Apologies if this has been asked, I'm on mobile and can't find a way to search this thread.
For a 500 GB SSD, is there any reason to stick with the MX100 over the new MX200? I'm quite tired of having to constantly shuffle games on my current 128 GB drive.
MX100 drives are a bit cheaper if you're looking to scrimp and save as much as you can. In terms of performance, you probably wouldn't notice the difference between the MX100 and MX200 in daily use.
I've been in school for 4 years and I work full time, so I have had no time to keep up with my hobby. I'm about to graduate and will be getting myself a present. Guide me to PC bliss once more GAF.
Some overclock. Unreal Tournament is my main driver right now.
I will most likely be sticking to 1080p output and I would like some kind of upgrade path in the future. Max budget would be ~$1500. Any remaining cash will be spent towards a monitor but for right now I am OK with my TV. Thanks very much.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ygkvCJ
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($163.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($123.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($186.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($100.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.71 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1372.60
I guess you're also going for a dark color scheme? There are still ways to save money.
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($136.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1158.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-19 21:15 EDT-0400
The
Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK ($137) should be more than enough to meet your needs, it also has a black color scheme.
The only differences between it and the more expensive UD5H are different slot layout, lack of a second LAN port (unnecessary), two RAID controller ports (probably unnecessary) and less robust power delivery for overclocking (UD3H 4 phase VS UD5H 6+2 phase).
The UD3H is already able to overclock fairly well though, so it doesn't matter. You'd be paying more for the UD5H's unnecessary features.
That
16GB of 2400MHz G.Skill Sniper RAM ($105) is faster and cheaper, but taller. However, it shouldn't be too much of a problem with the cooler. I doubt you'll need more than 16GB of RAM in the future so you shouldn't need to fill up the other slots, and proper RAM placement dictates placing them in the 2nd and 4th slots away from the CPU. If there are any issues with space, you can just move the fan on the heatsink a little higher.
That's a good price for the 850 Evo, but just in case you want an alternative, there's the
Crucial BX100 500GB ($184). It remains to be seen if the 850 Evo'S TLC NAND is free of the 840 Evo's TLC NAND performance issues.
You are aware of the
GTX 970's VRAM issues, right? It's still a great card for 1080p gaming, but the VRAM possibly not being up to the task in the future and the AMD pricecuts on the R9 290/290X make AMD easier to recommend over the GTX 970, they're much cheaper while
offering similar ballpark performance. If you don't mind getting the R9 290 instead, there's the
Asus R9 290 DirectCUII ($260 after $30 rebate) which comes in mostly black with red accents. If you still prefer the GTX 970, then go with this
EVGA SSC model ($330 after $10 rebate) instead, it's
very new and has a lot of nice features that make it slightly better than the Gigabyte G1 Gaming like a semi-fanless mode, twin BIOS, and a more compact size that doesn't sacrifice performance.
The Phanteks Enthoo Pro is a great case, but sorta too large for most people who will never fill up all the expansion slots and bays. I'd recommend something cheaper yet still high quality like the
Corsair 300R ($60), still roomy but still well designed and built while costing less.
There are better quality power supplies that have more capacity and cost much less than $100. The
EVGA Supernova B2 750 watt or
850 watt model are manufactured by Super Flower, and have excellent performance, build quality, and reviews.
If you want to save money on Windows.. Windows 8.1 licenses can be bought from
reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 or less. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are unapproved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement to be clear, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it, although it's somewhat unlikely. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months.
All in all, with my recommendations, you're looking at no drop in performance with $200 saved. You could pocket the difference or consider spending more elsewhere. Is just the SSD alright, or will you also need hard drives?
