I've got a few questions before I get close to finalizing my first ever build. GPU and monitor are missing for the moment.
- Does an i7 offer that much of an advantage over an i5 (this build will be primarily used for lots of gaming and general browsing)? I haven't set myself a budget and I'm currently in a position where I can afford to be a bit ridiculous with how I splash the cash, so if games are on their way to making real use of hyperthreading and other i7 features then I don't mind spending that bit extra.
- Is there a particular overclock limit I should be setting with that CPU cooler, or should it be fine for just about anything? Would there be any substantial benefit to adding a second fan?
- 8GB RAM is completely sufficient for gaming for the time being, correct?
- Does anyone have any comments to make about the PSU I've chosen? It has some great reviews but I figured I'd ask as obviously that isn't something I want to skimp on.
- I'm looking at picking up a 120/144hz monitor. The BenQ XL2411Z is recommended in the OP and the price is great but I've heard the UK model doesn't come with the V2 firmware required to take advantage of reducing motion blur. Does anyone have any experience with this who could offer some advice. Failing that, which high refresh rate monitors are considered best in general?
- Finally, I know this isn't strictly PC related, but should I even bother going with the FiiO E07K DAC? I've had it recommended to me by people who know their audio, but I'm no audiophile myself and I wouldn't know if it's even a necessary buy to be able to take advantage of the Sennheiser's I've picked.
Sorry for the bombardment of questions, no worries if you guys can't answer them all. Thanks.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£163.00 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£22.49 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£146.06 @ More Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£59.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£83.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£69.59 @ Aria PC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£66.80 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£80.90 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£11.05 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£79.85 @ Amazon UK)
Mouse: SteelSeries Rival Wired Optical Mouse (£39.99 @ Ebuyer)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones (£117.19 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: Coolermaster QuickFire Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Brown (£78.48)
Other: FiiO Andes E07K USB DAC Portable Headphone Amplifier (3.5 mm Jack, Black) (£69.90)
Other: SteelSeries QcK Gaming Mouse Pad (Black) (£7.99)
Other: Official Xbox 360 Common Controller for Windows - Black (PC) (£19.99)
Other: Kinobo USB 2.0 Desk Microphone (£10.41)
Total: £1127.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-10 17:11 BST+0100
- Does an i7 offer that much of an advantage over an i5 (this build will be primarily used for lots of gaming and general browsing)? I haven't set myself a budget and I'm currently in a position where I can afford to be a bit ridiculous with how I splash the cash, so if games are on their way to making real use of hyperthreading and other i7 features then I don't mind spending that bit extra.
- Is there a particular overclock limit I should be setting with that CPU cooler, or should it be fine for just about anything? Would there be any substantial benefit to adding a second fan?
- 8GB RAM is completely sufficient for gaming for the time being, correct?
- Does anyone have any comments to make about the PSU I've chosen? It has some great reviews but I figured I'd ask as obviously that isn't something I want to skimp on.
- I'm looking at picking up a 120/144hz monitor. The BenQ XL2411Z is recommended in the OP and the price is great but I've heard the UK model doesn't come with the V2 firmware required to take advantage of reducing motion blur. Does anyone have any experience with this who could offer some advice. Failing that, which high refresh rate monitors are considered best in general?
- Finally, I know this isn't strictly PC related, but should I even bother going with the FiiO E07K DAC? I've had it recommended to me by people who know their audio, but I'm no audiophile myself and I wouldn't know if it's even a necessary buy to be able to take advantage of the Sennheiser's I've picked.
Sorry for the bombardment of questions, no worries if you guys can't answer them all. Thanks.