# Need Help Building Gaming Desktop



## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Hi! I don't know too much about building my own gaming desktop and about computer hardware, so could someone help me choose the best hardware for the lowest price possible? I want to play current and future videogames on ultra or high graphical settings while the performance is great (I know I will need to upgrade my hardware at some point). Thanks! Help is much appreciated!


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

TSF Hardware Team's Recommended Builds - 2014


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I am looking at the $1200 AMD build, and was wondering if I can use an AMD Radeon R9 295X2 graphics card instead because I hear it's the world's fastest. I am only planning to play on my monitor and maybe my TV, so would this graphics card be unnecessary for me?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Tom's Hardware: Graphics Card Performance Hierarchy Chart > Best Graphics Cards For The Money: July 2014


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

*Radeon R9 295X2 worth it?*

Is the AMD Radeon R9 295X2 worth the money, or is there another graphics card out there that is roughly the same for less money?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

No need to make a new thread, when you are getting help here.

I would say no as you won't need all that performance.

Is there a reason you don't like the $1200 AMD GPU?


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Sorry, I am new here, and no I just heard that the R9 259X2 is the best graphics card out there and I want to play new and upcoming games on max graphical settings whilst keeping the performance around or above 50-60 fps and I have heard many people complaining about problems they have been having with this particular card. I also want to keep a graphics card for a while and do not want to upgrade it any time soon after I get it.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You will do just fine with the card listed.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

As the chart I linked to above shows, the only thing comparable to the Radeon R9 295X2 (Newegg: $1,500 USD) is the GeForce GTX Titan Z (Newegg: $3,000 USD).


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

What is "best" to some may not actually be the best available. Some consideration has to be given to the brand used.
And, IMHO, spending $1500 for a GPU is nothing less than ridiculous.
A very good gaming experience can be had for much less.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Sometimes the "best" isn't all that much better than the "almost best". For instance, the 780 Ti is about half the price of a Titan (which itself has dropped so much in price one wonders if those buyers of a few months ago are wondering if they got taken for a ride) and is pretty much the same card but for the cache size and double precision processing.



> DFPP is mainly used in the GPGPU applications found in scientific research etc. It is for where calculations that can be made in a parallel fashion also require high precision. In terms of games, it isn't massively utilized as there is rarely any need to make such precise calculations.





> The GTX 780 Ti has the same top-end GK110 GPU, with the full complement of 15 SMX units and 2,880 CUDA cores. The big difference between the two cards is the GTX Titan Black has a 6GB frame buffer and double precision processing enabled, while the GTX 780 Ti only has a 3GB frame buffer and no double precision. And what does that big difference mean? Not a lot... [and] double precision maths... has precisely zero bearing on any game engine you can throw at it." -- PC Gamer


 
If I was still doing science, and if my research required it and budget allowed it, I'd get a Titan -- the money spend now would quite likely result in achieving project goals sooner and probably even save money in the long run. However, unless I was a professional gamer or someone whose livelihood was based on reviewing and commenting on the latest games, I don't think the cost can be justified.

And, do you even need the "almost best"? The $250 overclocked GTX 760 is currently falling in the "sweet spot" of price versus performance and is only two steps down from a standard Titan in the Tom's Hardware chart. This would probably be the card I'd chose if I were building a new gaming rig today.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

it will only be the best for 6 months or so and a warning about that card it runs extremely hot and has even been known to overheat with proper water cooling installed on it.

I wouldn't get one.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I've set up a sweet gaming rig from CyberPowerPC - UNLEASH THE POWER - Create the Custom Gaming PC and Laptop Computer of your dreams for the best price I could find after hours searching on custom PC building websites. Here is what I've decided on:
Case: Corsair Obsidian 900D Super Tower Gaming Case w/ Dual PSU Support, 3x HDD Hot Swap Bays, Front USB 3.0 & Side-Panel Window (This may change depending on the cooling fans)
Extra Case Fans: Maximum Corsair AIR Series AF120 Performance Edition 120MM High Airflow Case Fan
Noise Reduction Technology: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4790K 4.0 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150
CPU/Processor Cooling Fan: (I am still unsure about this, should I get air cooling or liquid cooling?) 
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-P ATX w/ GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 4x SATA 6Gb/s (Should I get X79 motherboard or stick with Z79?)
RAM / System Memory: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1866MHz Dual Channel Memory (ADATA XPG V2)
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 295X2 Dual GPUs 8GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card
Power Supply: 1,000 Watts - Corsair RM1000 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Fully Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply
Hard Drive: (Unsure wheter I should get an SSD or HDD)
Hard Drive Cooling Fan: Vigor iSURF II Hard Disk Drive Cooling System (1 x System)


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

unless you can afford a big SSD you will need both an ssd for gaming and the os and the mechanical drive for everything else.

I don't trust places that build computers for people especially the place where you are getting that but it's your choice.


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

Also there is no need for a hard drive cooling fan, especially with an SSD, as that case is large enough, and has sufficient fans and cooling already.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

So you're saying I need both a SSD and an HDD? Also, I am too inexperienced to separately buy all the items and construct it myself, are there any other custom PC building websites that are better?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

If you buy an ssd that is less than 250GB and you are a gamer then yes you will need a mechanical drive as the OS will take around 40GB then you have your games and anything else.

Secondly anyone can build a computer it is not difficult, someone I know recently built their first pc and they only have partial movement in his left arm and is also partially sighted.

Third There are hundreds of videos on youtube that shows how to build a computer

Fourth When getting a computer built for you by any company like the one you have chosen remember you will be paying around a 3rd more for it than you would if you bought the parts and did it yourself.

Its up to you at the end of the day though.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

What is the difference between an SSD and an HDD? Can I just buy one HDD, cuz the SSD is pricey? And I think I might just wanna build it myself now, but I'm pretty scared that I'll mess something up and ruin the system.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

PCMag > SSD vs. HDD: What's the Difference


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

For the next 48 hours only, Newegg has the *1TB* Samsung 840 EVO MZ-7TE1T0BW 2.5" MLC SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $399.99 with free shipping. The promo code is EMCYTZG685 which knocks $70 off the normal price of $469.99.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

One more question, what type of cooling fan should I get for my system? (air cooling or 120mm, 140mm, 240mm liquid cooling, etc.)


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

NEW NZXT H440 STEEL Mid Tower Case. Next Generation 5.25-less Design. *Include 4 x 2nd Gen FNv2 Fans*, High-End WC support, USB3.0, White/Black


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

air cooling and water cooling don't differ much apart from water cooling is slightly quieter but with air cooling you don't have a chance of leaks.

I don't do water cooling basically because water and electrical components don't mix and I would be really annoyed if I build a new system and it got screwed because of a leak.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I am really having trouble deciding between air cooling or water cooling for my upcoming gaming PC. All I wanna do is keep my internal parts nice and frosty and never have to worry about overheating or any temperature related problems. I have heard that liquid cooling is more efficient, but then greenbrucelee said that there is a chance of leaks, so now I'm on the fence between liquid cooling and air cooling. I need help!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Liquid offers no cooling advantage over air for normal use and no concerns with leakage with air. Intel OEM heatsink/fans are very capable. If you really need an aftermarket unit, which is doubtful, go with air and avoid problems.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Would air cooling still be good when I'm gaming with my Radeon R9 259X2?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Custom PC; Mineral Oil Submerged Computer


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I don't really wanna try that to be honest, I think I'm going with air cooling.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

It's cheaper and safer.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

teflon66 said:


> Would air cooling still be good when I'm gaming with my Radeon R9 259X2?


Yes.


Tyree said:


> Intel OEM heatsink/fans are very capable. If you really need an aftermarket unit, which is doubtful, go with air and avoid problems.


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## Merovign (Oct 24, 2007)

CPU Coolers: Top 5 Heatsink Charts on FrostyTech.com

I wouldn't assume a stock cooler is sufficient for a gaming system. You have to remember the rest of the system is generating more heat than a typical desktop, so ambient temperature will be higher.

It's just as important to manage the airflow of your case and outside your case - in other words, make sure enough outside air gets into the case and enough hot air gets out, and don't mount the case in a cabinet (at all) or close under a desk if it has an exhaust fan on the top. Think about where the air enters and leaves the case, if fans are pushing against each other, if the GPU and CPU fans are facing intake or exhaust fans, etc. Two fans fighting each other don't help cooling much.


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

teflon66 said:


> Would air cooling still be good when I'm gaming with my Radeon R9 259X2?


As the graphics card is a hybrid cooled card ie, it has a fan and a 120mm radiator attached, the radiator can be mounted on the rear of the case to expel hot air, and a decent air CPU cooler such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo used to push air out through the rear also.
Alternatively, if your case supports top mount fans, mount the radiator there and retain a standard rear case fan to assist extracting hot air from the CPU cooler.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I decided that the Radeon R9 259X2 was a bit too expensive, so I'm going with the Nvidia GTX 780 Ti. I have two questions: first, which type of this card should I get (like EVGA superclocked or the MSI twin frozer one), and can someone help me create an entire gaming PC with parts that best fit this GPU? Thanks!


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

TSF Hardware Team's Recommended Builds - 2014 > Intel builds the $1600 build.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

EVGA and Asus are the better brand (quality-reliability-support)options for Nvidia chipped GPU's.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Are two XFX Black Edition Double D AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card in crossfire good for maxing games at 1920 x 1080 for the next 2-3 years? Worth the money?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

One better GPU is almost always the better option for improved graphics. Two GPU's cost more, require/consume more power, generate more unneeded heat in thew case, offer a small performance gain the the apps/games that can actually utilize two GPU's,


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

What is a better single GPU that can max (or almost max) games at 1920 x 1080 for the next 2-3 years?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

well my gtx 670 does the job and I will be using it until 2017 at least.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I think I'll be going with the GTX 780 Ti.


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

teflon66 said:


> I think I'll be going with the GTX 780 Ti.


Good choice, if you can afford it, the Asus GTX 780Ti Platinum is the best at the moment.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Newegg has 'em for $679 after $20 rebate


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Will the 3 GB of ram be a problem for running future games on ultra?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Someday, probably so.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Any cards that are similar to the 780 Ti performance-wise but have more than 3 GB of ram?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Titan Black has 6 GB.

Graphics Card Performance Hierarchy Chart - Best Graphics Cards For The Money: July 2014


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

the 780Ti is a better card than the titan.

If you really want loads of performance and RAM wait for the 800 series cards to come out. Apparently they will be atleast 1.5 - 2 times faster than the kepler cards and someone said to me they will have atleast 5GB RAM to the top of the range one having 12GB although I wont believe that till I see it.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

The R9 295X2 has 8 GB and the Titan Z has 12.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

RAM isn't everything though unless your running higher than 1440p or using more than one monitor. The 780Ti has a higher core speed than the Titan.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Yep. Like they said on Tom's Hardware:


> While the GeForce GTX Titan Black is technically the fastest single-GPU graphics card available, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 780 Ti should match its gaming performance, especially with 6 GB versions on the way. Introduced shortly after AMD's Radeon R9 290X, the flagship GeForce features a fully-enabled GK110 GPU with all 2880 of its CUDA cores enabled and backed by 1750 MHz memory. The 780 Ti is deliberately hobbled in double-precision math, but that's inconsequential in games. A relatively high price tag prevents this board from becoming a value leader, but we're giving the GeForce GTX 780 Ti an honorable mention for its blazing-fast performance.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I want the best so I don't know I might wait for the 800 series.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

If by "best" you mean the "fastest for gaming", it's either the GeForce GTX Titan Z or the Radeon R9 295X2. Second tier is the GTX 690 and the HD 7990 and third tier is the GTX 780 Ti and the Titan Black.

And 'tomorrow' that will change, then it will be something else, etc., etc., etc., . . .


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Not the Titan Z or R9 259X2 for me I'm only gonna be running a single 1920 x 1080 monitor


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

Graphics Cards - ROG MATRIX-GTX780TI-P-3GD5 - ASUS
Like I mentioned previously, this is the best 780Ti at the moment.


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## T_Rex (Oct 21, 2012)

teflon66 said:


> Not the Titan Z or R9 259X2 for me I'm only gonna be running a single 1920 x 1080 monitor


 
Then all you need is a R9 280x or GTX 770 for max on any game. Hell I use a GTX 660 Ti and I don't see below 50 --- ever unless ultra on Crysis 3 then I just use high for a few settings no AA and it's above 50 minimum 1080p.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

also can I just say when you are saying you want the best, the best card will only be the best for 6 months or so then it wont be so you will have to get another if you always want the best.

I have a gtx 670 and I will be keeping it until about 2017 when I build my new system.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

teflon66 said:


> I'm only gonna be running a single 1920 x 1080 monitor


Then grab a GTX 780 Ti ... like the one Panther mentioned.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Thanks Pather063 I'm going with that GPU


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The 780ti should do all you want for some time to come.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

ASUS ROG Matrix GTX 780 Ti vs EVGA Superclocked GTX 780 Ti w/ ACX Cooling? Which is better in terms of performance?


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## Fjandr (Sep 26, 2012)

The superclocked cards are a bit faster. They're basically a factory overclocked 780 Ti.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

look the specs for the core, the ram etc etc the higher the number the better.

Both are overclocked versions.


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## Fjandr (Sep 26, 2012)

The specs are identical except for the core and memory clocks.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I looked online and saw people saying that the GTX 690 is better than the 780 Ti performance wise. That true?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

teflon66 said:


> I looked online and saw people saying that the GTX 690 is better than the 780 Ti performance wise. That true?


Yes, a bit. Graphics Card Performance Hierarchy Chart - Best Graphics Cards For The Money: July 2014


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

GTX 690 vs Evga Superclocked 780 Ti?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Most probably wouldn't notice much difference in performance.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

I saw some people saying that some games don't use the dual gpu that the 690 has so it's better to get a single gpu. What do you think?


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Yes, that's what I've heard.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you only need a card with a dual gpu and lots of vram if you use multiple monitors. Either of the 780Ti would be a better choice, and let me just say whatever you buy there will be a better card out in 6 months or so.

The 800 series cards are out soon.


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## teflon66 (Jul 11, 2014)

Yeah I get it, I'll buy an 800 series card later when the price drops.


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