is to have it split into two drives; one for the OS and the other for games and apps. I usually don't have much more than 5 games installed at a time, but I want as fast reading and writing capabilites as possible.

GPU: This one is a certain for me too.

Case: I am totally open for suggestions here. I have come to understand that many of my components is the 'ATX' thing, and unless a full tower has noticeably better airflow and lowered temperature, I wanna go with a Mid Tower. The one on the list is a placeholder, as I am more interested in the design of: NZXT - H440 (Green/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case. Sadly, I am not very knowing when it comes to cases that will have good airflow, temperatures, space for the components and its compability. Please take the H440 green / black as inspiration, as those colors are my whole theme! :-)
Sidenote: Do I have to buy seperate fans for the case, or will those come with them in the package?

PSU: Here I am at a hold also. I was told by my friend, that for 650W ones, Platinum is the best, and the very one in my partpicker list is currently the best money can buy. True or? Suggestions welcome!

OS: Windows 10 home 64bit is, as far as I know, the best OS for gaming and my other interests. Pro is for work and educational purposes mostly, yes?


Some general questions and notes: I would very much prefer to have just the Asus Aura Sync as my RGB show controller. RGB on every single component with it as an option isn't a must for me. My color theme is, as said above, lime / neon green and black. As said earlier, I want the case to be spacious and compatible with all the components on my list (or those you guys suggest), and have space / specs for physical and overclocking expansions later on.
Just, overall, I want a gaming beast with future proofness, overclock possibilites and being able to handle 1440p at ultra settings like a breeze. On that note, I am much open to Monitor (1440p 144Hz), gaming mouse and keyboard. I was thinking the Razer Mamba Tournament Edition for my mouse.

Thanks in advance!! :-D

[BC_Programmer]

Not to speak for others but I suspect that few members are "hardcore gamers", certainly not anywhere near what is represented by your current build components- nor even most of your desired use case. I'm not even close but I'm sure there are general options and advice that can be provided even if I'm not "hardcore"

I'll ignore the CPU since it is "set".

Regarding CPU Coolers, The 8700K looks to run hot enough that you cannot overclock with an air cooler. I was going to recommend the Hyper 212 Evo I have installed in my current system to overclock a 4770K but the 8700K apparently idles at nearly the same temperature as my 4770K get's under load with it based on other user reports I've found.

Air cooling will be fine if you just want to remain at the stock speed though that does sort of defeat the purpose of a K chip. (Not I'm a stranger to that myself- I didn't overclock my 4770K until around a year ago and I built this system in 2014!) Otherwise, you'll have to go liquid cooling. I've never used a liquid cooler though so I cannot offer any advice on that one. An All-in-One solution is obviously easier to manage than trying to use a loop kit, though.

Motherboards have had integrated audio circuitry for a while. You can see the Audio connectors on the motherboard in ASUS's marketing pictures. On-board motherboard audio has been sufficient for a while. If nothing else I'd say you should at least give it a try and see if it works. If not, I'd personally recommend whatever ASUS Xonar card fits in your desired price range.

For RAM, what I always suggest is to get as much as you can fit into your initial build- but if you cannot "max out" the memory, do so in a way that doesn't prevent you from upgrading later or make it more costly. My 2008 Build had 8GB of RAM but I bought it as 4 2GB sticks in order to afford it. This meant that down the line when I considered upgrading to the maximum of 16GB, I would have had to buy 4 brand new 4GB sticks- and by that time those sticks were expensive and I simply couldn't justify it for what was at that point an "old computer". I took that lesson to this PC, so when I put it together it had 16GB, but instead of 4 4GB sticks in the 4 slots, I only populated 2 slots with 8GB each. This allowed me to rather easily upgrade to 32GB later on, by just buying two more of the same memory sticks. No waste! This approach *could* affect performance but- at least personally- I prefer a tiny performance penalty over having to buy a whole new set of RAM later on and then discard the old ones  that I paid good money for. The impact is usually pretty small anyway. Of course you may prefer that approach in which case just be mindful of the trade-off.

I'd say that yes, the main reason for separate SSD and HDD drives in a system is economics- SSD drives are more expensive for the same storage, so it is typical to have an SSD drive and then another larger HDD drive. If you think 1TB will be fine, I don't see a reason to go for a secondary drive. Besides- if you do find that you were incorrect and you want more storage, you can just buy it and install it at that point.

Case IMO it's hard to go wrong with cases unless you intentionally look for the lowest bidder. The larger vendors like NZXT, Fracta Design, Corsair, etc tend to do a good job and any issues tend to be minor nitpicks about them. As far as airflow is concerned, IMO that is going to be mostly up to how well wires and other things are routed within the case than anything about the case itself. And how well you can route cables can depend just as much on the motherboard sometimes as the case. The NZXT looks to have features for routing cables nicely.

PSU: that Power Supply *should* work. I usually just guess at a good rating and hope for the best, personally. From what I can find 650 should be plenty.

Regarding OS, I use the Pro version because it provides a lot of additional control over aspects like Windows Update. For example I have my own system(s) configured to only notify me when there are updates (via Group Policies)- I have to actually start the updates  myself, and they never install automatically. This feature isn't available in the Home Edition. (There are some workarounds but being that I use Pro I've not needed to look into them). it is rather common to find people complaining about forced Windows 10 reboots for updates and Pro allows you to mitigate it but Home provides very limited options in that regard.

[Justin_Time]

It looks like a great system. The changes I'd suggest is to go with at least a 750 Watt PSU and start with 16GB of RAM and see if it's enough for your needs. DDR4 is still very expensive. I have 16 GBs and it works fine for me.

[Scrancher]

Hi guys. Tthanks for the input, suggestions and help! :-) Sorry for the late response!

I've revised and upgraded my build; and as always, looking for suggestions. I would only like to ask for some suggestions for stuff like same specifications RAM (but without RGB), a cheaper cpu cooler that will work just as great, and if you guys have other ''downgrades'' where the price to performance is justified: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Scrancher/saved/2RcPsY

Also, what 1440p 144Hz monitor would you suggest?

[VintronNZ]

I appreciate you are looking at RGB colour but perhaps the saving on memory will be worth considering,

These Crucial modules are cheaper and arguable more stable, Crucial - 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory for $307.00

Also placing all your storage to a 1TB M2 drive although very fast is perhaps not the best option.

Say do a mix of drives a 500GB M2 for the software and windows. And a large storage drive for backups and less used stuff.

Perhaps this M2  Crucial MX300 525GB M.2 Type 2280SS Internal SSD which is $149.00

And a Seagate https://www.seagate.com/au/en/products-syndication-only/internal-hard-drives/barracuda-pro/  capacity 4 tb or 6 tb.

As far as the other parts, if they are in your budget price then they look fine.

[Scrancher]

Hi VintronNZ, and thank you for your reply!

Could I get you to update the partpicker list with your suggestions, and link it here? Thanks!

[VintronNZ]

I'm not registered on parts picker. This is the link https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8hkZ4C
You can add the items.

Crucial - 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory
Crucial - MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Seagate - BarraCuda Pro 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Also consider changing the CPU to this one: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor. Using the air cooling to start with, when everything is working then install the liquid cooler (if you need it).