New build

[Oriforc]

Planning on building myself a new PC in the next few months as it's been a long time since I built my current rig.
Mainly I would like it for playing GTA 5 at 1080p at a steady frame-rate, as well as the basic internet browsing/music playing etc.

Here is my proposed build, going with a black and white theme, please feel free to comment and suggest amendments:

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K
Motherboard: MSI Z97S Krait Edition
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX
RAM: 16GB Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3-1866 (white)
SSD for OS: 250GB Samsung 850 EVO
GPU: Palit GTX 980 Ti Super JetStream
Case: NZXT S340 (white)
PSU: Corsair RM650
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

Cheers!

[Obie]

Sweet looking build, the only think I would say is that unless your doing photoshop or rendering you won't need the i7. The i5 4690k will fare almost equally well in games as games don't really utilise more than 4 threads.
Here's quite a cool video for comparison

[Oriforc]

Will it make much difference in the future? I've had my current CPU for ~8 years, I was hoping this next build will last me about that long too

[Obie]

Will it make much difference in the future? I've had my current CPU for ~8 years, I was hoping this next build will last me about that long too

They project that games will be able to utilise more than 4 cores more efficiently with DirectX 12 but both processors in question only have 4 cores ( i7 has 4 cores, 8 threads which only really benefits multi-threaded applications e.g. 3d rendering). The next step up would be to get the 5820k (6 core) however that would require an X99 motherboard and a price premium.

Honestly speaking I would wait if I were you as Intel are more than likely going to release their new Skylake i5 and i7 processors at the beginning of next month.
Not to mention windows 10 is being released at the end of this month so you'll have a very good idea of what to expect really soon performance wise with both coupled together and undoubtedly reviews will be a plenty.

If you absolutely cannot wait then I still stand by the 4690K but I implore you to hang on, there's never been a better time

[deejayburnout]

Think this rig would kick ass with gaming. Should last a long time. Probably not 8 Years as no doubt gaming will advance tenfold

[Agrippa]

In terms of longevity the i7's hyperthreading would certainly make a difference, especially if gaming isn't all you use the PC for. And even if it is, who knows what you'll be up to in a few years' time.

The proposed build looks good to me and should be about is "future-proof" as such things can be, without going all out for a top spec X99 based system. I'd personally opt for a CoolerMaster or EVGA PSU, simply because they offer the same quality as the Corsair at lower prices. Corsair make good stuff, but I don't like the way they're milking their cred for all it's worth by charging as much as they possibly can.

Also, at 1080p there's no real need for an overclocked 980 Ti since the stock editions will already be more than powerful enough, but then again you likely won't be gaming in 1080p a year or two down the road. My own stock MSI 980 Ti overclocks easily to 1250/7800 and stays quite silent while in use, but then I have oodles of airflow to help it keep cool. In your proposed case it'll likely be louder at full throttle.

Basically I think you have pretty much an optimal build going on. A few tweaks can be made to save you a few quid while leaving the performance unaffected, but that's about it as far as I can see.

[kalniel]

In terms of longevity the i7's hyperthreading would certainly make a difference, especially if gaming isn't all you use the PC for. And even if it is, who knows what you'll be up to in a few years' time.

Hyperthreading does not bring any longevity advantages. Especially for the uses given in the original post.

Also, at 1080p there's no real need for an overclocked 980 Ti since the stock editions will already be more than powerful enough, but then again you likely won't be gaming in 1080p a year or two down the road. My own stock MSI 980 Ti overclocks easily to 1250/7800 and stays quite silent while in use, but then I have oodles of airflow to help it keep cool. In your proposed case it'll likely be louder at full throttle.

980ti is overkill for 1080p. It's fine specing an 8 year build, but that's not possible for GPUs unless you're willing to give up a lot of functionality down the line. Much better to spec for todays gaming and use the budget saving to replace it a few years later.

[Obie]

980ti is overkill for 1080p. It's fine specing an 8 year build, but that's not possible for GPUs unless you're willing to give up a lot of functionality down the line. Much better to spec for todays gaming and use the budget saving to replace it a few years later.

That's a very good point, especially when looking at how graphics cards are increasing the amount by which they surpass previous generations in terms of performance makes it all the more better to get the best 'bang for buck' card right now then look at upgrading the GPU every say 3 or 4 years. IMO that card right now would be the AMD R9 390.

To give you an idea..

-The GTX 780Ti retailed for $700 and was released on the 7th of November 2013.
-The GTX 970 retailed for $330 and was released on the 18th of September 2014.
-> Link

See how having the best of the best at the time doesn't always pay off because you cannot always have the latest tech & drivers. Games will always be optimised more for newer hardware/drivers.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Just get an R9 390 or GTX970 - in another year or so the second generation DX12 GPUs from AMD and Nvidia will be out,with a process node shrink.

[Quinnbeast]

Yeah, there's definitely something to be said for just picking the best price vs performance GPU at a given moment, and making a point of selling it on while it still has some value second hand. You end up with less junk lying around, and you make up part of the initial outlay. There's always someone out there looking for a second card for SLI purposes while you enjoy the new tech.

[Chugz]

The 980 Ti has equal power to SLI 970s, but that power is only useful beyond 1440p.

[Oriforc]

Thanks for the input so far guys. In terms of the 8 year build, that comment was mainly aimed at the CPU, obviously I have upgraded my graphics card over the years as technology improves.
Will definitely downgrade my GP to a GTX 970 then, as long as it can handle GTA 5 at max settings at 1080 I'm happy

[Oriforc]

Think either the ASUS Strix or the Gigabyte G1 Gaming in that case, any preference between the 2?

[Oriforc]

Thinking either the ASUS Strix or the Gigabyte G1 Gaming in that case, any preference between the 2? Or is there a better option?

[Obie]

I suggest the R9 390. it has twice as much VRAM and performs better than the 970 in most games & only runs about 3 degrees hotter using about 40 more watts.
http://www.techspot.com/review/1019-...380/page4.html

[Oriforc]

R9 390 it is then, thanks Obie!