PC Buyers Guide Winter 2014

PC Buyers Guide 38 Page 4 of 5 Published by

teaser

The Byte - The High End Build

The Byte - The High End Build

This system is focuses on those die hard gamers unwilling to compromise on the image quality. This means that the target resolution would be at least 1080p (1920x1080 Full HD) but the aim is 1440p (2560x1440 Quad HD) with virtually all eye candy enabled in the game. This system can also be used by those who are into multi-monitor gaming. If you would like to seek out game specific tweaks/mods, head on over to our game forum.


CPU - Intel Core i7-5930K | Intel Core i7-5820K

Would you be interested, if I told you that you can get similar performance of Intel Core i7-5960X which costs about 970 EURO by spending only 560 EURO? Those answering yes would fit into the uber user category. By purchasing Intel Core i7-5930K, you get virtually all the benefits of Intel Core i7-5960X without the need to sell your kidney, arm and a leg (Review). Just raise that multiplier a little and boom, octa-core performance. We choose the 5930K as it it a six-core processor and needs to be paired with a X99 chipset, this will bring 40 PCIe lanes, DDR4 quad channel, and more awesomeness into your system. If pricing is a concern, then look into Z97/Z97 with a quad-core Core i7-4770K or i7-4970K processor at roughly 300 EURO for the processor.
 

Img_9969png

For high end users, Core i7 is the way to go... the Core i7-5930K has an appealing price perf balance with its eight-cores and great overclockability


CPU Cooler - Corsair H110

To squeeze out all the CPU cycles you possibly can, you would have to tweak the voltages. This means that the heat being generated by the CPU will need to be dissipated rapidly in an efficient manner. You can achieve this by using Corsair H110 (Review) would comes at a reasonable price tag of only 106 EURO. The dual 140 mm fans and a 280 mm radiator, can be installed in a few minutes. After that, you can tweak the CPU frequencies to your heart's content.

Corsair H110 LCS

GPU - Nvidia GTX 970 | AMD Radeon R9-290

If you want one of the fastest GPU for gaming needs without taking out a mortgage on your house, then Nvidia GTX 970 (Review) is the answer. With 4 GB of VRAM and excellent power consumption, this beast will obliterate any game you throw at it and will mock you for your futile attempt at overpowering it. Of course, this beast could be yours for only 320 EURO! Those wanting to have the highest end single GPU for unmatched performance can check out the 510 EURO Nvidia GeForce GTX 980. Of course, if the odds that your wallet would survive such a price impact are slim, you could opt for a dual GPU set up (SLI/CF/CFX) by using mainstream GPUs which would increase your performance considerably while not leaving your wallet shattered in ashy pieces. We could recommend the 980, but the 200+ EURO price difference does not make up for the additional performance.

On AMDs side, the Radeon R9 290(X) is still going strong as well and recent price cuts for the R9-290 bring down that product to 280 EURO already. Brand preference is a big thing these days so you choose. 

Img_0177

The Gigabyte GTX 970 is exemplary in performance, low noise levels and power consumption (Read).


Motherboard - ASUS X99 Deluxe | MSI X99S Gaming 9 AC

One of the most critical hardware piece in the system is the motherboard. The reason is that all other components are connected to it. Hence, choosing the right motherboard for your needs is paramount along with ensuring that all other components are compatible with it and that no major issues are there. Luckily, if you stick with reputable brands, you are far less likely to encounter issues then choosing a nameless brand. There are many quality motherboards for the LGA2011-3 socket out there. However, one of them is guaranteed to get your overclock freak on. The Asus X99 Deluxe (Review) comes to mind with a somewhat decent tag of ~330 EURO. It has everything one can possibly dream of and more.

Great alternatives come from MSI, ASRock and Gigabyte. Be sure to dig through some of our reviews to help you choose... the one (Details). 


Img_9986
MSI X99S Gaming 9 AC Motherboard


System Memory (RAM) - DDR4 16 GB (4x 4 GB) @ 2133 MHz

When it comes to RAM, always make it a point to check with the motherboard if the RAM is compatible or not (assuming that the vendor does provide this service). It is much cheaper and quicker for you to find the right product by browsing through the supported memory list on the motherboard site than buying the kit and later learning that it is incompatible. Of course, you must have a 64-bit OS to use the 16 GBs of RAM. Do note that frequencies higher than 1600 MHz have a somewhat limited performance gain in the real world so a higher frequency doesn't necessarily translates to better real world performance. However, in this case, going for 2133 MHz would unleash the full potential of the motherboard and CPU.

X99 is quad-channel memory, hence you should use 4 DIMMs. 16 GB is a little over the top, 8 GB is sufficient by any standard. But hey, memory is cheap and this is the more high-end build of course. So go for a little extra, quite handy while transcoding video's or doing some content production (when you are not gaming of course).

Img_9999


Storage - 512 GB SSD | 1 TB SSD

Consumers in this category would have gotten their hands on a SSD quite a while ago. However, the issue that they faced then was the extremely limited sizes (remember those 32 GB, 64 GB SSDs?). Thanks to technological advancements, that it no longer the case. You can now get an affordable 1 TB SSD for your OS and main applications. Two names that have made quite an impact in the consumer market are; Crucial M550 1 TB and Samsung 850 EVO 1 TB (Review). The price ranges from ~395 EURO to ~420 EURO. Something that wasn't imaginable few years ago. A Crucial MX100 512 GB for example can be yours for 185 EURO. Moreover, opting for a previous generation SSD is budget friendly while not sacrificing the performance too much. You can also mix things up, install a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD and install a nice 4 TB HDD for your larger storage needs. Just run your OS from that SSD and watch your system fly.


PSU - 800 Watts To 1500 Watts

Having the right PSU can make a difference between a stable or an unstable system under heavy load. Thus, make sure that you always purchase a PSU from reputable brands like EVGA, Corsair, OCZ, Antec, Seasonic, etc. Moreover, it is common for a PSU to be re-used when building new systems so having one with some extra wattage is good insurance policy. Just make sure that you are getting a high efficiency one which will help you reduce your power bill in the long run. Also, if you are planning to overclock say the CPU and/or GPU(s), be sure to get a bit more wattage as overclocking requires higher voltages which may increases your power consumption significantly. Here is the list of PSUs we have reviewed over the years (Details).


Odds & Ends

Now that you are familiar with the inner daemon, The Byte, here are some other components for you to think about:

  1. Chassis: Always ensure that the chassis can support all your components and is of the right size. Moreover, a well ventilated chassis helps increase the life-span of the components by preventing build up of hot spots and allows faster heat dissipation. A selection of chassis that we have reviewed is a good place to start (Details).
  2. Sound card: The on-board sound card gets the job done. However, with a system like this, you don't have any excuse to not have a dedicated sound card. So do your ears a favor and consider getting something like the ASUS Xonar Phoebus (Review) which targets gamers. Optionally, browse our reviews of sound systems and pick something that suits your taste (Details).


If you ever wondered what it would be like to build a system without ever considering the price-tag, then check out The Megabyte...

Share this content
Twitter Facebook Reddit WhatsApp Email Print